When NFL playoff berths are awarded four months from now, teams that are on the outside looking in will invariably lament their inability to hold leads in the fourth quarter.
The Chargers hope to have plenty of more leads to hold this season. They will need to do a better job of securing victory than they did on Monday night.
They squandered an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, dropping a heartbreaker to the host Arizona Cardinals, 18-17.
Philip Rivers threw for 238 yards and a touchdown, but was unable to drive the Chargers to a game-winning score after the defense allowed two touchdown passes in the final quarter.
Malcolm Floyd caught the lone TD for the Bolts, snagging a six-yard pass from Rivers on the first drive of the second half. He had four catches for 50 yards on the night.
Ryan Mathews (12 carries for 40 yards) followed that up with a 20-yard touchdown scamper on the following possession. That gave the Bolts a seemingly safe 17-6 lead midway through the third quarter.
But Carson Palmer drove the Cardinals down for two scores, including the game-winner, a 13-yard toss to John Brown with 2:25 left.
Antonio Gates led the Chargers with six catches for 81 yards. He had a key 34-yard reception on third down that kept a fourth-quarter drive alive as they clung to a five-point lead. But Rivers fumbled a snap three plays later for a 14-yard loss that resulted in a punt.
The Bolts trailed 6-3 at the half after missing multiple chances to score touchdowns. A blocked punt midway through the second half gave them the ball on the Arizona 39. But their drive stalled and they settled for a 36-yard field goal by Nick Novak.
San Diego had the ball in Cardinals territory twice more in the first half, but failed to score on both drives. The second ended in a Philip Rivers interception that led to a Chandler Catanzaro field goal for the Cards to end the half.
It's the second straight season-opening loss on Monday night for the Chargers. They gave up a late lead last year in a 31-28 loss to the Houston Texans.
The Chargers host the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
