The Chargers haven't played the New York Giants in four years. The last meeting, however, was packed with intrigue.

The Giants came to San Diego on Sept. 25, 2005, roughly 17 months after quarterback Eli Manning said he didn't want to be a Charger leading up to the 2004 NFL draft.

The Chargers picked Manning No. 1 overall against his wishes, trading him a few picks later for Philip Rivers and a bounty of draft picks that eventually produced Shawne Merriman, Nate Kaeding and others.

Chargers fans took Manning's slight personally, as an affront to both the franchise and the community. All that pent-up aggression finally received an outlet one Sunday night at Qualcomm Stadium.

Fans unleashed their fury at Manning from pregame warm-ups until the final whistle. They brought signs and banners expressing their anger, and celebrated every Giants' mistake in the Chargers' 45-23 victory.

Despite the lopsided score, Manning had a pretty good game. He completed 24 of 41 passes for 352 yards, then a career high.

"You can't worry about the fans," Manning said afterward. "I knew they were going to say something, and that doesn't bother me. That wasn't hard to deal with. I prepared myself for it."

The Chargers were the superior team, and while fans basked in that glory, the players didn't give the victory any extra weight.

"It was a huge game for San Diego fans due to Eli's actions before the draft," Kaeding said. "While it might have made sense from a business and professional perspective, fans here took it personal. It was a big win for the fans, but as a player you focus on the moment and on execution. I know a lot of the guys fed off the emotion of the fans from that game, but that was it. At the same time, we understand there will be heightened emotions from the fans when we play Eli."