SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Jake Plummer and Clinton Portis had a big first half before going down with injuries as the Denver Broncos coasted to a 37-13 rout of the San Diego Chargers.
Ranked next-to-last in the NFL after struggling in his Broncos' debut, Plummer took advantage of an inexperienced secondary and completed 9-of-13 passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns. But he separated his right shoulder while diving for a first down midway through the second quarter.
The Broncos initially announced the injury as a concussion.
"That was me fibbing a little bit," Denver coach Mike Shanahan said. "I was afraid if Steve (Beuerlein) went down on the first or second play he went in there, they would know that we could not throw the football. So for his sake and our sake as a team, I had to fib a little big."
Portis rushed for 129 yards on just 12 carries. His success allowed Plummer to throw play-action TD passes to fullback Reuben Droughns and tight end Shannon Sharpe, but he suffered a bruised sternum before halftime and did not return.
"It was a draw play right before the half," Portis said. "The guy got low and hit me in the chest underneath the shoulder pads. I knew right away something was wrong. I couldn't catch my breath."
Plummer and Portis helped Denver (2-0) build a 24-10 lead before turning things over to Steve Beuerlein and Mike Anderson.
Anderson added 65 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and Jason Elam kicked three field goals for the Broncos, who improved to 15-5 against San Diego under Shanahan.
"I thought Jake played extremely well when he was in there, so did Clinton," Shanahan said. "When you lose people, other guys have to step up. I was pleased with the way the guys stepped up."
"Quarterbacks change, running backs change, tight ends change, we just get the job done," Sharpe added. "We have a system. Steve and Mike came in and did the job."
LaDainian Tomlinson rushed 16 times for 93 yards, but the Chargers have been outscored, 64-27, in two games. It is their second 0-2 start in four years.
"I think it's reasonably evident that right now we're not playing very well," San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "Part of the problem that I see is that we don't have any consistency. We move the ball for a while, and then we can't.
"On the defensive side, the rushing defense continues to be a major problem for us. In this league, if you can't stop the run, you're not going to be very successful."
Denver never trailed after taking the opening kickoff and moving 69 yards in just over 2 1/2 minutes. Four plays after Portis broke off a 25-yard run, Plummer faked a handoff and hit Droughns for a 12-yard touchdown.
The Chargers got the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Broncos' 1-yard line before settling for a 19-yard field goal by Steve Christie.
Denver wasted no time making it two touchdowns in as many possessions, covering 88 yards in seven plays and less than five minutes. Portis got a key block from wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and rambled 58 yards to the San Diego 16. Five plays later, Plummer rolled right and found Sharpe in the front of the end zone for a one-yard TD.
Plummer injured his shoulder while running for a first down on 4th-and-1 at the Chargers' 5. It kept alive a drive he capped with a six-yard TD toss to wide-open Cooper Carlisle on a tackle-eligible play.
"We had a guy assigned to cover him, but the guy did not cover him," Schottenheimer said. "It's part of the growing process. We know what we need to do."
San Diego grabbed the momentum with an 80-yard drive and got within 21-10 when Drew Brees floated a 23-yard pass to Eric Parker with 65 seconds to go in the second quarter.
But Beuerlein replaced Plummer and marched the Broncos 56 yards in a minute, completing passes of 18 yards to Rod Smith and 25 yards to Ashley Lelie that set up Elam's 30-yard field goal just before the break.
"It's more of what we're doing wrong," cornerback Sammy Davis said of the Chargers' porous pass defense. "We're killing ourselves pretty much. They have good athletes, I can't lie about that. But this is more about what we're not doing and the calls we're not getting."
Beuerlein was 7-of-16 for 98 yards, including a 26-yard strike midway through the third quarter to Sharpe, who turned and made a one-handed grab at the San Diego 3. Anderson waltzed up the middle from the 1 three plays later to give Denver a 31-13 cushion.
"It was my time to step up and make a play," Sharpe said. "In practice, I practice catching one-handed. My position coach doesn't like it, but it paid off today. I just stuck out my hand and the ball stuck to it."
Brees was 20-of-41 for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
"It's upsetting and very disappointing," Brees said. "But the one game I learned the most from was a heartbreaking loss. I think that this team is going to learn a lot from this game. We're going to turn things around, there's no doubt about it."
