Broncos throw their way past Chargers, 35-21

DENVER — Emmanuel Sanders waited six long weeks to join the list of players who have caught a touchdown pass from Peyton Manning. Now, he has four in less than a week.

Manning and Sanders connected for a trio of touchdowns Thursday night in the Denver Broncos’ 35-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers.

With the Chargers’ banged-up secondary double-teaming red-hot receiver Demaryius Thomas, Sanders caught touchdown throws of two, 31 and three yards. The last one followed Chris Harris Jr.’s interception of a flustered Philip Rivers.

Rookie running back Juwan Thompson added two touchdown runs as the Broncos (6-1) tightened their grip on the AFC West over the Chargers (5-3), who lost their second straight game.

Manning finished 25 of 35 for 286 yards. Sanders caught nine passes for 120 yards, and Ronnie Hillman added 109 yards in 20 carries.

One of GM John Elway’s prized free agent acquisitions last off-season, Sanders called this “wide receivers’ heaven” when he joined the Broncos in the spring. He spent his first five games in a Broncos uniform piling up the yards — 473 of them — but wishing to become the 45th player to catch a touchdown pass from Manning.

He finally did it by hauling in the first of Manning’s four scoring throws Sunday night when the five-time MVP broke Brett Favre’s career touchdown throw total (510 to 508).

Each time Thompson scored, Rivers and the Chargers responded with 80-yard drives that ended with touchdown catches by tight end Antonio Gates.

His two scores gave him an NFL-best nine, tied with Denver’s tight end, Julius Thomas, who was held out of the end zone for the second consecutive game.

The Chargers lost a shot at taking the lead when the Broncos fumbled on the kickoff after San Diego tied the score at 7-7 in the second quarter. But the call was reversed on review, and Denver kept the ball and drove for the go-ahead score.

Rivers completed 30 of 41 for 252 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

This marked the eighth time in league history that a quarterback started a season with seven games with multiple touchdown passes — and Manning has done it three of those times.