STORY LINES: RIVERS OVERFLOWING: Big job for defense

The Falcons are giving up 230.7 passing yards per game, which is 23rd in the 32-team league.

San Diego’s Philip Rivers is the league’s top-rated quarterback with a passer rating of 103.3 and has 23 touchdowns, the second-most in the league.

The secondary had a strong showing Nov. 9 against New Orleans’ Drew Brees. It gave up 422 passing yards but had three interceptions. It couldn’t protect a three-point lead against Denver’s Jay Cutler in the fourth quarter and was under siege by Carolina’s Jake Delhomme (295 yards passing) before the offense and special teams came through with big plays.

“We had a good game, but we are young at the corner position with some guys that haven’t got a whole lot of experience,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “You can’t just put it on the secondary. The linebackers are involved in coverage as well as the defensive linemen. I think it would be unfair to just point to the secondary.”

Rivers will find the holes in the Falcons’ zone defenses. He completes 65.7 percent of his passes.

“Philip is really having an outstanding year,” San Diego head coach Norv Turner said. “He’s grown with the offense. I think he understands what we are trying to get done. He’s made some unbelievable throws this year.”

PASSING TEAM NOW

L.T. gets used to shift in offense

Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who has 11,420 rushing yards, moved into 14th place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list last week, passing John Riggins (11,352).

Tomlinson has the most yards from scrimmage in the AFC with 1,099 and is the conference’s fourth-leading rusher with 770 yards.

“For me, we’re more of a passing team now,” said Tomlinson, who has 39 receptions for 329 yards and one touchdown. “We are really not a running team like we use to be.”

Tomlinson says he has been impressed with the Falcons defense.

“I see a young and hungry defense that’s aggressive,” Tomlinson said. “They fly around. They’ve got a good mix of veteran leadership and young guys.”

THE RETURN GAME

Sproles burns special teams

Falcons rookie Harry Douglas had his first punt return for a touchdown last week.

The Chargers have one of the top return men in the league in Darren Sproles.

The spunky little Sproles, at 5-foot-6, averages 25.9 yards on kickoff returns and 10.9 on punt returns. He is one of nine players who have returned a kickoff for a touchdown this season.

PAINFUL FINAL SECONDS

Close games slip away

The Chargers are the best 4-7 team in the league.

They have dropped four games in the final 24 seconds.

Last week, Indianapolis kicked a field goal to beat the Chargers 23-20 with two seconds left.

On Nov. 16, Pittsburgh kicked a field goal with 15 seconds left to beat them 11-10.

On Sept. 14, Denver scored a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 24 seconds left to beat them, 39-38.

In the season opener on Sept. 7, Carolina scored a touchdown with two seconds left to pull out a 26-24 victory.

“That’s kind of been our theme this year,” San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “The close losses have really hurt us. But they are still losses. We don’t take satisfaction in losing a close game. But sometimes that’s the way the ball bounces.”

TURNER’S HOMECOMING

From sub to standout

Falcons running back Michael Turner is returning to play San Diego, the team that drafted him in the fifth round out of Northern Illinois back in 2004.

Turner served four years as the backup to LaDainian Tomlinson before signing with the Falcons as a free agent last offseason.

Turner has 1,088 yards rushing and powers the Falcons’ offense. He may want to show his old team a thing or two.

“I don’t think he’s approached it any differently,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Michael is very even-keeled. He’s very consistent on how he’s prepared all year.

“I know he’s excited to see some old friends. Any time you go back and play against guys that you’ve been around for a number of years, it’s going to be fun.”

MATCHUP

> Favorite: Chargers by 5

> Series record: Falcons lead 6-1.

> Last meeting: Falcons 21, Chargers 20, Oct. 17, 2004

> Notes: Michael Vick could have been a Charger, but San Diego traded the first pick in the 2001 draft to Atlanta and took LaDainian Tomlinson with the fifth pick overall. Vick is serving a 23-month sentence in Leavenworth, Kan., on federal charges of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia’s rural Surry County. … Falcons RB Michael Turner is having a breakout season after spending his first four seasons as L.T.’s backup in San Diego. Turner has five 100-yard games —- one of them a 220-yard effort against Detroit —- while L.T. has only two 100-yard games. … The Falcons haven’t played in San Diego since 1997. … Tomlinson needs one touchdown to move into a fifth-place tie with Marshall Faulk on the all-time list with 136. … Chargers QB Philip Rivers has committed at least one turnover in each of his past five games.

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