Martin becomes Jets' all-time rushing leader

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Curtis Martin and the New York Jets are off to a hot September start, thanks to another big day in sunny San Diego.

Martin scored on the Jets' first two possessions and became the team's all-time rushing leader, helping New York to a 34-28 win Sunday over the Chargers, who lost quarterback Drew Brees to a concussion.

Allen's Analysis

Jets-Chargers: Will Brees get his starting job back once he's fully recovered from the concussion? Coach Schottenheimer said at the beginning of the season that he'd give Brees a true opportunity to start for this team. I don't think that was true because this organization has to get rookie quarterback Philip Rivers the ball. There's no doubt that he's the future, and they want to give Rivers a chance to start and finish a game to see what they're working with and to get his feet wet. He needs a good solid week of preparation to start, and he might get it this week because he's the future of this organization. That said, I don't think the Chargers would've pulled Brees if he were playing well. In the opening game of the season they didn't pull him because he played very well. He made the correct reads, let the game come to him and showed an increased maturity. Against the Jets it was the same old Brees. He made incorrect reads, showed happy feet and generally reverted back to the quarterback that led the Chargers to look for a new quarterback. Eric Allen played cornerback for 14 NFL seasons with the Eagles, Saints and Raiders. He's a regular contributor to Insider.

Martin scored on runs of 1 and 2 yards and finished with 119 yards on 32 carries. With 8,185 yards in seven seasons with the Jets, he broke Freeman McNeil's old team record of 8,074. Martin has 11,984 yards in 10 NFL seasons, good for 11th on the all-time list. Next up is Thurman Thomas with 12,074.

Chad Pennington threw two touchdown passes for the Jets (2-0), and rookie safety Erik Coleman had an interception and a fumble recovery.

The Jets are 2-0 for just the second time in 11 seasons.

"September ghosts, whatever, I don't buy into it," Martin said. "We just haven't been playing well in the beginning of the season. We've got the right attitude this year and we are playing better, period."

The Jets jumped to a 17-0 lead, then didn't fold when the Chargers finally got into the game.

The Chargers (1-1) were booed often during their home opener. Brees sustained a concussion late in the third quarter on a helmet-to-helmet hit by safety Jon McGraw, who was called for roughing the passer.

Brees finished that drive and was in for two more possessions, throwing a 33-yard TD pass to Reche Caldwell to pull the Chargers to 27-21 with 7:38 to play.

Brees was pulled for 41-year-old Doug Flutie with less than four minutes to go and the Chargers trailing 34-21. Brees wasn't happy about it, throwing his helmet on the sideline and having a heated discussion with coach Marty Schottenheimer.

Brees went from being impressive in a 27-20 win at Houston to being awful, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. By midway through the third quarter, he'd thrown as many interceptions as completions, finishing 8-of-19 for 146 yards.

"I was a little woozy, but I knew I was playing in a football game," Brees. "The two interceptions were probably the things I do remember."

Brees will be examined Monday.

Asked about the Chargers' game at Denver next Sunday, Brees said: "I don't see why I wouldn't play."

Brees was 3-of-12 for 74 yards with two interceptions before the concussion. Afterward, he was 5-of-7 for 72 yards and a TD.

Schottenheimer said he wasn't aware of Brees' concussion until offensive coordinator Cam Cameron told him about it after the TD pass to Caldwell, 12 plays after Brees was hurt.

"I looked at him and I made the decision he wasn't going to go," Schottenheimer said.

Flutie scored on a 6-yard run with 30 seconds left. New York's Wayne Chrebet recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Three plays before the concussion, Brees hit LaDainian Tomlinson for a 59-yard gain, which set up Tomlinson's 4-yard TD run late in the third to cut a 20-point deficit to 27-14.

McGraw didn't question the roughing-the-passer call.

"No malicious intent on my part. I just wanted to hit the quarterback and make a play for the team. It was just unfortunate," he said.

Pennington gave the Jets a cushion with a 1-yard TD throw to tight end Chris Baker with 3:56 left. Pennington was 22-of-29 for 258 yards.

Tomlinson had 87 yards on 19 carries and 76 yards on three catches.

The Chargers have lost 20 of their last 27 games under Schottenheimer, including going an NFL-worst 4-12 last year.

It was the Jets who started the Chargers on their free-fall, embarrassing them 44-13 here on Nov. 3, 2002.

New York picked right up from that win, which helped propel them to the AFC East title that year.

Martin broke McNeil's record with an 11-yard gain on his first run of the day, giving the Jets the first of four straight first downs. He capped the drive with a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

The Jets got the ball right back when Coleman intercepted Brees at the San Diego 44, setting up Martin's 2-yard run for a 14-0 lead with 3:42 left in the first quarter.

Doug Brien's 28-yard field goal, set up by Eric Parker's fumble on a punt return, gave the Jets a 17-0 lead in the second quarter.

"It was important for our offense to set the tempo," Pennington said. "On the road, the only way to take the crowd out of the game is to come out and put some points on the board and get some drives going, and we were able to do that."

San Diego got some momentum when Tim Dwight returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown.

The Jets weren't nearly as efficient after that, but neither were the Chargers, who a week earlier had no turnovers while their new 3-4 defense forced four.

Game notes
Jets Pro Bowl C Kevin Mawae broke his right hand in the third quarter. ... Tomlinson jammed his right big toe.