Visitor:  Kansas City Chiefs

Home:  San Diego Chargers

Date:  December 12, 2010

 

Scoring:

Team               1          2          3          4          Final

KC                  0          0          0          0             0

SD                   7          14        0          10          31

 

Visitor playmakers:

S Eric Berry, DE Tamba Hali, DE Tyson Jackson

 

Home playmakers:

WR Malcom Floyd, RB Mike Tolbert, RB Ryan Mathews

 

Network:  CBS (KCTV Kansas City)

Announcers:  Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker

 

Pregame:  No

Halftime:  Yes

Postgame:  No

Commercials:  No

 

Grade:  9/10

 

Notes:  Quarterback Matt Cassel didn't travel to San Diego after having an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday.

 

Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Malcom Floyd and the Chargers remained alive in the AFC West race with a 31-0 win Sunday over the division-leading Chiefs, who went nowhere without Cassel.

 

The Chiefs were such a non-factor that they were held to 67 yards, the second-fewest in their history, and suffered their first regular-season shutout loss to the Chargers. The teams began play in 1960 as members of the AFL.

 

The four-time defending division champion Chargers (7-6) pulled within one game of the Chiefs (8-5). A loss would have eliminated the Bolts from the division race.

 

After getting outmuscled in a 28-13 loss to Oakland last Sunday, the Chargers were handed two gifts. The first was hearing that Cassel had undergone an emergency appendectomy and that they'd likely be facing backup Brodie Croyle.  The second was the Raiders' loss at Jacksonville earlier Sunday, which dropped the Raiders to 6-7.

 

Croyle completed 7 of 17 passes for 40 yards and was sacked four times in his first start since the 2009 opener.

 

The Chargers outgained the Chiefs 426 yards to 67. San Diego allowed only five first downs -- one in the second half -- to tie its team record.

 

The Chiefs were shut out for the first time since a 34-0 loss at Carolina on Oct. 5, 2008. They had only 16 yards and one first down in the second half. Croyle dropped to 0-10 as an NFL starter.

 

Running time:  1:58 (2 DVDs)