Streaking Chiefs slam slumping Chargers

SAN DIEGO -- The Kansas City Chiefs are on a roll.

The San Diego Chargers? They got rolled once again.

Streaking Kansas City toyed with reeling San Diego, 33-3 on Sunday.

The Chiefs (5-5) took advantage of running back Spencer Ware's two 3-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown runs to coast to their fourth straight victory.

The fading Chargers (2-8) dropped their sixth consecutive game and seventh of their last eight.

"Obviously that was a bad day of Chargers football in all three phases," San Diego coach Mike McCoy said.

The Chiefs appear to have righted their ship after a five-game skid.

"We're putting it all on ourselves instead of trying to rely on other outside things," said defensive tackle Dontari Poe, who scored his first career touchdown. "We're not waiting for somebody else to make the play."

The Chiefs were far from spectacular. Instead they took advantage of a once-potent Chargers offense which failed to score a touchdown.

"It doesn't happen very often," San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers said. "The defense could have held them to six today and we would have still lost."

Kansas City's Alex Smith had another winning, if not gaudy, performance as he was 20 of 25 for 253 yards.

Rivers completed 19 of 30 passes, for a season-low 178 yards and an interception.

Linebacker Justin Houston returned Rivers' third-quarter interception 17 yards for a touchdown and a 19-3 lead. It was the fourth pick-six Rivers has thrown this season.

"I was happy because we got a touchdown and it gave us seven points," Houston said, about his first career score.

Added Rivers: "That was a heck of a play by him. It's my fault, but I don't know if there is anything I could have done."

Ware's first touchdown pushed the Chiefs ahead 26-3. He added another for the final score.

But that Poe and Houston both scored -- and for the first time -- was noteworthy.

"We kept putting (Poe) in as a blocker and I told him we'd give him the ball," Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. "I didn't know he was going to jump over."

Kansas City looked to add its second touchdown just before halftime when Smith hit tight end Travis Kelce with a 12-yard strike. But the reception was overruled after a review, and the Chiefs got a 24-yard field goal from Cairo Santos for a 12-3 cushion.

The Chiefs had reached the red zone for the second time but settled for a second-quarter field goal. The drive stalled at the Chargers 10-yard line, where Santos kicked a 28-yard field goal, pushing Kansas City's advantage to 9-3.

Josh Lambo's 52-yard field goal late in the first quarter sliced the Chargers' deficit to 6-3.

The Chiefs struck in the first quarter and it was from an unlikely weapon.

Poe jumped -- as much as a 6-foot-3, 346-pounder can leap -- into the end zone from 1 yard out. That gave the Chiefs a 6-0 edge and it stayed that way when the point-after kick -- following a Chiefs penalty -- was no good.

Kansas City got in position to score when running back Charcandrick West took a short pass from Smith for 47 yards.

Not only did Rivers struggle, but the Chargers rushed for 52 yards, which ties a season-low.

Rivers was asked if this is rock-bottom?

"It really doesn't matter," he said. "Who cares what I think."

NOTES: Chargers icon LaDainian Tomlinson had his No. 21 jersey retired in a halftime ceremony. Only three other Chargers have their numbers retired: Lance Alworth (No. 19), Dan Fouts (No. 14) and Junior Seau (No. 55). ... ILB Manti Te'o returned to the lineup missing four games with an ankle injury. ... WR Malcom Floyd (shoulder) remains out. ... Chiefs QB Alex Smith set a franchise mark for consecutive passes without an interception, breaking Steve DeBerg's mark at 233. ... WR De'Anthony Thomas exited the game with a concussion and didn't return. ... The Chiefs plays the Chargers twice in four weeks, facing them again on Dec. 13 at home.