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It was Chargers who showed determination

Matthew Hill, Special to the News

Published November 20, 2006 at midnight

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With eight seconds left in the first quarter, LaDainian Tomlinson capped a 99-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. The Charger running back didn't dance, pound his chest or gesture to a camera. Instead, the NFL's best back jogged methodically to the sideline. No time for horsing around — he and his teammates were in Denver on business.

They had heard the gloomy forecast — they'd lost 17 of 19 in Denver; their coach was 3-14 in the Mile High City; Tomlinson had averaged a pedestrian 52 yards a game at Invesco; Javon Walker would embarrass their secondary; the crowd would get in Philip Rivers' head; the sea-level boys can't handle the elevation — but instead of being discouraged, the Chargers came in and played like a team sick of being doubted.

From the opening quarter, the Chargers pounded the Broncos defense on the ground. LT exorcized his Invesco demons running behind an athletic and physical offensive line. Tomlinson rushed for 105 yards with three touchdowns, adding three receptions for 74 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown, burning a grossly overmatched Ebenezer Ekuban.

Rivers, struggling at that point, couldn't get the ball to Tomlinson fast enough when he saw the 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive end lined up on his All-Pro running back. The next series Rivers would give his team the lead with a perfect pass to Vincent Jackson in the corner of the end zone with 6:45 left in the game.

Jackson, the former UNC star, celebrated the lead-grabbing catch by hugging his linemen. Tomlinson would do the same thing minutes later when he put his team up by eight with 1:14 left in the game. From start to finish, the Chargers showed the Sunday Night Football audience what it meant to be a team.

While the Chargers played a determined four quarters, the Broncos' effort was another story.

The Broncos responded to the Chargers' 99-yard drive by dominating the second quarter. The line put on a zone-blocking clinic, making an undrafted rookie and a rotund scout-teamer looked like Pro Bowl rushers. Bell capped two long second-quarter drives with a pair of touchdowns. The defense didn't allow a first down to the Chargers. The Broncos had to be confident.

After tacking on a quick three on the Broncos' first drive of the second half, Darrent Williams intercepted Rivers' second pass and ran it back for a score, giving Denver a 24-7 lead. Things then began to fall apart for the Broncos.

The defense allowed Rivers to stand tall in the pocket and pick apart their secondary. They put on a how-to-miss-a-tackle clinic, with Tomlinson reaping the benefits.

Plummer was never able to get comfortable. Madden's early fourth-quarter prediction of Jake getting outside the pocket never materialized, and The Snake managed only 13 completions for 183 yards.

The Broncos were supposed to own the Chargers at home. They did for a while. But in the end, they found themselves outworked and outclassed by a team determined to take care of business.