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Division champion Chargers seek to avenge loss to Chiefs

Dec 17, 2006 - 3:17 PM Kansas City (7-6) at San Diego (11-2) Sunday 8:15 pm EST

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- LaDainian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers are headed to the playoffs. Larry Johnson and the Kansas City Chiefs will need some help if they hope to join the postseason party.

The Chargers have won seven in a row to clinch their second AFC West title in three years under coach Marty Schottenheimer. Their last loss was a 30-27 defeat at Kansas City on October 22.

Lawrence Tynes kicked a career-long 53-yard field goal with six seconds remaining to give the Chiefs the win after the Chargers had rallied from a 17-point deficit. Tomlinson took a handoff and tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brandon Manumaleuna with 5:10 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game.

Taking over at his own 18 with 33 seconds left, Damon Huard had completions of 15 yards to Johnson and 19 and 18 yards to tight end Tony Gonzalez to move the ball to the San Diego 30. After having a 47-yard field goal nullified on a false start on tight end Kris Wilson, Tynes still converted the game-winner.

Johnson rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Tomlinson produced 66 yards on 15 carries and caught six passes for 72 yards.

Johnson leads the NFL with 1,432 rushing yards followed by Tomlinson with 1,427 yards. But Tomlinson is the single-season king with 29 touchdowns - 26 rushing and three receiving.

Tomlinson rushed for three scores in last week's 48-20 win over the Denver Broncos to eclipse Shaun Alexander's record of 28 touchdowns in 2005. And Tomlinson did it in dramatic fashion for the home fans, rushing for two of his scores in a 47-second span late in the fourth quarter.

"I believe (Tomlinson) is the finest running back to ever wear a uniform," Schottenheimer said.

Since the loss to the Chiefs, Tomlinson has reeled off seven straight 100-yard rushing games. He has reached the end zone 26 times in his last nine games and tied John Riggins' NFL record of seven consecutive multi-touchdown games set with Washington in 1983.

With 174 points, Tomlinson is three away from breaking the NFL record set by Paul Hornung of Green Bay in 1960.

The Chargers have a one-game lead over Indianapolis and Baltimore in the battle for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Chiefs are in a scramble for the two wild-card spots. They are tied with Denver and the New York Jets and trail Jacksonville and Cincinnati by one game.

Last week, Trent Green was sacked five times and committed three turnovers in the Chiefs' 20-10 loss to Baltimore. Johnson rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries.

"We're in a deep, deep hole," said Gonzalez, who had six catches for 138 yards in the first meeting against the Chargers. "We've got to win the rest of our games and some other teams have to lose. It's a frustrating position that I didn't think we'd be in this year."

Last year, Kansas City failed to make the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

Green better watch out for Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, who had two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the win over Denver. Merriman is tied for the league lead with 12 1/2 sacks despite missing four games due to suspension.