Somber Chargers rout the Texans, 35-10
SAN DIEGO -- It was 3:30 in the morning when a knock at the door woke Antonio Gates from a deep sleep.
“I opened the door and saw the fire,” he said. “I put what I had on and I got out of there.”
Over the next week wildfires would kill seven, burn more than 360,000 acres and destroy hundreds of homes in San Diego County. Gates evacuated from his Poway home to Arizona with the rest of the San Diego Chargers.
But his thoughts remained at home. So even after catching a pair of touchdown passes Sunday to lead the Chargers to a 35-10 rout of the Houston Texans and into a first-place tie atop the AFC West, he had little trouble putting the career day in perspective.
“Football is secondary to some of the things that were going on in San Diego,” Gates said. “We knew the situation we were facing with people losing their houses, knowing what they were going through in life. We were just glad that we were able to come up with a win.”
Not that the Chargers had a choice.
Like most of his teammates, Gates considered Sunday’s game an opportunity to provide a lift to a city that needed one. And they couldn’t do that with a loss.
“We play for the Chargers, but we play for the city of San Diego,” he said.
“It was one of those things when a win could definitely help the community. You can tell we played with more to [gain] than just a win.”
So linebacker Shawne Merriman, who moved in with teammate Stephen Cooper when fire forced him from his house only to flee again when Cooper’s home was also evacuated, willed himself to a team-high six solo tackles.
So quarterback Philip Rivers, who turned his Qualcomm Stadium luxury suite over to the families of four injured firefighters, threw for three first-half touchdowns.
So defensive back Antonio Cromartie fell on a fumble in the end zone, picked off two passes -- returning one for a score -- and became the first Chargers defender in 40 years to score two return touchdowns in a game.
“We just wanted to come out and win it for the city and try to show them happiness,” Cromartie said.
They wasted little time getting started. After an emotional pregame ceremony that included a standing ovation for firefighters and other first responders, the Chargers charged onto the field behind four firemen carrying an American flag. And on their second possession they charged into the end zone when Rivers teamed with a wide-open Gates on a 49-yard catch and run.
Four plays later a snap sailed over Houston punter Matt Turk’s head into the end zone and when Turk slipped while trying to corral it, Cromartie fell on the ball and the Chargers led 14-0. After a Houston field goal early in the second period, Rivers found Gates again with a 31-yard touchdown strike. And when Cromartie picked off Texans quarterback Matt Schaub on consecutive possessions -- returning the first 70 yards for a touchdown -- the rout was on.
By the time it ended with an Eric Weddle interception -- San Diego’s fourth of the day -- sealing the win with less than two minutes to play, many in the crowd of 60,439 had already left. Some, undoubtedly, would return to fire-damaged homes, hotel rooms or other evacuation sites.
Even a one-sided win couldn’t change that.
But running back LaDainian Tomlinson, whose home was also damaged by the fire, hoped the win at least provided a brief diversion.
“It was pretty special getting back to playing again after all that went on during the week with the whole San Diego community. I thought it was a special atmosphere for our fans . . . for us to be entertainment for four hours to help take their minds off of the things they have been through,” Tomlinson said. “When tragedy happens, people rally around sports. We saw it firsthand with the New Orleans Saints.
“For us going through this now, we feel like we can bring some relief to San Diego.”
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