09/22 — The news doesn't get better for the Green & White. The Chargers march 79 yards for their fifth touchdown of the night in the first 4½ minutes of the third quarter, opening a 38-14 lead on LaDainian Tomlinson's 2-yard run.

ESPN had a fine graphic in the first half, stating that Brett Favre has never won a game after his team trailed by 14 points. And if he is able to mount the first such comeback of his career, it would be the largest in Jets franchise history, eclipsing the Monday Night Miracle by one point — the Jets overcame a 23-point deficit in that game in beating the Dolphins, 40-37 in overtime.

And right at the end of that drive, the pressbox announcer informs reporters that Jets NT Kris Jenkins has a back injury and his return to this game is questionable.

The third quarter runs out with the Jets moving again, getting a first down on a Favre sling to Jerricho Cotchery for 12 yards to the SD-44 as time runs out. Twenty-four points in 15 minutes is a tall order.

The Green & White continue their drive through the first 4½ minutes of the fourth quarter, and on the 15th play Favre finds one of his favorite receivers, Chansi Stuckey, open in the end zone, having shaken CB Antoine Cason for his third TD hookup of the season from the old gunslinger.

The Jets go for two points, which is the correct call — their shortest path to close the 24-point deficit before the TD is 8-8-8 — but No. 4 is "sacked" — it's not an official sack, but the effect is similar. The Jets trail now by 18, 38-20, meaning their shortest way to a tie is 7-8-3. Of course, this is a longshot Pick-Three winner.

But the visitors make it interesting when Jay Feely hits his second onsides kick of the night. This one hugs the Qualcomm Stadium grass and gets through the Chargers front line, to be recovered by top draft pick Vernon Gholston at the Jets 43. They have 10:28 left to try to mount three scoring drives, not to mention to hold the host 'Bolts scoreless.

The Jets get the three they need on Jay Feely's 32-yard field goal after a Favre-to-Laveranues Coles 41-yard catch-and-run to the San Diego 8. It's 38-23 with 8:21 left.

San Diego strikes back on a Philip Rivers-to-Vince Jackson 60-yard completion over rookie Dwight Lowery, then LT's second 2-yard TD run to make it 45-23. The Jets probably don't have enough time to get this done, but they strike back on a Cotchery 54-yard kickoff return (shades of Jan. 2, 2005 at St. Louis) to the SD-19. Then Favre and Dustin Keller hook up on the rookie TE's first pro TD, a 13-yard catch-and-run to the goal line.

The Jets get four shots at increasingly shorter distances at a two-point conversion because San Diego has committed two pass interference penalties and an offside. But finally Favre throws a pass that falls incomplete and with 3:09 to go it's 45-29, Chargers.

And with Nate Kaeding drilling a 49-yard field goal — after this own team apparently "iced" him by calling a timeout as he took his first try at the kick — the Chargers up the ante to 48-29 with 2:03 left. Kellen Clemens comes in for his first action of the season and throws the Jets' third interception of the game. With 44 seconds left, it's all over.

The 48 points scored  by the Chargers is the most against the Jets in 14 seasons. The Dolphins rocked the Green & White, 52-14, in the 1995 season opener.

Eric Allen will wrap up this evening with his game story, which will be up shortly. I'll attempt to get that postgame blog up before we take off from San Diego, although that's touch-and-go.