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by Luke Shanno

San Diego, CA – The Chargers broke open a game tied at 7-7 in the second quarter with 28 unanswered points to take a commanding 35-7 lead en route to a 43-14 win at Qualcomm Stadium. After allowing just 23 points off turnovers prior to Sunday’s game, Kansas City permitted 28 points off four giveaways against San Diego. Chargers QB Philip Rivers threw for 317 yards and two TDs, while RB LaDainian Tomlinson added two TD runs. TE Antonio Gates had seven catches for 118 yards and caught both of Rivers’ TD throws.

CB Brandon Flowers broke up a deep pass from Rivers to WR Vincent Jackson on San Diego’s opening possession as the Chargers went three and out. After a Chiefs punt, San Diego went three and out on its second possession. Kansas City committed its first turnover of the game on its ensuing possession when Cassel was picked off by CB Quentin Jammer, giving San Diego the ball at its 39-yard line. San Diego wasted little time in capitalizing as Gates hauled in a 19-yard TD to give San Diego a 7-0 lead with 4:13 left in the first quarter.

Both clubs exchanged punts before the Chiefs orchestrated an eight-play, 91-yard TD drive. A 31-yard run by RB Jamaal Charles and a facemask penalty moved Kansas City to the Chargers 13-yard line. Former Chargers WR Chris Chambers also caught passes of 14 and 10 yards on the scoring march, as well as a seven-yard TD pass to tie the game 7-7 with 10:46 left in the second quarter.

Things would rapidly go downhill from there for Kansas City. A 53-yard pass to WR Malcom Floyd put the Chargers at the Kansas City one-yard line. Tomlinson punched the ball into the end zone on the next play, extending the Chargers lead to 14-7 with 10:09 left in the second quarter. Kansas City was mounting a promising drive, but as Charles was fighting for extra yardage, he fumbled the ball at the San Diego 39-yard line. A seven-play Chargers scoring drive ensued as a 15-yard TD pass to Gates upped the San Diego lead to 21-7.

Charles returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to the San Diego 45-yard line, but Cassel lost the grip on the ball on the next play and Chargers S Paul Oliver scooped up the ball in midair and ran it back for a 40-yard TD to make the count 28-7 with 2:32 left before the half.

Things didn’t improve for Kansas City in the second half. On the Chiefs opening possession, C Rudy Niswanger’s shotgun snap went over the head of Cassel and was recovered by San Diego LB Larry English at the Kansas City 10-yard line. Two plays later, Tomlinson registered a three-yard TD to push the San Diego advantage to 35-7 with 12:58 left in the third quarter.

But the Chiefs showed signs of spark on their next possession. Cassel hit Charles on a  49-yard pass. s to give the Chiefs offense new life. Completions of nine yards and 14 yards then set up a four-yard TD run by Charles to cap an eight-play, 79-yard drive, making the score 35-14 with 9:45 left in the third quarter.

San Diego committed three penalties on its next drive, but K Nate Kaeding nailed a 55-yard FG to extend the lead to 38-14. Kansas City turned the ball over on downs on its next possession as another shotgun snap went off target for an 11-yard loss on fourth and seven. The Chargers drove the ball deep into Chiefs territory and were poised with second and goal and the one. Tomlinson was headed for paydirt before Flowers drilled the ball carrier, jarring the ball free. The second-year cornerback jumped on the loose ball at the four-yard line to thwart the scoring threat. But Cassel was called for intentional grounding in the end zone three plays later. The resulting safety made the count 40-14.

Following the free kick, San Diego marched 60 yards, chewing 7:37 off the clock as Kaeding hit a 23-yard FG to make the final score 43-14 as the Chargers extended their winning streak to six games.