Houston ? The San Diego Chargers dedicated their offseason to upgrading at quarterback.
It turns out they might have done just that, even if he’s the guy they were trying to replace.
Drew Brees was 17-of-24 for 209 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, helping take the pressure off LaDainian Tomlinson and guide San Diego to a turnover-free 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans.
“I worked tirelessly in the offseason to get to this point,” said Brees, who appeared headed for the bench when the Chargers drafted Eli Manning with the first overall pick, then traded with the New York Giants to get fellow quarterback Philip Rivers, the No. 4 choice.
The job reverted to Brees when Rivers missed most of training camp in a contract holdout. Meanwhile, Rivers started the season inactive as the emergency third quarterback.
“I never had a doubt in my mind I would be the starting quarterback,” Brees said. “But my goal is not just to be the starting quarterback, it’s to lead this team to a championship.”
Tomlinson had his usual fine game with 121 yards rushing and a touchdown. But he was practically a bystander midway into the fourth quarter when the score was tied 20-20 and Brees led the Chargers downfield using his new favorite target, tight end Antonio Gates.
Gates got the ball down to the Houston 15 with a 29-yard catch, then San Diego overcame a holding penalty when Brees hit Eric Parker in the back of the end zone on a 19-yard pass. Houston protested the call, although replays failed to show whether Parker’s toes landed inbounds.
“The bottom line is you get a … catch in the end zone that some people think was out of bounds, and you get a win in the NFL,” Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said. “That’s why it’s the most popular sport in the world.”
It wasn’t such a popular call with the Texans, who were the only expansion team to win their first two season openers, but they didn’t blame it for the loss.
“We didn’t do anything. We lost,” Texans cornerback Aaron Glenn said. “We didn’t play any good at all. It’s the third year of this franchise, we’ve got to get this thing going. San Diego made plays.”
The Texans offense did its part for San Diego with four turnovers: two interceptions thrown by David Carr and two fumbles lost by Domanick Davis.
Davis’ first fumble, at the Houston 45, led to a 1-yard TD run by Tomlinson five plays later that gave the Chargers a brief 10-6 lead in the second quarter.
Carr’s first interception was on a desperation pass near halftime, when the Texans led 13-10. His second was more costly, coming off a tip by Chargers linebacker Donnie Edwards and a pickoff by linebacker Steve Foley at the Texans’ 49.
The Chargers cashed in when Reche Caldwell got wide open for a 36-yard TD catch that gave the Chargers a 17-13 after rookie cornerback Dunta Robinson tripped and fell in coverage.
“We were lucky to be within seven points at the end of the game,” said Carr, who was 19-of-25 for 229 yards. “We played well at times but to be a good offense you cannot turn the ball over.”
Davis, who ran for 87 yards and two scores and caught five balls for 70 yards, put Houston back in the lead late in the third quarter with a 2-yard TD run.
Davis’ second fumble came in the fourth quarter after a 29-yard field goal by rookie Nate Kaeding and Parker’s tiptoe touchdown. He coughed it up at the San Diego 14-yard line and Foley, a fringe player for Houston last year, recovered to preserve the victory.
“I was playing too hard, trying to make a little too much happen,” Davis said. “I wasn’t focusing on the little things, like keeping two hands on the ball when you go through traffic. Somebody just touched (the ball) and it slipped out.”
The game was delayed by an electricity outage at Reliant Stadium _ which is named for a power company. The 10-minute stoppage came with 5:07 left on the clock. An NFL official in the press box ordered the game to continue despite low light through the translucent retractable roof, which eventually opened.
Notes: Schottenheimer ran his total of opening day victories to 11, most among active coaches. … Texans FB Moran Norris was a late scratch with a left shoulder injury. Jarrod Baxter started in his place. … Undrafted rookie KR Wes Welker averaged 25.5 yards on four kickoff returns for the Chargers. … Longtime Steelers TE Mark Bruener had one catch for seven yards in his Houston debut.
