CHARGERS NOTES: Bolts can't stop the Marshall plan

By MIKE SULLIVAN - Staff Writer | Sunday, September 14, 2008 8:30 PM PDT ∞

DENVER ---- Brandon Marshall could not be stopped. Not by Antonio Cromartie or any other member of the Chargers' defense.

Apparently, the only way to stop the Denver Broncos' star is to suspend him.

Playing in his first game this season after serving a suspension for violating the NFL's player conduct code, Marshall caught 18 passes against the Chargers on Sunday. The performance tied former Los Angeles Rams star Tom Fears (1950 vs. Green Bay) for the second highest single-game total in NFL history.

Terrell Owens, then with the San Francisco 49ers, holds the record of 20. He set the mark during a 2000 contest against Chicago.

"Like I told you guys when I first got back from my suspension, my goals are still the same," Marshall said. "I haven't changed them. All of my goals are to break all the records."

Marshall surpassed Rod Smith's franchise mark of 16 catches and finished with 166 receiving yards. One person shocked over Marshall's output was Denver coach Mike Shanahan.

"I have no idea how many catches he made," Shanahan said.

Told the number was 18, Shanahan was stunned: "Eighteen? Not bad for your first game back."

Cromartie, the Chargers' Pro Bowl cornerback, was disappointed with his performance. Particularly in the first half when he got called for two personal fouls while struggling to cover Marshall.

Defensive woes

Through two games, the Chargers have allowed 874 yards (an average of 437 per game) and 65 points. Not exactly the type of defensive showing expected from a team that fancies itself a Super Bowl contender.

"No pointing fingers," said disappointed safety Clinton Hart. "It's all our fault. We've just got to come together as a defense and make sure they don't march the ball down field. Carolina did it, Denver did it, and now everybody is going to start to thinking they can do it. We've got to break the chain somewhere."

Denver had 486 yards of total offense. Jay Cutler passed for 350 yards and the Broncos averaged 6.0 yard per rushing attempt.

Obviously, failing to defend either the pass or run well is never a good thing.

Denver had 329 first-half yards and pretty much did whatever it wanted.

"Personally, we did an awful lot of good in the second half to come back and put ourselves in a ballgame ---- especially on the road ---- we were probably counted out of," linebacker Matt Wilhelm said. "We have to play better in the first half."

Happy return(s)

Darren Sproles matched a team record that had lasted nearly 46 years when he returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown during the second quarter.

Sproles' return tied the mark set by Chargers legend Keith Lincoln, who had a 103-yard return against the AFL's New York Titans on Sept. 16, 1962.

Sproles broke free around the Chargers' 30 and only needed to elude Broncos kicker Matt Prater. He easily sped past Prater's diving attempt just past midfield.

"He didn't want to tackle me," Sproles said. "He was more waiting for the cutback but I wasn't going to cut back because I knew I had enough room to (get by him)."

Sproles' 103-yard return came shortly after he gained just 5 yards on the previous kickoff return after fumbling the ball and picking it up in the end zone before being tackled at the 5.

Rare two-pointer

Denver's game-winning two-point conversion play marked just the third time since the NFL implemented the two-point conversion in 1994 that a team passed on playing for the tie and won the contest with a two-point conversion, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Eddie Royal's two-point pass reception against the Chargers is the first game-winning two-point conversion to occur through the air. The other times teams won on two-point conversions were Tampa Bay against Washington in 2005 on Mike Alstott's run and Minnesota against New Orleans in 2002 on Daunte Culpepper's run.

Injury report

The Chargers reported three new injuries: OLB Marques Harris (bruised hip); SS Clinton Hart (left hand) and OLB Shaun Phillips (strained groin).

RB LaDainian Tomlinson missed stretches of the game after aggravating his jammed right big toe.

"One thing I am happy about is that it didn't get any worse," Tomlinson said. "It doesn't feel any worse than it did last week after the game, which shows that it is improving and healing."

KEY STAT

18

Receptions by Denver's Brandon Marshall.

TURNING POINT

The moment referee Ed Hochuli ruled that an inadvertent whistle nullified Tim Dobbins' gave-saving fumble recovery with 1 minute, 14 seconds to play, you just knew that the Broncos weren't going to lose to the Chargers.

QUOTABLE

"The NFL is always holding us accountable for stuff we do and so at some point, the referees have to be held accountable too. Otherwise, what is the point is having referees out there?" ---- RB LaDainian Tomlinson, on the referees overturning a Denver fumble that deprived the Chargers of an apparent victory.

NEXT GAME

Chargers vs. New York Jets, Monday at 5:30 p.m.

WHO'S HOT

PHILIP RIVERS

Chargers quarterback throws for career-high 377 yards and tosses three touchdown passes for the second consecutive contest.

WHO'S NOT

WHISTLES AT ALTITUDE

Apparently, they blow much quicker in the Mile High altitude of Denver.