Broncos-Chargers Sunday Night Football Live Blog: First Half

We've had some problems with the Keiths Sports Journal site, so here we go.

Chargers won toss, and Darren Sproles takes the Broncos' kickoff to the Bolts 30. On 1st and 10, Lt reverses to Vincent Jackson for 17 yards and a first down. LT gets 12 on the first down, but the Chargers were caught wth their hands on the other guy's jersey, so now it's 1st and 20, and Champ Bailey is seriously hurt. Chris Chambers' tried to hang on to Philip Rivers' pass, but it's imcomplete. Rivers throws into double coverage to Jackson, but pass interference on Nate Webster, Broncos MLB places the ball on the Broncs' 11.

Alfalfa: "The crowd is obviously going to love this because it's defensive pass interference." JFein: "It would have been funny if it was offensive pass interference."

LT loses two on 1st and 10. Looks like Bailey hurt his groin. Rivers sacked by Ebeneezer Ekiban on 2nd and 12. On 3rd and 17, Rivers finds Anotonio Gates but are well short of the first down. Nate Kaeding kicks the 28-yard field goal, and with 11:41 left in the first, Bolts 3, Broncs 0.

Now we hear Champ Bailey is questionable with a elbow injury. Chance Jackson returns the kick to th Denver 27, and Jay Cutler passes to Eddie Royal, and say hi to Shaun Phillips, losing four. Cutler passes to Tony Schleffler for 13 yards, and Cutler's third straight pass is IN-COM-PLETE! On 2nd and 10, Daniel Graham is short of midfield and the first down marker, and then on third down and a foot, Tatum Bell gets three and the first down in Chargers real estate. Cutler thanks to Igor Olshansky loses two as he is sacked, and on 2nd and 12, Brandon Stokley gains fifteen and the first down. At the Bolts 35, Bell gets nine yards for the former cell phone kiosk manager while Brandon Marshall dropped a 2nd and 1 pass. And Bell rings up a 26-yard touchdown run on the Bolts, his first since last season on Opening Day...with the Lions. After a false start penalty, the PAT was shanked, and it's 6-3 Denver.

Sproles returns the kickoff to the Chargers' 27. And good news, Champ Bailey's back, and LT's stopped on 1st and 10. The X-rays were negative on Bailey's left elbow. Jackson turns what was a five-yard gain into a 1st and 10 at the San Diego 37. Then V. Jackson - FULL EXTENTION! - gains 37 on a great throw by Rivers, and LT gains zip after that. Tomlinson gains nine after that, and on 3rd and 1, Rivers tries a quarterback sneak, and a late flag comes in. D.J. Williams gets penalized for a late hit, and it's half the distance to the goal, and on the Denver 7, LT works his way down to the Broncos 2. LT gets the last two yards and the touchdown, and the Broncos protesteth too much...but the replay shows the ball crossing the plane. Kaeting makes it 10-6 SAN DIEGO SUPER CHARGERS...SAN DIEGO--CHARGERS!

C. Jackson returns the kick to the Denver 25. Graham ges a first down after a ten yard pass from Cutler, and the next pass goes through Eddie Royal's hands. We saw a guy dressed as a ref telling Ed Hercules that almost everything is forgiven. Jamal Williams hold Bell to one yard on 2nd and 10, and then Cutler to Tony Schelffler is short on 3rd and 9. Sproles return the punt to the Bolts' 28, where Rivers gets Gates inside the Broncos 37, and that's the first quarter, folks, with Denver trailing San Diego, 10-6.

And the second stanza starts with LT gaining 12 to the Broncos 26. And another two gained after that, then the Bolts call time out. Rivers overthrows #11 on 2nd and 8. On 3rd and 8, Gates gets on the unofficial yellow line for television purposes, and we measure and...missed it by the snap of the chain, bringing up fourth and a snap. Bolts will go for it, and Rivers pushes across for three yards and the first down. Jacob Hester gets a two yard pass on 1st and 10, then Malumalueula catches the 12-yard touchdown pass from Rivers. Kaeting kicks the PAT, and the Chargers lead 17-6 with eleven and a half 'till recess.

Meanwile, in the Independence Bowl, Louisiana Tech leads Northern Illinois, 14-7. This bowl will lose certification in 2009, mark my word. The San Jose Silicon Valley Classic syndrome. SEC, Big 12 send teams to BCS, and they get WAC (they should have invited Boise State and Ball State instead of a hometown team like LA Tech.) Like you really give a flying Wallenda. C. Jackson takes the kickoff to the Broncos 26, where on 1st and 10, Cutler passes to Stokely for ten yards, but the Chargers were jamming on the face so it's 1st and 10 at the 31, and Royal lets another Cutler pass through his hands. Second and 10, Royal catches a pass for nine, but Denver gets hit with a 15-yard chop block flag on Bell, making it 2nd and 25. Avoiding the sack, Cutler throws te ball away, and a hold on Cooper is declined, making it 3rd and 25. Bell catches a screen, and Denver has to kick the ball away to San Diego. Brett Kerns kicks to Sproles and he returns it to San Diego's 42.

Tomlinson starts this possession with a meager one yard gain. Rivers finds Chambers at the Broncos 43 for the first down, followed by LT gaining one. hester gets another first down at the Denver 26 on the Rivers pass. Sproles takes over on first for LT and gains five, then another one, but a holding call against Kris Dehlman becomes 2nd and 15. And a false start makes it 2nd and 20, and Jeremy Clarey was found guilty. Rivers and Chambers get eighteen of those yards back, making it third and a deuce. Jackson takes LT's reverse with Rivers blocking seting up 1st and goal at the Denver 5. LT gets a yard and dives into the paint for six with a four yard spinarama on second down. Kaeting increases the lead to 18 at the 3:32 mark, 24-6 Bolts. Dance all night!

Gonna be a busy week for paint in The Q. The Holiday Bowl (and the fugly Oregon unis) Tuesday night against Oklahoma State ("I'm a man! Go after me!") followed by the possible Chargers home game against the Colts. C. Jackson returns Kaeting's kickoff to the visitors 30, and Bell gains seven. Second and three finds a Bell getting a shovel pass to midfield from Cutler and a first down, with Bell getting two and the two-minute warning.

On 2nd and 7, Cutler finds Brandon Marshall, Marshall, Marshall for the first with no huddle, then Stokley is rifled by Cutler to the Bolts' 14, then after a Broncos time out, Cutler tries to find Scheffler and it will go to the booth and the peep show. Do refs when they go under the hood deposit quarters? And upon further review, the play stands as an imcomplete pass. Second and ten finds Cutler passing and Paul Oliver stems the tide with a pickoff in the end zone.

Sproles on 1st and ten gains six, and San Diego will let the clock roll with 2nd and 4 Rivers dumping the ball bringing up 3rd and 10. Norv channeling his inner Reid. And Sproles gains nine as the Bolts call timeout. First and ten finds a false start on Dehil moving them back five yards, so Rivers throws the pass on 1st and 15 to Tijauana. And Sproles runs for seven to end the half. Chargers 24, Broncos 6 at halftime. See you in the second half blog.