CHARGERS NOTES

Philip Rivers was booed again when his face was shown on the giant video board in the fourth quarter.

He could not argue with the fans' logic – not after a game in which his passer rating was the second-lowest of his career and the offense managed just 10 points for the second straight week.

“I'm not happy with my play,” Rivers said. “We got a win, and you can always build on that. This is a game-to-game deal. We're working to get better. I'm going to keep working to get better.”

The Chargers drove a total of 62 yards for their two scores – 45 yards en route to a 4-yard touchdown run and 17 yards to set up Nate Kaeding's 33-yard field goal.

They did not score in the second half, their fourth scoreless half this season and sixth half in which they have scored three or fewer points.

“It's embarrassing,” fullback Lorenzo Neal said. “The defense and special teams played like that, and we get zero points in the second half. We've got to tighten the ship. We'll turn this around, but we've got a lot of work to do.”

Rivers was 13-for-24 for 104 yards with two interceptions and a passer rating of 30.6.

His biggest gaffe was a fourth-quarter fumble of a slippery ball at the goal line that gave the Colts a touchdown. That was his league-leading 10th fumble of the season.

But he was by no means alone in his struggles. His second interception went through Antonio Gates' hands, not the only drop of the night. The offense was also penalized at crucial times.

“We've got to get better,” Neal said. “We have too much talent to be fooling around on offense like this.”

Defense responds

One game after they allowed 378 rushing yards, most in franchise history, the Chargers tied a franchise best with six interceptions.

“We embarrassed ourselves last week,” linebacker Stephen Cooper said. “We had to show everyone we could still play. Six interceptions against Peyton Manning, I think that says something.”

Manning had never been intercepted more than four times in a game.

With the Colts down 23-0 early, they ran just 26 times for 75 yards.

“We didn't get our chance tonight,” Cooper said. “But we will next week against Jacksonville.”

The Jaguars' Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor each have more than 500 yards rushing and are averaging better than 4 yards a carry.

“They've got two great running backs,” tackle Jamal Williams said. “And we've got to prepare for them.”

Williams appeared much healthier last night than he did the previous week, his first game since arthroscopic surgery on both knees Oct. 15.

“I'm starting to get there,” he said. “I'm still not 100 percent, or 85.”

Picking it up

Matt Wilhelm was surprised to see the ball come right to him, and he was just as surprised by how it got there.

“He throws a rocket now,” Wilhelm said of Manning. “That ball hit my hand at about 100 mph.”

Wilhelm tipped the ball up and then brought it down for the fifth interception of the night against Manning.

It's a good thing he caught it. He is, after all, taking over for Donnie Edwards, who has more interceptions than any other linebacker in the league over the past six seasons.

LT lows

LaDainian Tomlinson's 155 carries before last night comprised the fewest rushing attempts through the first eight games of a season in his seven-year career.

Last night, he carried 21 times for 76 yards and now has 743 yards on 176 carries. That's the second-fewest carries and third-fewest yards through nine games.

Nuts 'n' Bolts

 Kaeding's first-quarter field goal was just his 10th attempt of the season. The Chargers' 10 attempts are fewest in the league.

 Three of Mike Scifres' five punts were downed inside the 20, including one at the 1-yard line. Over the past four games, 17 of his 22 punts have been downed inside the 20.

 Norv Turner lost both replay challenges.

 Colts defensive end Keyunta Dawson appeared to get away with a horse-collar tackle on Tomlinson in the fourth quarter, the same play that got Chargers safety Marlon McCree fined $10,000 last week.

 LaTorsha Tomlinson, wife of LaDainian, sang the national anthem before the game. The end of her stunning rendition was drowned out by the Marine FA-18 flyover.

 Chargers have won five straight in their powder blue uniforms.

 The Chargers are now 5-0 when they force more turnovers than they commit. They are 0-3 when they lose the turnover battle.

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Kevin Acee: (619) 293-1857; kevin.acee@uniontrib.com