Chargers Short-Circuited, 20-9 : AFC: San Diego can’t score a touchdown and falls to Seattle despite a strong defensive effort.

Not only do the San Diego Chargers keep losing, they’ve lost sight of the end zone.

For the first time this season, the Chargers couldn’t score a touchdown and were beaten, 20-9, Sunday despite holding the Seattle Seahawks to 202 yards.

“Each week is like a replay,” Charger linebacker Gary Plummer. “People expect us to fold our tents, but we won’t.”

Chris Warren’s 55-yard kickoff return sparked the Seahawks (5-4) to their victory in a battle of defenses. The Chargers (1-8) could only manage three field goals by John Carney for their lowest point total of the season.

It was the first time San Diego has been held without a touchdown since it lost, 24-9, to the Raiders last Oct. 21 in San Diego.

“I didn’t lose as many in my whole college career as we have this year,” San Diego quarterback John Friesz said. “Physically, we’re holding up, but mentally it’s tough.”

Warren’s long return set up Seattle’s second touchdown, a five-yard pass by Dave Krieg to Mike Tice early in the fourth quarter which gave Seattle a 17-9 lead.

“This one worked like it was drawn up,” Warren said. “We blocked great and there was no one there to keep me from moving up field.”

Carney’s 36-yard field goal with 19 seconds left in the third quarter cut the Seattle lead to 10-9 before Warren broke his return to the San Diego 40.

The Seahawks went the 40 yards in seven plays for their second touchdown at 3:36 of the fourth quarter. Krieg connected on a 12-yard pass to Tommy Kane to open the drive.

Tice, a 10-year veteran, caught his second touchdown pass of the season.

“I’ve dropped a bunch of balls in my career, but not this year,” Tice said.

Rookie John Kasay cemented Seattle’s victory when he kicked a 54-yard field goal with 6:05 left--his eighth field goal without a miss. Kasay also kicked a 51-yarder in the second quarter.

His 54-yarder tied the team record held by Norm Johnson and Efren Herrera.

“Making a 54-yarder is like making a 50-foot putt uphill,” Kasay said.

The Seahawks scored on an eight-play, 56-yard drive the first time they had the ball. Derrick Fenner gave Seattle a 7-0 lead when he leaped into the end zone from a yard out.

Kasay kicked his 51-yard field goal at 5:50 of the second quarter for the Seahawks’ other first-half points. His longest field goal previously was 45 yards.

Carney kicked a 29-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 24-yarder with four seconds left in the first half for San Diego. The Chargers’ second field goal came after a 10-play, 59-yard march bogged down at the Seattle six.

San Diego had 320 total yards, including a 27-for-41 passing day by Friesz for 212 yards.

San Diego’s Marion Butts had 76 yards in 23 carries and John L. Williams of Seattle had 66 yards in 18 carries.