Visitor: Kansas City Chiefs

Home: San Diego Chargers

Date: January 2, 2005

Scoring:

Team 1 2 3 4 Final

KC 0 3 0 14 17

SD 3 14 0 7 24

Visitor playmakers:

RB Larry Johnson, DE Eric Hicks, LB Monty Beisel, S Greg Wesley

Home playmakers:

QB Doug Flutie, TE Ryan Krause, WR Malcolm Floyd, LB Matt Wilhelm, DB Terrence Kiel, CB Drayton Florence

Network: CBS (Sunday Ticket)

Announcers: Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots

Pregame: No

Halftime: Yes

Postgame: No

Commercials: Yes

Grade: 8.5/10 (low sound)

Notes: QBs Doug Flutie and Philip Rivers each threw a touchdown pass and the San Diego Chargers warmed up for their first playoff game in nine seasons by beating the Kansas City Chiefs 24-17.

Having clinched the AFC West title two weeks earlier and the AFC's No. 4 seed a week ago, the Chargers rested Pro Bowl selections Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates, as well as defensive tackle Jamal Williams. Even with a number of scrubs playing, San Diego (12-4) was still too much for Kansas City (7-9), which saw its four-game winning streak snapped.

Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez set the NFL's single-season record for catches by a tight end with 102. He broke the old record of 96 set by Ben Coates in 1994. Gonzalez's 14 catches, for 144 yards, were a Chiefs single-game record, breaking Ed Podolak's record of 12 set in 1973.

The Chiefs had two late scores, but Trent Green was intercepted four times, tying his career high. The Chargers tied the club record for victories in a season, set in 1961 and matched in 1979.

Rivers, the prized rookie who has been kept on the bench by Brees' inspired play, threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Floyd midway through the fourth quarter for a 24-3 lead. Rivers, who missed practice Dec. 31 to be with his wife for the birth of their second child, was 5-for-8 for 33 yards. Flutie was 13-for-22 for 199 yards.

Flutie started for the first time since Dec. 7, 2003, in a victory at Detroit. Flutie ran for a 1-yard touchdown and threw a 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Ryan Krause, both late in the second quarter to give the Chargers a 17-3 halftime lead. Flutie had a 30-yard scramble to open the first scoring drive and later had a 28-yard completion to Kassim Osgood.

Larry Johnson scored twice for Kansas City in the closing minutes, on a 2-yard run and on a 14-yard pass from Trent Green. Green was 33-for-53 for 373 yards and set KC single-season records with 4,591 passing yards and 369 completions. The Chiefs had 26 first downs to set the NFL single-season record with 398. The old record was 387 by the 1984 Miami Dolphins.

Thanks Rick!

Running time: 3:05 (2 DVDs)