SAN DIEGO — Ray Lewis met Darren Sproles head-on on fourth-and-2 in the closing seconds, preserving a 31-26 win for the Baltimore Ravens over the San Diego Chargers today.

The star linebacker's big play spoiled a monster afternoon by San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers, who almost single-handedly kept the short-handed Chargers in the game. Rivers threw for a career-high 436 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions. He completed 25 of 45.

The Chargers needed a touchdown to win and had the ball on Baltimore's 15 with 33 seconds left. Lewis came in unblocked and slammed the little running back to the ground for a 5-yard loss, and the Ravens (2-0) ran out the clock.

Baltimore's Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes and Willis McGahee ran for two more.

San Diego (1-1), missing four starters due to injuries, had the ball at or inside the Ravens 10-yard line four times and had to settle for field goals by Nate Kaeding each time.

A week after amassing a franchise-record 501 yards, the Ravens couldn't quite put away the Chargers. San Diego was missing running back LaDainian Tomlinson, center Nick Hardwick and right guard Louis Vasquez due to injuries, and on Saturday put defensive tackle Jamal Williams on injured reserve, meaning his season is over.

The killers for the Chargers were their inability to score touchdowns and a bad decision by Rivers.

The Chargers got to the Ravens 5, 2 and 1 in the first half, and had to settle for field goals by Kaeding each time.

Trailing 21-13, the Chargers got to the 1-yard line on a 24-yard pass from Rivers to Vincent Jackson. The play was upheld by replay, and the Chargers were called for delay of game. Rivers threw two incompletions, and coach Norv Turner's decision to kick on third down with 10 seconds left drew plenty of boos.

Kaeding made the 23-yarder to pull to 21-16. He also had kicks of 29 and 22 yards.

It happened again midway through the fourth quarter, after Flacco was hit by Shawne Merriman and intercepted by Antoine Cason. The Chargers moved to the Ravens 10, bogged down and got a 25-yard field goal from Kaeding to make it 28-26.

Baltimore's Steve Hauschka kicked a 33-yarder with 2:54 left.

In the third quarter, Rivers was under pressure from Lewis at the Chargers 34, was turned sideways and blindly threw the ball. Safety Dawan Landry intercepted and pitched it to Ed Reed for a short return to the 22. Four plays later, Flacco threw a 9-yard TD pass to tight end Todd Heap for a 28-16 lead.

Rivers came back and found Jackson behind double coverage for a 35-yard touchdown pass on third-and-18 to pull the Chargers to 28-22 with 2:26 left in the third quarter.

The Ravens forgot to cover Sproles on San Diego's second possession of the game and he turned a swing pass from Rivers into an 81-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Sproles raced down the right sideline before cutting inside and beating Reed to the end zone.

A week after throwing for a career-high 307 yards, Flacco was 17 of 26 for 190 yards.