North County Times from Oceanside, California • 25

MONDAY, I )KiMBER 15, 2005 North County Time 03 38 QUOTABLE "I don't think he has anything to worry about It's so damn hard to throw a touchdown in one game better yet 47 There's just some records that are not going to be broken, and that one of them" Packers QB Brett Favre. after throwing a TD in 23 straight games, on Johnny Umtas' mark of 47. Favre owns fourth quarter vs. Bolts Sidelines JAY PARIS Staff Writer By The Numbers Green Bay 7 10 0 21 38 San Diego 3 0 3 1521 possibly final Qualcomm visit a memorable one, throwing three scoring passes in the final quarter and four overall to lift Green Bay to a 38-21 victory and into a tie with Minnesota in the NFC North. With Ahman Green and the Packers running game grounded to a halt, Favre came through with his best game of the year 23-of-33, 278 yards, 122.2 passer rating and his most TD throws since the first game of the 1999 season.

I understand why everybody loves Brett Favre and all those ladies want to marry him, Chargers defensive end Marcellus Wiley said. It was frustrating being a D-line-man. I couldnt see myself in the NFC North, seeing him twice a year because the way that he plays is just so unorthodox. He couldnt have a coaches clinic because you wouldnt want to teach a child how to throw the ball like that. Favre may not rack up many style points, but you try winging the ball around at warp speed with a splint covering the broken thumb on your throwing hand, an injury Favre has gritted through for the last two months.

It would be easy for me to sit here and say after I threw the ball the way I did today that it feels great, said Favre, who broke the team record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 23rd consecutive game. It doesnt feel any different than it did last week. Fortunately I didnt have any slips or anything like that, but it very easily could have been. Until I get the splint off Im always concerned. Favre received a heros welcome from the multitude of Cheeseheads packed into the stands.

He made their long voyage west worthwhile with his vintage final period. Given excellent field position by a long kickoff return after Tomlinsons score, Favre struck on the next play, fooling the Chargers with deft play-action and lofting a perfect spiral to receiver Robert Ferguson for a 40-yard TD. The next drive was as easy as it gets, with the Packers taking over at the Chargers 1-yard line after a Drew Brees fumble and Favre hitting Ahman Green on the first play. He then slammed the door on the Chargers with another TD pass to Ferguson, a beautifully placed 16-yarder off his back foot. Ive been watching him ever since I was in high school, Chargers rookie cor-nerback Sammy Davis said.

Everything that I saw today is everything I saw when I was growing up. He showed what kind of quarterback he was. SCORING FIRST QUARTER GB Green 4 run (Longwell kick), 10 59 Drive 8 plays, 60 yards, 4'01. Key plays: Favre 16 pass to Driver on 3rd and Favre 23 pass to Driver on 3rd and-6 Green Bay 7, San Diego 0. SD-FG Christie 20, 6 02 Drive: 9 plays.

74 yards, 4 57. Key plays Tomlinson 12 run. 26 yard pass interference penalty on McKenzie. Tomlinson 5 run plus 8-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Harris. Green Bay 7, San Diego 3.

SECOND QUARTER GB FG Longwell 32, 8 59 Drive 7 plays. 24 yards 3 56. Key plays: Ander son recovery of Boston fumble on Chargers 38, Favre 13 pass to Driver; Favre 9 pass to Henderson on 3rd-ancF 2. Green Bay 10, San Diego 3. GB Driver 7 pass from Favre (Long well kick), 33 Drive 7 plays, 70 yards, .44.

Key plays Sharper interception and 9 return to Packers 30, Favre 18 pass to Driver on 3rd and 2, Favre 18 pass to Walker, Favre 19 pass to Fisher Green Bay 17, San Diego 3. THIRD QUARTER SD-FG Christie 26. 8 52. Drive 11 plays. 71 yards.

6:08 Key plays: Brees 48 pass to Gates on 3rd-and 2. Brees 2 run on 4th and 1. Green Bay 17, San Diego 6. FOURTH QUARTER SD Tomlinson 7 pass from Brees (Boston pass from Brees). 14.56.

Drive 10 plays, 53 yards. 4 50. Key plays Cooper 25 interception return to Chargers 47. Brees 12 pass to Cald well on 3rd and 10: Brees 5 pass to Tomlinson on 3rd and 4. Green Bay 17, San Diego 14.

SD Tomlinson 68 pass from Brees (Christie kick). 12.10. Drive 2 plays, 72 yards. '54. Key plays None San Diego 21, Green Bay 17 GB Ferguson 40 pass from Favre (Longwell kick), 11 18 Drive 2 plays.

42 yards. :52. Key play 45 kickoff return by Davenport to Chargers 42. Green Bay 24, San Diego 21. GB Green 1 pass from Favre (Long well kick).

8 37 Drive 1 play. 1 yard. .05. Key plays fumble recovery by Navies at Chargers 1. Green Bay 31, San Diego 21.

GB Ferguson 16 pass from Favre (Longwell kick). 3.58 Drive 6 plays. 70 yards. 3.15. Key plays Favre 20 pass to Driver: Green 34 run.

Green Bay 38, San Diego 21. A 64.978. TEAM STATISTICS BRIAN HIRO Staff Writer SAN DIEGO LaDainian Tomlinson had just sprinted into the end zone for a 68-yard touchdown, giving the Chargers a four-point fourth-quarter lead in a game they once trailed by 14. The crowd, which for much of Sundays game vs. Green Bay made Qualcomm Stadium sound more like Lambeau Field, suddenly roared to life with pro-Chargers fervor.

On the other side of the coin, Brett Favre was coming off a quarter in which he had completed zero of five passes with an interception. For a mere mortal quarterback, this would qualify as a dicey situation. For the Packers peerless one, it merely set the stage for his patented heroics. Favre made his fourth and CHARGERS Continued from C-l The Chargers were run over, and in case anyone missed the license plate, it was of the Wisconsin variety, etched with a No. 4.

A No. 4, by the way, who wasnt No. 1 on the Chargers defensive list. Their game plan was constructed to take away running back Ahman Green, which they did. I dont blame them, said Favre, who was 23-of-33 overall, and 8-of-9 in the fourth quarter.

Fm old and washed-up. Favre said it with a smile as big as if someone asked if him to say cheese. I knew we were going to have to throw the ball, Favre said. They were putting eight guys in the box about every snap. And just like that, Favre brought momentum back to the green and gold after the Chargers went ahead.

A 45-yard kick return gave Favre a short field to work with and, shortly thereafter, he struck on a 40-yard pass to Robert Ferguson as defensive backs Quentin Jammer and Jerry Wilson were left in his wake. In two plays, Favre erased the Chargers advantage, delivering a haymaker to a team which suddenly found itself on the ropes. At some point I figured we got to take some chances, Favre said. The big pass to Fergy5 was kind of the answer to what they were doing. The Chargers undoing were their turnovers.

That was another category the Chargers laid claim to (four against one), and ultimately it laid to waste their hopes of an upset, and their second straight win. Thats something we talk about every week, not turning the football over and we definitely turned the football over today, said LaDainian Tomlinson, who had 144 yards and two touchdowns receiving, to go with 51 yards rushing. And you aint going to win in this league turning the football over. The Packers (8-6) added to their fourth-quarter cushion when Brees lost a fumble when smacked by Grady Jackson at the Green Bay 1. One play lat Tomlinson Brees WHOS HOT BRETT FAVRE He matches his uniform number by tossing four TD passes.

WHOS NOT I CHARGERS OFFENSIVE UNE Pass the tape and glue as this bangeckip unit has been bit hard by various ailments. INJURY REPORT RB LADAINIAN TOMLINSON Toe LT SOLOMON PAIGE Ankle WR GRANT MATTOS Concussion CAREER DAY In his first appearance since getting yanked after three quarters in Chicago on Nov. 2, Chargers QB Drew Brees responded with a career-high 363 yards, his fourth 300-yard game in his three NFL seasons. Brees entered the game with five interceptions and no touchdowns in the previous 11 quarters. Overall, he was 28 of 48, with two touchdowns, one interception and two lost fumbles.

I was very relaxed today, Brees said, after watching Doug Flutie start the past five games. I wasn't trying to put pressure on myself. I was just going out there and having fun. That is what it is all about." BOLT-FREE TV Fox was in no hurry to get to the Chargers-Packers contest, as it showed the conclusion of the Rams-Seahawks game and then went to commercial. Those watching local TV missed Altman Green's 4-yard TD run, as the game wasn't broadcast until Ryan Longwell was lining up for the extra point, some four minutes after kickoff.

Fox officials weren't available for comment on the situation. 2,000 AND COUNTING Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson became only the eighth player in NFL history to gain 2,000 from the line of scrimmage in consecutive seasons. Against Green Bay, he had 144 receiving yards and 51 rushing yards, giving him 2,011 yards on the year. Tomlinson also became the first Chargers running back' to ever have consecutive 100-yard receiving games. He's the first NFL back to do it since the Chiefs' Priest Holmes did it Dec.

9-16, 2001. WHAT'S MY LINE? The Chargers offensive line had a preseason feel to it, as injunes forced the team to shuffle the personnel. When Page aggravated his ankle injury midway through the third quarter, RT Courtney Van Buren switched sides. Undrafted rookie Phil Bogle went in; he had earlier been replaced at nght guard by Michael Keathley. Backup Cory Raymer was already in for Jason Ball (ankle).

Courtney struggled a little bit, we struggled a little bit with communication problems," said LG Kelvin Garmon, the only opening day starter playing his true position. But thats part of it. You got to just keep going if someone goes down; you got to move people around and make it work. QUICK HITS er, Favre found Green on quick flip, for a 31-21 edge. Favre added his fourth touchdown pass late in the quarter, on another flick to Ferguson, this one for 16 yards.

Sweet is what the Chargers would have felt if somehow holding their lead. But it lasted but 52 seconds. San Diego gave us a heck of a ball game, gave us everything we could handle on both sides of the ball, Packers coach Mike Sherman said. We were fortunate enough to come away with some takeaways and that was the deciding factor in the ball game. In addition to his fourth-quarter fumble his second on the day Brees was intercepted on a terrific play by safety Darren Sharper, which led to seven second-quarter points.

Earlier in the quarter, David Boston coughed it up, which the Packers cashed for three points. In all, the Packers had 17 points off Chargers miscues. It was a Favre mistake that got the Chargers back in the game. Donnie Edwards got his hand on a Favre pass, and it ricocheted to Stephen Cooper for his first NFL interception. Brees (28 of 48, 363 yards) then hit Tomlinson for a 7-yard touchdown and Boston on a fade route for a two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 17-14.

The defense turned back the Packers, and Brees turned back to Tomlinson for a 68-yard touchdown pass reminiscent of his 73-yarder last week and a 21-17 lead. But unlike the previous Sunday against the Lions, the Packers presented a future Hall of Famer in Favre. He played the part, completing six of seven passes for 90 yards and three touchdowns in the final 12 minutes. Brett has done it in the past, Sherman said, and he did it again. With the Chargers joining a long list of previous victims.

He came back with a vengeance, didnt he, Jammer said. Oh yes, leaving the Chargers as road kill. That No. 4, Wilson said, showed he still has a lot of gas in the tank. Contact staff writer Jay Paris at pansnctimes.net.

Chargers Report Card JAY PARIS Staff Writer G3 QUARTERBACKS; There is nothing more important for someone at this position than taking care of the ball. Drew Brees, in his return as a starter, lost two fumbles and threw an INT. We know, the line was shaky and Darren Sharper made a great play on the pick. Tough; you can't commit three turnovers. The bnght spots were the two TD passes and a career-high 363 yards.

RUNNING BACKS; LaDainian Tomlinson averages a puny 2.6 yards per carry, which is light years from the 5.3-yard average he erv I I tered the game with. But Tomlinson who skipped the last senes with a bruised toe cant be faulted too much. The Packers are stout up front and there wasn't much room for Tomlinson to roam. INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RECEIVERS: The Chargers are in good hands when passes are directed toward Tomlinson. That 68yard sconng pitchand-run was a beauty.

Kudos to TE Antonio Gates on his first 100-yard game. WR Reche Caldwell had four receptions for 25 yards and had a hand in some nice down-field blocking. David Boston's fumble gave the Packers three points. OFFENSIVE UNE It's difficult to dominate up front with backups spnnkled throughout the line. The injunes have taken their toll here, and that was among the reasons Brees coughed up the ball twice.

ID ID DEFENSIVE LINE: No rush here, although the manner in which the ball exits Brett Favre hands doesn't lend itself to many sacks. Against the run, the unit was stout. Jamal Williams has four tackles despite an ailing knee; Marcellus Wiley and Adrian Dingle had three each. UNEBACKERS: Good stuff here, as the LBs play their best game of the year in keeping Ahman Green under wraps. Zeke Moreno shined with three tackles and a pass defensed.

Donnie Edwards had four tackles and a deflected a pass, which Stephen Cooper snagged for an INT. Ben Leber had two tackles, and a pop on Favre that drew a penalty and possibly a fine from the NFL. RUSHING Green Bay. Green 1975, Fisher 2 13. Davenport 2-5.

Pederson 3j minus 2), Feiguson l-(minus 8). San Tomlinson 20-51, Brees 6-25. Caldwell 1-12. PASSING Green Bay Favre 23-33 1-278. San Diego.Brees 2848-1-363 RECEIVING Green Bay.

Driver 8-112, Henderson 4-37, Ferguson 2-56, Fisher 2 28. Walker 2 26, Martin 2-6, Freeman 1 8. Walls 1-4, Green 1-1. San Diego.Tomlinson 11-144, Gates 5-117, Boston 4 29. Caldwell 4 25, Osgood 2-46.

Peelle 1 1. Neal 1-1. PUNT RETURNS-Green Bay, A. Chatman 2 14. San Diego, L.

Johnson 3-29. KICKOFF RETURNS-Green Bay.Dav-enport 4-125, Ferguson 1-21 San Diego, L.Johnson 6-122, J.Chatman 1-23. TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS Green Bay, Barnett 9-1-0, Sharper 8 1-0, Anderson 6-1-0, Diggs 4-2-0. Hawthorne 4-1 0, McKenzie 3-2-0, Jackson 4-0-1, Harris 4-0-0, Navies 3 0-0, Hunt 2-1-0, Nwokorie 2-0-1, Jue 2 00. Lenon 2 0-0, Ferguson 2-0-0, Gbaja-Biamila 1-1-0, Smith 1-0-0, Kampman 1-0-0, Marshall 1-0-0, Fuller 1-0-0, Davenport 1-0-0, Henderson 1-0-0, Walls 1- 0-0, Martin 0-1-0.

San Diego. Kiel 10- 1-0 Jammer 4-3, Wilson 2-4, Edwards 4-0, J.Williams 3-1. Moreno 3 0. Dingle 3-0, Wiley 3-0. S.

Davis 2-1, Cooper 2-0, Florence 2 0, Leverette 2-0, Leber 2-0, Mattos 2-0, Bogle 2-0, Fox 1-1, Scifres 1-0, J.Chatman 1-0, Bmn 1-0, House 1-0, Osgood 1 0, Gates 1-0, Fisk 0-1. INTERCEPTIONS Green Bay, Sharper 1 9 Name 1-0. San Diego, Cooper 1-25 MISSED FIELD GOALS-None. OFFICIALS Referee Ron Blum, Ump Chad Brown, HL Mark Baltz, L) Derick Bowers, BJ Bill Schmitz, SJ Laird Hayes, FJ Ron Spitler, Replay Neil Gereb. Time: 3:21.

7 SECONDARY; Terrence Kiel ties for gamefugh honors with nine tackles. Quentin Jammer and Jerry Wilson combine for 13 tackles, but there's no defense for their shoddy coverage of Robert Ferguson on the long TD pass that returned the lead to the Packers. SPECIAL TEAMS: It was the one time the kickoff coverage crew had to be true, and it wasnt. The Chargers took the lead and the momentum, but then allowed Najeh Davenport to return an effort 45 yards. The Packers, thanks to that short field, quickly scored and quickly put away the Chargers.

That miscue by special teams turned the game around. TE Antonio Gates set career-highs with 117 receiving yards and five catches. It was the first 100-yard receiving day by a Chargers rookie since Wayne Walker had 105 on Dec. 10, 1989. With Tomlinson also surpassing 100 receiving yards, it marked the first time the Chargers had two players do it in one game since Jeff Graham (144) and Curtis Conway (118) did it on Nov.

19, 2000. Chargers rookie Terrence Kiel had a game-high nine tackles, the first time since Sept. 14 that a player other than Donnie Edwards led the team in tackles. Favre extended his NFL record for a quarterback by starting in his 187th straight game. Packers RB Ahman Green broke Jim Taylor's team mark of 1,476 single-season rushing yards in the first quarter; Green has 1.538.

-V- COACHING: Marty Schottenheimer has seen it all, but some wonder what he was thinking in tempting the Packers to beat him with Favre. The Chargers put the clamps on Green, but Schotten-heimer's secondary and pass rush isn't built to withstand a challenge laid down to a future Hall of Famer. Schottenheimer gets some credit for devising ways to get the Chargers two second half scores, but his defense wasn't up to the ultimate test: stopping Favre. Chargers wide receiver David Boston and Packers defensive back Mike McKenzie look back for a Drew Brees pass. DON BOOMER Staff Photo irah ifr if A.