It’s a Fun Day for Chargers in Rout

For one game, at least, it was fun to be a San Diego Charger.

LaDainian Tomlinson didn’t have to face a stacked line and was as shifty as ever. Drew Brees was so efficient that he didn’t have to look over his shoulder.

A week after struggling badly at high altitude, the Chargers got big games at home from their star running back and beleaguered quarterback Sunday in a 38-17 win over the Tennessee Titans.

“Obviously there is a sense of urgency. We needed to play well and we needed to win,” Brees said after throwing for three touchdowns and completing 80% of his passes (16 for 20 for 206 yards), tying Hall of Famer Dan Fouts for second-highest in franchise history.

It sure was a different result than a week earlier, when Tomlinson was held to 60 yards rushing and Brees was inefficient in a 23-13 loss at Denver.

Tomlinson ran for 147 yards and one touchdown, and became the Chargers’ all-time leading rusher. He has 4,979 yards in four seasons, eclipsing the record of 4,972 yards by Paul Lowe, who played with San Diego from 1960 to 1968.

“It’s easier to run the football when you have holes, when you don’t have to worry about the safeties,” said Tomlinson, who carried 17 times. “It just seems like everything is in slow motion.

“It was wonderful today. I would love to have many more days like that.”

The Chargers (2-2) ended a two-game losing streak.

The Titans (1-3) played without quarterback Steve McNair, who was reduced to being the emergency third quarterback after bruising his sternum in a loss to Jacksonville last week. Billy Volek threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns for the Titans, who lost their third in a row.