With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cheering them on, the San Diego Chargers did their best for their fire-ravaged community by demolishing the Houston Texans 35-10 on Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium.
“It was kind of like a win for the San Diego Chargers, but at the same time it was a win for San Diego itself,” said Chargers tight end Antonio Gates.
“Football was secondary compared to the things that were going on. We were just glad we could come up with a win to uplift this city.”
The Chargers practiced last week in Arizona as smoke from the wildfires spread throughout San Diego County. Players’ homes were evacuated and more than 10,000 evacuees from the area took shelter at Qualcomm Stadium.
It wasn’t until late in the week that the Chargers found out they would be playing on their home field.
Before the game, two dozen firefighters, police and National Guard members were introduced. Schwarzenegger tossed the coin and the Chargers won the toss.
“Go, Chargers, go!” cheered Schwarzenegger, and the Chargers didn’t disappoint.
Philip Rivers threw for three touchdowns, two to Gates; LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 90 yards, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and ran an interception back for another score.
In the end, the Chargers won their third straight game, moved above the .500 mark and got things a little more back to normal in their community.
Soggy debut for NFL in London: There were 81,176 in attendance at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday to see what all the excitement is about when it comes to an NFL game. Too bad the NFL’s debut in London was one of the worst games of the season.
It might have been better to send all of those fans to this week’s New England / Indianapolis matchup, which will be played in a dome. Playing on a rainy day and a muddy field better suited for European football, or soccer, the New York Giants defeated the winless Miami Dolphins 13-10.
Eli Manning threw for only 59 yards, but he ran for the Giants only touchdown. Brandon Jacobs ran for a career-high 131 yards for New York, which won its sixth straight game.
The Brits witnessed just 492 yards of total offense, along with three turnovers, 14 penalties and a streaker who ran onto the field at halftime.
The NFL called it a success and is considering a Super Bowl there at some point.
Rams need Jackson: St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson helped his team to a 14-3 lead, with eight carries for 41 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Then he experienced back spasms and had to leave the game in the second quarter.
“He was running like a wild beast, and we matched his intensity; it just rubbed off on the whole team,” Rams tight end Randy McMichael said. “Then he’s out and we took a step back. We can’t do that.”
The Rams lost the game 27-20.
Week 8 Leaders:
Passing: Drew Brees, Saints, 31-39, 336 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT.
Rushing: LenDale White, Titans, 23 carries, 133 yards, 0 TD.
Receiving: Reggie Wayne, Colts, 7 catches, 168 yards, 1 TD.
Solo Tackles: LaRon Landry, Redskins, and three others, 7.
Sacks: Mike Vrabel, Patriots; Aaron Kampman, Packers, 3 each.
Interceptions: Antonio Cromartie, Chargers, 2.
Quotable: “His demise, I think, is much overexaggerated.”
“Vikings coach Brad Childress on Philadelphia Eagles’ QB Donovan McNabb, who passed for 333 yards, TD in 23-16 win over Minnesota on Sunday.
Sidelines: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was awarded for winning 12 of his first 17 starts and bringing respectability back to the position in Dallas with a six-year, $67 million contract this week. The contract, which includes $30 million guaranteed, runs through 2013″¦ The NFL and NFL Players Association are donating $250,000 to the Chargers Fire Relief Fund. The donation will be used to help organizations in San Diego County provide relief to fire victims from the recent wildfires. Chargers owners Alex and Dean Spanos donated $1 million and fans at Sunday’s game contributed $72,500. NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson is donating his $349,561 in winnings from Sunday’s Nextel Cup race to the American Red Cross for wildfire relief in California”¦ Washington cornerback Carlos Rogers will have surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee and will miss the rest of this season.