The San Diego Chargers got their third straight win Monday night with a 35-14 victory over the Denver Broncos. The win puts the Chargers at 5-5, tied for second place in the AFC West with the Oakland Raiders and one game behind the leading Kansas City Chiefs.

The Charger’s defense, mostly thanks to the leadership of linebacker Shaun Phillips, fought back against Denver quarterback Kyle Orton after the Broncos opened the game with a strong scoring drive. On the opening drive, Orton hit Brandon Lloyd with two deep passes to setup Moreno’s four-yard scamper for the touchdown. San Diego wasted no time when the team got on the field in erasing the 7-0 lead by scoring 35 straight points before routing the Broncos 35-14.

“This was the most complete game we’ve played in all three phases” quarterback Phillip Rivers said after San Diego’s third straight victory. “We are in a lot of ways in playoff football already. You almost can’t afford a step back at this point.”

With so many receivers and tight-ends depleted from the Chargers with injuries, Patrick Crayton helped with a 40-yard run toward the end of the second quarter. Darren Sproles also contributed with a 57-yard run during the third quarter, effectively giving the Chargers an insurmountable lead. The Chargers were without Ryan Mathews, Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson during Monday night’s game.

The Chargers were not the only winners on Monday Night; fans going to the game at Qualcomm Stadium were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items. The collected food will go to needy families in the San Diego area who are dealing with the nationwide economic recession. The San Diego Food Bank has reported it possesses low food supplies going into the holiday season.

The food drive supports California First Lady Maria Shriver’s Million Meals campaign, an effort to distribution more than two million meals to needy familiar around the state.

The fan who brought in the most food won a football autographed by Philip Rivers.

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