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Chargers score early, often in rout of Lions

Dec 17, 2007 - 2:38 AM SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- The San Diego Chargers needed a dramatic comeback last week. They had no such concerns against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

The Chargers posted their highest point total in 22 years, routing the Lions, 51-14, to clinch their second straight AFC West title.

LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns in just two quarters as San Diego posted a season-high fourth straight victory.

It was the Chargers' best output since a 54-44 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 of the 1985 season.

"We always have a philosophy that it's not where you start, but where you finish," Tomlinson said. "We closed it out winning the division. It feels good to win the division, especially starting out the season 1-3."

Last week, the Chargers (9-5) erased a 14-point deficit in the final nine minutes of regulation before defeating the Tennessee Titans, 23-17, in overtime.

A week later, San Diego settled matters early, using Tomlinson's TD runs of 6 and 2 yards to build a 17-0 lead after the first quarter.

"We weren't as far away at 1-3 as it may have appeared," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "I didn't really have doubts that we would get things done the way we wanted to have them done.

"All you can do is still continue to do the things you believe in. The players have continually gotten more comfortable with what we are doing and it has showed up over the last month."

It got worse for the reeling Lions, who suffered their sixth straight defeat and had no spark after last week's heartbreaking 28-27 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.

"It unraveled today, there's no doubt about it," Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. "We didn't play too well in any phase - coaching, special teams, run defense, turnovers, takeovers, running the ball, dropping passes. The whole area just wasn't good enough."

San Diego's defense got into the act in the second quarter, as linebacker Shaun Phillips' 18-yard interception return for a touchdown pushed the Chargers' cushion to 27-0 with 8 1/2 minutes still remaining in the first half.

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers did not need to do much, completing 14-of-21 passes for 142 yards. He did toss a 1-yard TD pass to Brandon Manumaleuna to give the Chargers a 34-7 halftime lead.

"We've reached our first goal in winning the division, but we have to keep winning," Rivers said.

Darren Sproles replaced Tomlinson in the second half and rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns.

It marked the first time in franchise history that the Chargers had two 100-yard rushers in the same game.

"I just thing we have grown as a team," Chargers tight end Antonio Gates said. "The first couple of months we were learning each other. I think right now, we are playing our best football when we need it the most, going into the postseason."

Jon Kitna threw two touchdowns for the Lions but tied a career high with five interceptions.

"Sometimes in this league when you get going in the wrong direction, it's hard to break that," Kitna said. "It's not about practice. We probably had our best two weeks of practice these past two weeks. It's about performing on the field and right now we aren't performing."

Kitna's fourth pick was by cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who set another Chargers mark with his 10th interception of the season.

San Diego has come along way from when it was 1-3 and questioning Turner, who took over after Marty Schottenheimer led the Chargers to an NFL-best 14-2 record last season.

"There's always adversity in the season, there's always ups and downs," Tomlinson said. "Every season is not going to be 14-2 or 14-0, like the Patriots. That doesn't happen often. We just have to continue to believe that we can win games."