SAN DIEGO (AP)—Patrick Crayton(notes) and Darren Sproles(notes) turned short passes from Philip Rivers(notes) into long touchdowns through the Denver defense, and the surging San Diego Chargers rolled to a 28-7 lead over the Broncos after three quarters Monday night.
Malcom Floyd(notes) caught an early 6-yard TD pass from Rivers, who passed for 220 yards while reclaiming the overall NFL lead in yards passing from Peyton Manning(notes). Chargers fullback Mike Tolbert(notes) also rushed for a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter after making a 28-yard catch on a trick pass by punter Mike Scifres(notes) in the first.
After Crayton turned a screen pass into a 40-yard score with 2:05 left in the second quarter, Sproles romped through the Denver secondary for a 57-yard score less than 2 1/2 minutes into the third, putting the 4-5 Chargers on course for their third straight victory and a return to .500 in yet another late-season surge under coach Norv Turner.
Rivers had the early advantage in his much-anticipated duel with Denver’s Kyle Orton(notes), who went 16 for 27 for 150 yards in the first three quarters of the meeting between the NFL’s most prolific passers entering this weekend’s games.
Knowshon Moreno(notes) rushed for a 4-yard score on the Broncos’ opening drive in a meeting between sub-.500 AFC West rivals who still have a chance to take control of a lackluster division race.
Crayton sprinted through the Denver defense on an exceptional broken-field run after his short catch, tumbling into the end zone with his first TD of the season. Crayton, who had three catches for 105 yards, went to the locker room after the score to get his left wrist examined.
Denver also lost two key players to injury in the third quarter: receiver Demaryius Thomas(notes) hurt his left ankle, and linebacker D.J. Williams(notes)—the Broncos’ leading tackler—was sidelined by a concussion.
The Chargers, who lead the NFL both in total offense and total defense despite their 4-5 record, played their second straight game without star tight end Antonio Gates(notes), who has a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Rookie running back Ryan Mathews(notes) also sat out with a high ankle sprain.
Despite significant early season setbacks, both teams are eager to get on top of the pedestrian AFC West, where Kansas City (6-4) is the only team above .500. San Diego is rounding into form after a slow start, while the Broncos capped their 2-6 start with their fourth straight loss to the lowly 49ers in London before returning from a bye week to rout the Chiefs last week.
The four-time defending division champion Chargers have made a habit of slow starts and big finishes during Turner’s first three seasons, winning 11 straight in 2009, four straight in 2008 and six in a row in 2007.
The Broncos opened with a ruthlessly efficient scoring drive before most San Diego fans had settled in from the pregame fireworks show and four-helicopter flyover. Orton completed three straight passes, including a 21-yard throw and an 18-yard flea-flicker to Brandon Lloyd(notes) on consecutive plays, before Moreno rushed three straight times for the final 22 yards, barreling in from 4 yards out just 2:55 into the game.
Lloyd’s first two catches put him over 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in an eight-season NFL career. The sometimes temperamental receiver bounced among four teams before finding a groove with the Broncos.
San Diego kept its second drive alive with a fake punt. Scifres, who has had five punts blocked this season, completed this stellar bit of trickery by stepping up in the pocket to hit Tolbert in stride on a post route.
Rivers then found Floyd in a hole in the Broncos’ goal-line defense for the receiver’s fourth TD catch of the season. Floyd missed the previous three games with a hamstring injury.
Rookie Tim Tebow(notes) took one snap at quarterback on Denver’s third drive, handing off to Moreno.
Shaun Phillips(notes) sacked Orton twice in the second quarter, including a shoestring tackle that prevented Orton from throwing a long third-down pass on a trick play. But star Denver cornerback Champ Bailey(notes) thwarted the Chargers’ ensuing drive with an interception, reaching over Floyd’s shoulder to take away a long throw
