SAN DIEGO — With an injured Antonio Gates sitting out the contest, quarterback Philip Rivers found a new target at tight end to fill the void.
Reserve Dante Rosario, who hadn’t recorded a touchdown catch since 2009, when he was a member of the Carolina Panthers, was on the receiving end of a career-high three as the Chargers earned a 38-10 victory over Tennessee on Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
Rosario made the most of his opportunity after the Chargers decided to sit Gates, who had spent the week nursing sore ribs.
Rivers connected with Rosario, who spent last season with the Dolphins, for a pair of first-quarter touchdowns to give the Chargers an early lead they would never relinquish. The two hooked up on an 11-yard scoring pass on the Chargers’ opening drive, capping a 12-play, 71-yard march for a 7-0 lead with 6:08 left in the quarter.
It took only two plays for the Titans to turn the ball back over to the Chargers as free safety Eric Weddle picked off quarterback Jake Locker, giving the Chargers possession at the Tennessee 31. Six plays later, Rivers found Rosario again for a 4-yard scoring pass and a 14-0 Chargers lead with 4:20 remaining in the first.
Rosario caught his third touchdown late in the third quarter as the Chargers blew the contest open.
A 26-yard field goal by Mike Scifres pushed the lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter before the Titans (0-2) found a pulse.
They mounted a 10-play, 81-yard drive late in the second quarter that landed them on the Chargers 5 before settling for a 23-yard field goal by Rob Bironas, cutting the deficit to 17-3 with 4:45 left in the half.
But they never managed to get any closer. Their lone touchdown occurred late in the third quarter when Locker completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kendall Wright.
Running back Jackie Battle scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns for the Chargers (2-0).
Rivers finished 24 of 32 for 284 yards with three touchdowns. He had one interception. Locker completed 15 of 30 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown. He also threw an interception.
Notes: The Chargers retired the number 55 of Junior Seau during a brief ceremony before the game. Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, one of only three Chargers to have their numbers retired, spoke before the club unveiled Seau’s No. 55 next to Lance Alworth’s No. 19. … Running back Ryan Mathews, who suffered a broken collarbone in the preseason, also was among the players the Chargers declared inactive, along with defensive tackle Antonio Garay. … Titans who were inactive included defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks and linebacker Colin McCarthy.