DENVER ---- Among the traditions at Broncos games is the revved crowd giving rival quarterbacks the raspberry.

After every misfire, the spectators yell in unison: "in-com-plete!" Let's just say the fans didn't go home hoarse.

"Sure you hear it,'' said Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who was 17-of-22 and missed just one of his 14 first-half passes. "I remember as a rookie I heard it and thought it was pretty cool. But it was nice to not hear it a whole lot today.''

A horse of a different color ---- this one white, named Thunder ---- as custom goes, gallops the length of the field after every Broncos score.

Let's just say the pony didn't hear "giddy-up" often.

"That was nice,'' Rivers said of Thunder leaving the barn once. "To hold them to three (points), obviously the defense was huge.''

And passionate Broncos fans never, ever, leave early, electing to sit in sleet, snow and hail if necessary to make their appointed rounds with their anointed team.

But with four minutes remaining in the third quarter, many of the faithful hit the exits as if poked by a branding iron.

"There wasn't a whole lot to stay around for at that point,'' Rivers said.

All those rituals crumbled in a heap of Chargers domination as they bucked the Broncos 32-3 on Sunday, traditionally a day of rest.

To the Denver Broncos: rest in peace.

"To beat us in our house like they did, we wanted to come in here and make a statement,'' Chargers tackle Marcus McNeill said.

Proclamation delivered. The once undefeated Broncos have become unbearable even for the locals to watch. The new Denver kids on the block look like their older brother, the choking 2008 team that the Chargers edged at the AFC West title tape.

But Sunday was no leaner. If this was a fight, the towel would have flown from Denver's corner long before the clock hit 00:00.

"You know when games happen like this,'' said Rivers, shuffling on his cowboy boots and wearing a hubcap-sized silver belt buckle, "you appreciate them and you never take them for granted.''

For the first time since Week 2, the Chargers (7-3) own an edge on the Broncos (6-4).

OK, it's just one game. But in just over a month, the once 2-3 Chargers have sprinted from 3 1/2 back to one ahead thanks to their fifth straight triumph.

That, my friend, is a flip of a flop of a start.

"We've put the Denver Broncos in the rear-view mirror,'' McNeill said. "Hopefully we will keep motoring on.''

But any good driver knows an object in rear-view mirrors can be closer than you think.

The Broncos, though, aren't that object.

After allowing 16 points in their first three games, the Broncos have been torched for at least 27 in each of their past four games. But no one had hung a 32 on them like the Chargers.

After these Donkeys pinned a 34 on the Chargers in San Diego last month, they managed just three this go-around.

"That's incredible to hold that bunch to three points,'' said that seasoned thoroughbred LaDainian Tomlinson, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown.

"That's a good offense over there, and to hold them to three points, that speaks for itself.''

There was plenty of yapping going on ---- before the kickoff.

Shaun Phillips was getting in every Broncos face he could find ---- save Thunder. He even pointed some verbal javelins at the Broncos' wunderkind Josh McDaniels, who has seen his Hall of Fame induction as a coach tempered of late.

"I give coach Norv Turner and the Chargers a lot of credit,'' the 33-year-old McDainels said. "They played well today and obviously forced us into too many mistakes for us to overcome.''

McDaniels did give his team a lift when inserting quarterback Kyle Orton and his ailing ankle into the game in the second quarter, after backup Chris Simms was so ineffective. But the Chargers chewed up and spit out Orton just as easily.

It was a desperation move by a desperate coach, who would like to pull his hoodie over his eyes to not see his season slipping away.

The streaking Chargers? They embrace this time of the year as much as a certain bird dreads it.

"We look forward to Thanksgiving,'' Tomlinson said.

Especially after beating the stuffing out of the Broncos.