PRO FOOTBALL : Chargers Start on Right Foot : AFC: Carney kicks six field goals as San Diego defeats Seattle, 18-12, to end slump in openers.

John Carney kicked a team-record six consecutive field goals without a miss to help the San Diego Chargers to an 18-12 victory over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday.

Carney connected from 26, 44, 50, 32, 51 and 19 yards as the defending AFC West champion Chargers ended a six-game losing streak on opening day, the longest in the NFL.

Carney broke his own club records for most field goals in a game and most attempts without a miss, set with a five-for-five performance during a 36-14 victory against the Raiders last season. He has converted 22 consecutive attempts dating to last season, tying him for fourth on the all-time NFL list.

Carney’s streak nearly ended on his second attempt, when his foot hit the ground first and the ball fluttered through the uprights.

“Chewing up dirt from 44 yards isn’t a good way to keep a streak alive,” Carney said. “I just hit behind the ball, took a nice divot. Seattle has a great inside-rush team and 90% of the time they would have blocked that kick. We’re just lucky they didn’t have their hands up in time for that one.”

Carney said he had to change shoes after the 44-yarder because his old one was starting to split.

“I used two different shoes in this game,” he said. “That’s really uncharacteristic of me. I want to keep everything as consistent as possible. But when your shoe starts falling apart, you’ve got to look at it realistically that maybe you need a new shoe.”

Seattle’s defense scored the game’s only touchdown and turned back San Diego’s best chance for six points. Linebacker Terry Wooden stopped Ronnie Harmon at the one with slightly more than five minutes to play, and Carney kicked his final field goal.

The Seahawks stunned the Chargers on the game’s third play when Cortez Kennedy swatted a pass by Stan Humphries and Joe Nash grabbed the deflection and ran 13 yards for the touchdown.

Carlton Gray, a rookie cornerback from UCLA, intercepted a pass by Humphries three plays later and returned it 15 yards, but Shawn Lee sacked Rick Mirer on third down and John Kasay missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt.

Humphries completed 13 of 30 passes for 123 yards, with two interceptions. Mirer completed 20 of 27 passes for 154 yards, with one interception.