SAN DIEGO - In any other blowout, Philip Rivers might have gotten the chance to make his NFL debut.

Not in this one. Even the rookie knew that Drew Brees deserved to finish the gem he started.

Brees was practically perfect Sunday, throwing a career-high five touchdown passes and setting team records for passing efficiency in leading the surprising San Diego Chargers to a 42-14 rout of the sad-sack Oakland Raiders.

"It was fun," said Brees, who continued his remarkable turnaround from last year's nightmare. "It felt like we could run anything in our base offense and we knew it was going to work. We had that confidence."

Brees completed his first eight passes to quiet the thousands of Raiders fans in the stadium, and finished 22-of-25 for 281 yards and no interceptions. He set team records with his 88-percent completion rate and 153.1 passer rating. The highest rating a quarterback can have is 158.3.

"Drew's on fire," star running back LaDainian Tomlinson said.

If Brees had played like this last year, the Chargers wouldn't have needed to spend a No. 1 pick and $40 million on Rivers.

Brees is doing his best to keep Rivers on the sideline. And because this is the last year of his contract, he could present the front office with a dilemma if he keeps playing well.

Coach Marty Schottenheimer planned to take Brees out in the final minutes, but said Rivers told him: "Coach, the way he is playing, let him finish."

The Chargers made Brees the scapegoat for an NFL-worst 4-12 season in 2003, a move that backfired when Rivers, obtained in a draft-day deal with the New York Giants for Eli Manning and a handful of picks, missed the first month of training camp in a contract holdout, allowing Brees to keep his job.

Brees said his motivation is to keep winning games and a championship, not to prove people wrong.

"I play for this team," he said. "Obviously I love the game and feel we have something special. I want more than anything for it to keep going."

The Chargers are 5-3 at the season's midpoint and tied for the AFC West lead with Denver, which lost to Atlanta.

Brees has 14 touchdown passes against just three interceptions this year, compared to his 15 interceptions and 11 TDs last year. His previous best for touchdown passes in a game was three, which he did three times.

He hit tight end Antonio Gates with scoring passes of 5 yards and 1 yard on consecutive drives in the third quarter to give the Chargers a 42-7 lead. The second scoring pass to Gates came on fourth down, and the former Kent State basketball star spiked the ball through the uprights.

"We all trust Drew," Gates said. "Right now, he's the captain of the ship. He's making this offense click."

The Raiders (2-6) lost their fifth straight and for the 13th straight time on the road. Kerry Collins was intercepted twice - giving him 11 in 51/2 games since replacing the injured Rich Gannon - and the Raiders were held to 22 yards rushing.

"It is real simple - we are not a good football team," said cornerback Charles Woodson, who re-injured his hip.

The Raiders have lost 16 of their last 20 games.

"We just got flat embarrassed," defensive lineman Warren Sapp said. "For some reason, we just can't turn this vibe off."

Brees' first three TD passes Sunday went 17 yards to tight end Justin Peelle in the first quarter, and 13 yards to Keenan McCardell and 23 yards to Tim Dwight in the second. The Chargers led 28-7 at halftime.

Tomlinson, slowed the last four games by a strained groin, scored on a 1-yard dive over the pile for a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. He finished with 71 yards on 19 carries.

Tyrone Wheatley scored on a 5-yard run in the second quarter and Collins threw a 13-yard TD pass to Doug Jolley in the fourth for the Raiders. Collins was 24-of-39 for 263 yards.