This one was far more important than personal daggers between Denver quarterback Jay Cutler and the Chargers' Philip Rivers.

Once the talk died down, and words evaporated like the Broncos' postseason hopes, this one came down to execution.

Better still, the Chargers came out on a greater emotional high, and 69,131 of their closest friends turned Qualcomm Stadium into one continues roar.

Plus the fact that San Diego scored the first four times it had the ball put Cutler into the uncomfortable position of playing catch- up Football.

"When you have to score every time you touch the ball, that's tough, that puts a great deal of pressure on everyone," Cutler said.

After the Chargers' Nate Kae- ding put San Diego on top 3-0 with a 28-yard field goal with 11:41 remaining in the opening session, Cutler responded with a 10-play, 73-yard scoring drive.

When Tatum Bell scored on a 26-yard run with 7:36 left in the first period, Denver owned a 6-3 lead. But from that point, the Chargers and their fans took total command, and the Broncos left Qualcomm a broken and fallen team.

It's no secret that the Broncos are in dire need of a running game - and Bell can't carry the load by himself. Against San Diego, the Broncos managed 90 yards on the ground after entering Sunday night averaging 118.1 yards per game.

For his part, Cutler appeared out of rhythm. He finished 33-for- 49 for 316 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. His quarterback rating for the game was 74.9, and he also converted only one of three fourth-down opportunities.

Still, Denver coach Mike Shanahan seemed optimistic about the offense's future.

"This offense has the potential to be among the best I have had here," Shanahan said. "Once we get the running game going, this offense has ability to score on every possession."