Chargers beat Texans 35-10 to help heal San Diego

SAN DIEGO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger flipped the coin, thanked the firefighters and yelled, “Go, Chargers, go!”\nDid they ever, helping bring a sense of normalcy to a region that’s been ravaged by deadly wildfires.\nTwo days after the last evacuees left Qualcomm Stadium, the tailgaters and the NFL were back. The Chargers routed the Houston Texans 35-10 behind Philip Rivers’ three touchdown passes – two went to All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates – and a monster game by cornerback Antonio Cromartie.\nCromartie recovered a fumble for a touchdown and had two interceptions, one of which he returned 70 yards for another score.\nWhen the wind-whipped fires first started sweeping San Diego County a week earlier, no one thought this game could be played here. Not with more than 10,000 evacuees taking shelter at the big concrete stadium and the air fouled by smoke.\nSome 46 players, coaches and others in the Chargers organization had to evacuate their homes – including Rivers, Gates and coach Norv Turner. The team left the smoky air behind and spent three days practicing in Arizona.\nQualcomm wasn’t intended to be a long-term shelter, so Mayor Jerry Sanders on Thursday gave the all-clear for the game. By the next day, the NFL agreed.\nBefore Kris Brown’s opening kickoff sailed through the smoky air, two dozen firefighters, police and National Guard members were introduced on the field and received a standing ovation.\nFour San Diego firefighters, including one carrying an American flag, led the Chargers onto the field for pregame introductions. Linebacker Shawne Merriman, the last of the starting 11 to be introduced, held up a red fireman’s helmet with his left hand, then set it on the ground.\nSan Diego (4-3) won its third straight game and popped above .500 for the first time since opening day. Houston (3-5) lost its third straight and had quarterback Matt Schaub knocked out of the game when he was hit after throwing his second interception.