Playing It Safe Pays Off for Chargers

A look at the inactive list for San Diego for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs tells you how important the game was for the Chargers.

About as important as an exhibition finale in August.

And that’s what the game, won by San Diego, 24-17, looked like.

With the AFC West title and the No. 4 seeding in the postseason already locked down, with Coach Marty Schottenheimer admitting he spent part of this past week sneaking a peek at next week’s first-round postseason opponent, the New York Jets, it was a good day for sneaking a look at the next generation of Chargers.

So the core of the San Diego offense -- quarterback Drew Brees, running back LaDainian Tomlinson, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Keenan McCardell -- along with starting defensive tackle Jamal Williams were all declared inactive.

In their place was largely a group of rookies who have spent the season standing on the sideline, anxiously waiting for the chance to contribute on the field.

Sunday, they got that chance, against a defense that ranks at or near the bottom of the league in most meaningful categories.

Phillip Rivers, the fourth pick in the 2004 draft by the New York Giants before he was traded to San Diego, the quarterback who came to the Chargers when Eli Manning made it clear he did not want to do so, the man penciled in to replace Brees, finally threw his first pass in the last game of the regular season.

“I was excited to finally get out there,” Rivers said. “I walked away saying, ‘I can play at this level.’ ”

Rivers, playing the second half, completed five of eight passes for 33 yards, including his first touchdown pass, a 13-yarder to Malcolm Floyd.

Tight end Ryan Krause, a sixth-round draft pick who had yet to catch a pass this season, caught a team-high five Sunday for 81 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Michael Turner, a fifth-round draft pick who had carried five times previously for 17 yards, rushed for a game-high 87 yards in 15 carries.

It wasn’t all rookies out there for the Chargers (12-4).

Showing them the way was 42-year-old quarterback Doug Flutie, who completed 13 of 22 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 25 yards and another score.

“It was fun playing with the kids,” he said.

The Chiefs, 13-3 last season, finished 7-9.