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 Manning threw for three touchdowns, all to Sanders, and the
Denver Broncos pulled away to beat the San Diego Chargers 35-21
Thursday night.
Manning, who became the NFL's career leader in touchdown passes
Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers, added to the mark with
scoring passes of 2, 31, and 3 yards to Sanders.
"We understand in this offense it can be anyone's night at any
moment," said Sanders, a free agent acquisition from the Pittsburgh
Steelers who recorded multiple touchdown catches in a game for the
first time in his career. "I'm just happy tonight was my night."
He shared it with Manning, who finished 25 of 35 for 286 yards.
Sanders finished with nine catches for 120 yards, while wide
receiver Demaryius Thomas had eight catches for 105 yards for his
team-record fourth 100-yard game in a row.
"We're trying to get everybody involved," Manning said. "Certainly,
sometimes it's going to be one guy's night over another. But all of
them played well, and of course Emmanuel was great down there around
the end zone."
 Denver (6-1) earned its fourth win in a row since an overtime loss
to the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 21. San Diego (5-3) lost
back-to-back games for the first time this season.
"They played their tails off. They were fighting," Chargers coach
Mike McCoy said of his players. "But we didn't make enough plays,
and that's what it comes down to."
Up by seven at the half, the Broncos stretched their lead to 28-7 in
the third quarter on Sanders' third touchdown catch of the night and
running back Juwan Thompson's 2-yard scoring run.
Cornerback Chris Harris' interception of a pass from Chargers
quarterback Philip Rivers led to Sanders' 3-yard touchdown early in
the period.
"It was definitely a momentum-changer," Broncos safety T.J. Ward
said of Harris' interception. "They were looking to strike fast and
get the momentum back, and we snatched it right from them. It was a
great play by Chris."
A pass-interference penalty against San Diego cornerback Richard
Marshall got the Broncos inside the Chargers' 10-yard line, and
Thompson scored the first of his two touchdowns two plays later.
After Rivers' fourth-down, 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Antonio Gates pulled the Chargers within 28-14 with 2:39 remaining
in the third, Denver responded with a second-chance touchdown.
San Diego safety Eric Weddle picked off a pass by Manning in the end
zone, but the play was negated by a defensive-holding call on fellow
safety Marcus Gilchrist. Denver, on a first-and-goal from the 1,
scored on the next play on a burst by Thompson for a 35-14 lead with
13:29 left to play.
Rivers, who finished 30 of 41 for 252 yards with three touchdowns
and two interceptions, later hooked up with Gates from 10 yards out
to get one score back. However, Denver quashed the comeback when
safety Rahim Moore intercepted Rivers in the late going.
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"It just goes back to the old adage, you give a good team tons of
opportunities and you make certain mistakes, it's hard to overcome,"
Weddle said. "We had a team effort and didn't quit. We just didn't
play good. They're better than us right now, and that's the reality
of it."
Manning connected with Sanders for a touchdown for the second time
with 32 seconds remaining in the second quarter, giving the Broncos
a 14-7 halftime lead.
The Broncos, given a reprieve when an apparent fumble by kick
returner Andre Caldwell was overturned on replay review, drove 74
yards to the go-ahead score. Sanders outran Marshall, playing in
place of injured Brandon Flowers (concussion), on a go route, and
Manning hit him in stride for the touchdown.
San Diego evened the score on its previous possession. Facing a
third-and-20, Rivers found Gates open down the middle for a 31-yard
completion to the 2-yard line. Wide receiver Keenan Allen caught a
pass in the flat for the score on the next play.
On the ensuing kickoff, officials on the field ruled that Caldwell
fumbled the ball when tackled at the Denver 26-yard line by
linebacker Kavell Conner. Under review, it was determined that
Caldwell didn't lose control of the ball until after hitting the
ground with his arm, and the fumble call was reversed.
The Broncos broke a scoreless tie early in the second quarter when
Manning and Sanders teamed up for the first time on a 2-yard
touchdown pass.
NOTES: The Broncos released S John Boyett from their practice squad
after he was arrested this week for investigation of assault, theft
and harassment in connection with an attack on a cab driver. ... San
Diego LB Andrew Gachkar started in place of Manti Te'o, who missed
his fourth consecutive game since sustaining a foot injury Sept. 21
at Buffalo. ... The Chargers also were without RB Ryan Mathews,
sidelined since spraining his right knee in Week 2 against Seattle.
... Broncos LB Von Miller has at least one sack in six consecutive
games, the longest active streak in the NFL.
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