Chargers shine on an emotional day

By: JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Monday, October 29, 2007 12:11 AM PDT ∞

The Chargers' Vincent Jackson, right, and Antonio Gates jump for joy after Gates scored a touchdown during the 1st quarter at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday.
HAYNE PALMOUR IV Staff Photographer
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SAN DIEGO ---- The Chargers won twice Sunday: for themselves and their fans.

"You could just feel the energy in the stadium,'' said Antonio Gates, who had two touchdown catches in the 35-10 win over the Texans. "We play football for the Chargers, but we play for the city of San Diego.''

That city, and nearly the entire San Diego County, was beset by the wicked wildfires last week. With almost 1,500 homes lost to the destruction and some 500,000 forced to flee their homes, Sunday's game had more emotion than a regular Sunday in late October.

"The firefighters have been out there seven days straight on the front lines, and some of them are still working while we're playing a game for a living,'' linebacker Matt Wilhelm said. "God be with them, and I appreciated them.''

Wilhelm was among 24 Chargers evacuated from their homes; none was destroyed.

"For us going out there and playing the way we did, we think we put out the fires a little bit in one way or another,'' Wilhelm said.

Right guard Mike Goff said the game was unique.

"It was like a whole different feeling,'' Goff said. "It was great to just go out there and hear the fans. They come out and support us even with all that is happening, and that is still going on. On the drive over to the stadium and still seeing the smoke and haze, it is a reality check.''

The Texans got the equivalent of a checkmate early. The Chargers jumped to a 35-3 halftime lead and cruised to their third straight win.

"Just to go out there and get that win, yeah, it's great for us, but I think it was big for this community,'' Goff said.

Under a similar situation in 2003, a Chargers home game was moved to Arizona in the aftermath of the Cedar fire. The Chargers were easily beaten by the Dolphins 26-10.

"The first time we just kind of felt sorry for ourselves,'' running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "A lot of guys were negative that we shouldn't play the game.

"But this time we knew were going to play the game, and our job was to prepare to win the game.''

Goff said the Chargers had it better than most. They fled to Tempe, Ariz., and practiced three days at the Cardinals' facility.

"A lot of people didn't have the opportunity to leave,'' he said. "They had to stay here and stay at the stadium while we were the lucky ones ---- we got to go to Arizona.''

Chris Chambers, who was acquired from Miami during the bye week, got a sense of the San Diego landscape.

"You could just feel the atmosphere of the community,'' he said. "And it's great to come out here and get a big win for them.''

Goff is a Pacific Beach resident who wasn't in the fire's path. So he opened his home to teammates.

"Yeah, but if a tsunami comes,'' he said, "I'm in trouble.''