NFL: San Diego Chargers back to form with an easy 31-13 win over Kansas City

San Diego pulled themselves back to .500 with a comfortable 31-13 win over Kansas City in the opening game of week nine.

Philip Rivers threw a couple of touchdown passes and the Chargers also scored twice on defense to blow the game open in the final quarter and take the pressure off coach Norv Turner after two recent second-half collapses.

Until then it had been a tight battle, with Rivers' 14-yard first-quarter pass to Antonio Gates the only touchdown.

Nick Novak added a 25-yard field goal to make it 10-0 but the Chiefs rallied within four points early in the third quarter when Ryan Succop connected from 41 yards for his second successful kick.

But the Chiefs fell apart in the closing 15 minutes with Rivers first hitting Malcom Floyd from 13 yards for San Diego's second offensive score.

Less than a minute later the Chargers were on the scoreboard again when Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was sacked by Jarret Johnson and Shaun Phillips recovered the ensuing fumble in the endzone.

Even worse followed for Cassel 8:33 from the end of the game when his desperate pass was intercepted by Demorrio Williams who scampered 59 yards to make it 31-6.

Kansas City finally breached the Chargers defence four minutes before time when Shaun Draughn rushed up the middle for a six-yard score but that was as good as it got as they dropped to a 1-7 record.

"It was good to play well but more importantly, it was good to win a game. We needed a win in the worst way," Rivers said. "Games like this, wins like this can jump start us."

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