Chargers Taste First Place

The once-lowly San Diego Chargers are 3-0 and in possession of first place in the AFC West after three second-half touchdowns by rookie running back LaDainian Tomlinson helped them defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 28-14, in a battle of the unbeatens Sunday before a crowd of 56,048 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Coupled with the Denver Broncos’ 20-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Chargers’ victory moved the team to first place.

And while doubters might note that the Chargers have yet to play an opponent that had a winning record last season, Tomlinson and others say the best is yet to come for a team that was 1-15 last season.

“I’m not a cocky person, but I believe I’ve been blessed with a talent to play football and run the football,” Tomlinson said. “You’re just seeing the beginningThere are better things to come.”

After a scoreless first quarter, the Chargers scored on a 19-yard pass play from Doug Flutie to Curtis Conway. The Bengals responded with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jon Kitna to Chad Johnson and the score was 7-7 at halftime.

Tomlinson scored on runs of four, two and three yards, ending with 21 carries for 107 yards and a 15-yard pass reception.

“We wanted to come out and make a statement [in the second half], more energy, more hustle, and that’s what we did,” Charger strong safety Rodney Harrison said.

“Guys stepped it up, that’s all,” said Flutie, who completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards.

The Bengals scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left recovered an onside kick but a Kitna pass was intercepted by Chargers cornerback Ryan McNeil.