SAN DIEGO -- Chargers fans got an early holiday gift Sunday. Their favorite team punched its ticket to the playoffs.

With a convincing 51-14 win over the visiting Detroit Lions at Qualcomm Stadium, the Chargers clinched its postseason spot by winning its second straight AFC West division title and third in four years.

"It's huge, but we've been here before," said linebacker Shaun Phillips, who returned an interception for a touchdown. "We have a bigger goal that we're trying to achieve."

Few predicted the Chargers would secure a playoff invitation with two weeks remaining in the regular season. Under new coach Norv Turner, the team lost three of its first four games and appeared headed for a long season.

"It doesn't matter how you start. It's how you finish," said running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who rushed for 116 yards and two scores. "It isn't our main goal, but it feels good to win the division, especially with starting 1-3."

The Chargers wiggled from that dismal beginning to win eight of the next 10 games and pull away from its AFC West rivals. The team qualified for the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1994-95.

It was after the 1994 season that the team reached its lone Super Bowl, falling to the 49ers. The Chargers haven't won a playoff game since that season's AFC Championship Game, a losing streak that has reached four games.

Last season's defeat to the visiting New England Patriots in the AFC divisional round was among the reasons veteran coach Marty Schottenheimer was fired.

But that was far from the players' thoughts as they slipped on new hats and T-shirts proclaiming them AFC West champions.

"I just think we have grown as a team," tight end Antonio Gates said. "The first couple of months, we were learning each other. It's like, we build, we build and now we're playing our best football around this time where we need it the most, going into the postseason."

If the Chargers win their remaining two games -- against the Broncos on Dec. 24 and the Raiders on Dec. 30 -- the team will enter the playoffs as the AFC's No. 3 seed.

Regardless, the team will host its opening playoff game the weekend of Jan. 5-6 against a wild-card entrant. If the Chargers prevail and are the No. 3 seed, the team's second game would be at Indianapolis against the Super Bowl champion Colts.

According to a club official, playoff tickets will be restricted to season-ticket holders and those on the team's waiting list.

If the Chargers win three playoffs games, the team will advance to Super Bowl XLII, which is Feb. 3 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

"I have such a great feeling inside about what our guys have done," Turner said. "In coaching, that's the ultimate."

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.

Supercharged starts

The Chargers bolted to another impressive start on Sunday. They have outscored their opponents by 62 points this season to rank second in the NFL in first quarter scoring margins.

Team Own Opp Margin

New England Patriots 124 34 +90

Chargers 102 40 +62

Indianapolis Colts 87 53 +34

Minnesota Vikings 82 51 +31

St. Louis Rams 85 54 +31

Note: Through Sunday's games.