Philip Rivers tied his career high with four touchdown passes and San Diego beat the Denver Broncos, 35-14, last night for their third straight victory.

While Rivers did it on a season-low 233 yards, San Diego’s defense, led by linebacker Shaun Phillips, settled in and harassed Denver’s Kyle Orton after he led an easy opening scoring drive.

Patrick Crayton scored on a 40-yard catch-and-run late in the second quarter, hurting his left wrist as he fell into the end zone, and speedy Darren Sproles had a 57-yard catch-and-run for a TD early in the third.

The four-time defending AFC West champion Chargers (5-5) even pulled off a fake punt, a remarkable accomplishment considering the special teams gaffes that contributed to a 2-5 start. Mike Scifres — who’s had five punts blocked this year — waited for fullback Mike Tolbert to get open, then hit him with a 29-yard pass that set up Rivers’s tying 6-yard scoring pass to Malcom Floyd in the first quarter.

Orton was coming off a four-touchdown performance in a 49-29 dismantling of Kansas City. The Chargers held him to 217 yards on 24-of-38 passing and sacked him five times.

Phillips had two sacks in the second quarter, including one when he chased down Orton as he tried to complete a flea-flicker.

Denver dropped to 3-7.