5:47 P.M. PST: Off we go with the second quarter.

5:49 P.M. PST: Denver now in third-and-9 at their 46 … the pocket breaks down quickly and Luis Castillo gets to Jay Cutler for a second time today; he forced Cutler’s first-possession fumble. Cutler hangs on to the football this time.

5:50 P.M. PST: Paul Ernster’s second punt didn’t look pretty, but was effective … the ball skips forward and is downed by Andre Hall at the San Diego 1-yard-line.

5:52 P.M. PST: So many flags flew for a San Diego false-start infraction that Dre’ Bly could waste a couple of seconds twirling one in his hands.

5:53 P.M. PST: Nice tackle by Jamie Winborn, who stood up LaDainian Tomlinson and drove him back … Chargers have second-and-9 at their 2 … Philip Rivers with plenty of time … Looks deep down the middle for Vincent Jackson … Champ Bailey was with him step for step and nearly intercepts the pass.

5:55 P.M. PST: Costly play for the Broncos, as Tomlinson took a handoff in the end zone and was untouched until getting hit at the San Diego 13 … San Diego now has some tolerable field position with which to work, and the Broncos lose an opportunity to get good field position of their own.

5:57 P.M. PST: Another thrid down; another conversion. Rivers finds Chambers near the right sideline for 11 yards, moving San Diego to its 32-yard-line.

6:01 P.M. PST: After a San Diego timeout, the Broncos get a third-down stop when Josh Mallard tripped up Philip Rivers on a third-and-10.

6:03 P.M. PST: Denver will start at its 12 after Mike Scifres’ first punt of the evening … Now it’s the Broncos fighting from out of poor field position.

6:04 P.M. PST: A fourth sack allowed already tonight … Shaun Phillips gets to Cutler.

6:05 P.M. PST: Denver takes a timeout with 8:38 left in the quarter.

6:07 P.M. PST: Cutler looks up the right sideline for Javon Walker, but the wide receiver lands out of bounds with the reception … Denver will punt with the line of scrimmage at its 10.

6:08 P.M. PST: Ernster’s punt shanks and bounces 33 yards … San Diego takes over at the Denver 43.

6:11 P.M. PST: Chargers waste little time driving into goal-to-go range … it’s first-and-goal at the Denver 6.

6:14 P.M. PST: Jamie Winborn helps get the third-down stop … Chargers settle for a Nate Kaeding field goal and the second rendition of “San Diego Super Chargers” tonight …. Broncos trail 13-0 with 3:43 remaining.

6:17 P.M. PST: Broncos again have decent field position after a kickoff, starting at their 33-yard-line … a first-down deep toss for Tony Scheffler, however, falls incomplete.

6:18 P.M. PST: Three-and-out for the Broncos after Young runs for one yard and a pass to Brandon Marshall near the left sideline falls incomplete.

6:19 P.M. PST: Ernster’s punt goes out of bounds after sailing 31 yards; San Diego takes over at its 35-yard-line. Ernster’s net and gross average are the same — 35.0 yards.

6:21 P.M. PST: The two-minute warning halts play with San Diego at its 47-yard-line.

6:23 P.M. PST: Darren Sproles in for Tomlinson now … a second-and-10 carry by Sproles goes nowhere, and the Chargers have third-and-11 at their 46-yard-line.

6:25 P.M. PST: And the Chargers are now 5-of-8 on third downs after Rivers finds Vincent Jackson for 27 yards up the left sideline.

6:26 P.M. PST: Third-and-11 now after an incompletion followed by a Nate Webster hit on Sproles in the open field … Rivers takes the Chargers’ third-down success ratio to 6-of-9 by finding Chris Chambers across the middle for 16 yards to the Denver 11. San Diego is out of timeouts with nine seconds left.

6:28 P.M. PST: You don’t hear Wham! at a football game very often, but we just heard it here.

6:29 P.M. PST: Rivers’ end zone toss is incomplete … Kaeding hits a 29-yard field goal try, and the Broncos’ intermission deficit is 16-0.

4:54 P.M. PST: “Perfect” is by far the most apt adjective to describe the conditions. A clear day’s sunset creates a broad spectrum of colors dissolving into each other in the skies above. The Monday Night Football theme blares, and the crowd goes bonkers, just as some of the Chargers were as they walked past where I stood in a subterranean corridor below the stands here at Qualcomm Stadium.

4:57 P.M. PST: A gorgeous national anthem from a group of singers hailing from nearby Chula Vista H.S., but gracious, it seemed like it might take forever with some heavy orchestral accompaniment at the beginning and at the end … the last couple of notes were held for 30 seconds or so. Great voices, but that was a little much.

4:58 P.M. PST: The choral performance of the anthem was followed by another choral performance — from the Chargers’ fans, booing the Broncos.

4:59 P.M. PST: The Chargers’ dance team was just introduced by the public-address announcer as “the hottest team south of the North Pole.” I was going to write something snarky in response, but I’ll refrain. Too easy.

5:09 P.M. PST: After plenty of pregame hullabaloo, including fireworks — not the brightest idea in a fire zone — and the appearance of Santa Claus — I think that was the guy having an early dinner here in the press box a couple of horus back — we’re almost under way. The Broncos will receive the kickoff. The referees are in their cold-weather pants, for some odd reason — it’s in the 60s. Weird.

5:10 P.M. PST: Glenn Martinez to a hole, up field and to the Denver 47-yard-line … quite a roar from the thousands of Broncos fans who’ve infiltrated this crowd.

5:12 P.M. PST: Selvin Young picked up two yards on the game’s first play, and then 10 more on the second … Broncos at the San Diego 41.

5:13 P.M. PST: Nice grab by Tony Scheffler across the middle … an illegal-hands-to-the-face infraction on San Diego is declined … Broncos on the march at the San Diego 21.

5:14 P.M. PST: Stephen Cooper tosses Brandon Marshall to the ground like a chewed-up dog toy after an incompletion … now, that’s just not necessary.

5:15 P.M. PST: Disaster strikes … Cutler steps up with the pocket breaking down and fumbles after being hit by Luis Castillo; San Diego’s Shawne Merriman recovers and the Chargers will start at their 17-yard-line.

5:16 P.M. PST: No unexpected changes in the Broncos’ starting defensive XI; Jamie Winborn fills in for the injured Ian Gold.

5:18 P.M. PST: Two plays and a San Diego first down; Philip Rivers finds Vincent Jackson in space in front of Champ Bailey for nine yards, and the Chargers are at their 28.

5:20 P.M. PST: LaDainian Tomlinson does his usual thing, finding the edge on his second carry for eight yards … then he darts right for 16 more on the next play to move San Diego into Denver territory. The crowd chants “LT, LT, LT,” as it did last year when these teams met here.

5:21 P.M. PST: After an overthrown screen pass, Tomlinson goes left for no gain … a post-play scuffle, however, results in an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on Lynch, who had made the tackle and then snatches loose Tomlinson’s helmet …

5:22 P.M. PST: Post-penalty the Chargers sit at the Denver 31.

5:24 P.M. PST: Nice open-field tackle by Dre’ Bly on Tomlinson on a third-down screen pass … but Nate Kaeding connects on the subsequent field goal. The penalty proves costly, and the Broncos trail 3-0.

5:27 P.M. PST: Kaeding kicks off to Andre Hall, who gets up to the Denver 34-yard-line … Two outstanding kickoff returns so far by the Broncos, one each by Martinez and Hall. Might have something with that combo back there.

5:29 P.M. PST: Broncos go backwards … False start pushes Denver back to its 29… Selvin Young gets four of the five yards back.

5:31 P.M. PST: Selvin Young goes left for a loss of one yard but Matt Lepsis grabs Shawne Merriman’s face mask as Young moves past … The officials rule that Lepsis’ grab was of the 15-yard variety, even though he seemed to grab it and quickly let go.

5:33 P.M. PST: Penalties piling up now … three for 35 yards … and Paul Ernster’s first punt upon his return sails out of bounds at the San Diego 44 — a 17-yard punt.

5:37 P.M. PST: Broncos force the Chargers into third-and-8 … but it goes for naught as Rivers finds Chris Chambers up the left sideline for 30 … Chambers had beaten Bly by a couple of steps.

5:38 P.M. PST: Jeromey Clary tackled D.J. Williams in the backfield … that ought to get you holding every time, and it does there. Chargers at the Denver 22.

5:41 P.M. PST: Two plays later … touchdown … Tomlinson scoots left for 20 yards … towels twirl and the Broncos trail, 10-0.

5:43 P.M. PST: Another solid return by Hall, and the Broncos start at their 32 … Hall has two returns for 57 yards; Martinez has one for 35 — a collective average of 30.7 yards per return.

5:44 P.M. PST: Travis Henry checks in and gains five yards on his first carry of the night … but then on the next play gets overrun as he tries to pick up Clinton Hart on a safety blitz. Broncos now in third-and-14 at their 28.

5:45 P.M. PST: Tony Scheffler with a splendid reception … Cutler’s third-down pass was behind him, but he reached back to make the grab and run another 12 yards to the Denver 45 for the 17-yard gain.

5:46 P.M. PST: After a one-yard gain, the Broncos will begin the second quarter in second-and-9 at their 46.