Meet San Diego -- the new team to beat in the NFL

DENVER -- The San Diego Chargers aren't just the best team in their division. They may be the best team in football.

Philip Rivers has become an efficient young leader for San Diego. (Getty Images)

Yeah, I know Chicago has a better record. Indianapolis does, too, and it plays in the same conference as the Chargers. But look what's happening with San Diego. It just pulled off its second straight come-from-behind victory -- this one a 35-27 decision over Denver -- and is gaining momentum when it matters most.

The Chargers have the best player in the game. They have the best tight end, too. And they have a quarterback, Philip Rivers, that is developing so rapidly that, after his latest heroics, coach Marty Schottenheimer mentioned him in the same sentence with Joe Montana.

"He never thinks about the last play," Schottenheimer said.

That's too bad, because the last play usually is one worth remembering with San Diego. A week ago Rivers rallied the Chargers from a 28-7 halftime deficit to a 49-41 victory. Do the math, and that's 42 second-half points ... on the road, no less.

Now fast forward to Denver, where San Diego almost never wins. It had dropped its last six straight and 10 of its last 11 at Mile High. Hey, 17 of the past 19 were won by the Broncos here. And the trend looked to continue when San Diego fell behind 24-7 in the third period.

But this is not Martyball, people. Martyball is dead, may it rest in peace.

These are your new, improved and division-leading Chargers, and they ended the game with touchdowns on their last four possessions -- with running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who will shatter all scoring records this year, producing three of his four TDs in that stretch.

There's no need to talk about L.T. He's the game's best back, and he's its best player. He has 19 touchdowns in his last six games, and there's no reason to believe he's going to stop soon. Hey, he hadn't run for more than 75 yards in any of his five games in Denver prior to Sunday and had a grand total of two TDs.

Then he broke loose for 105 yards and four scores.

"I think he's as fresh and as ready to play as at any time I remember since I've been coaching him," Schottenheimer said.

Oh, great. That means he's just getting warmed up. But the man has a point. Look at what Tomlinson's done lately. Sunday's game was his fourth straight 100-yard performance, something he had never accomplished in his career, and his third game this season with four touchdowns.

Schottenheimer thinks it has something to do with cutting back his reps in practice. Maybe. I don't know. What I do know is that the Chargers have a weapon that Indianapolis and Chicago do not.