JUST LIKE HE DREW IT UP COWBOYS' BLEDSOE IS THE TOP GUNSLINGER IN BATTLE OF QBS DALLAS 28, SAN DIEGO 24.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

SAN DIEGO - Both quarterbacks opened the NFL season Sunday with something to prove, the Chargers' young Drew Brees hoping to show he's not a one-year wonder, the Cowboys' old Drew Bledsoe needing to show he's got one more good year in him.

So far, at least, it's Bledsoe who's the Can-Drew Guy.

San Diego, beginning the defense of its first division title in a decade, and Dallas, hoping for a turnaround in coach Bill Parcells' third season, traded the lead back and forth for 57 minutes at Qualcomm Stadium in a game of mistakes and officials' flags and second-guesses.

And so it came down to dueling Drews and the final drives.

With 8:32 to play and trailing by three points, Bledsoe got the ball at the Chargers' 44 after a bad punt. He was just about perfect from there, capping the drive with a third-down lob to Keyshawn Johnson in the left side of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown pass that gave the Cowboys the lead.

With 3:01 on the clock and needing to coax a touchdown out of the Antonio Gates-less offense, Brees got the ball at the Chargers' 34 after the kickoff. He got into Cowboys territory, but only one of his next eight passes went for gains, the threat ending with an end-zone interception by Aaron Glenn.

Ballgame. Cowboys, 28-24. A nice surprise for the many Dallas fans in the crowd of 67,679, a hint that it's not 2004 anymore for the tanned and ready San Diegans.

Bledsoe reacted like a 33-year-old who doesn't isn't sure how many more of these he has in him after being released by Buffalo and signed by his old coach, Parcells.

``I told (tight end) Jason Witten when we stepped in the huddle (before the final touchdown play), 'I live for this stuff,' '' Bledsoe said. ``To have a close game, to have it come down to the last couple plays, and to win it. That's the best feeling in the world.''

Bledsoe completed 18 of 24 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns (two to Keyshawn) and didn't throw an interception, although his old nemesis, the sack, got him four times. A fourth-quarter throw to Terry Glenn put Bledsoe over 40,000 yards passing for his career, making him the 10th NFL quarterback to reach that milestone.

``I'd like to think there was some trust (by his new teammates) coming in,'' Bledsoe said. ``But this will reinforce it.''

Brees reacted like a 26-year-old who knows a lot of skeptics are expecting him to fall back to earth after a breakthrough fourth professional season.

``If you want to put it on someone, put it on me,'' Brees said. ``We had the ball at the (7)-yard line, and we didn't complete a pass.''

Brees finished 18 of 35 for 209 yards, two touchdowns (both to Keenan McCardell) and two interceptions.

Now, there's more than one reason the Chargers lost Sunday.

Things might have been different if the Chargers hadn't rashly suspended Antonio Gates, their Pro Bowl tight end, after a contract dispute. Things might have been different if the Chargers had found a way to get the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson, their great running back, on any of their last 10 plays in the face of the Cowboys' blitz. Things might have been different if penalties - goofs by the Chargers or the officials, you choose - hadn't bailed out the Cowboys after a three third-down stops in the second half.

Things would have been different if the Chargers could have consistently stopped a Cowboys offense that distinguished itself early with five plays in a row that went for penalties and sacks.

Gates is one option Brees would have liked to have had on that final drive, when his last eight passes included two minus-yardage completions, four incompletions and an interception, all wrapped around the 33-yard connection with McCardell that put the Chargers on the 7 with every chance to win.

With Gates out there, the Cowboys wouldn't have been so eager to blitz, and without the blitz Tomlinson gets the ball down near the goal line.

As it was, Tomlinson finished with 72 yards on 19 carries and a first-quarter touchdown that gave him at least one in 13 consecutive games, tying John Riggins' and George Rogers' NFL record.

``They brought the blitz like they had no regard for the passing game,'' Tomlinson said when he was asked how much Gates was missed.

The Chargers are trying to do it again with a virtually unchanged roster. There were only two new faces in the starting 22 Sunday - Justin Peelle filling in for Gates and Bhawoh Jue replacing free safety Jerry Wilson. This in a city that, since last football season, has changed mayors three times.

Of course, the biggest change around here was noted this week when Fox network analyst Troy Aikman observed that the Chargers would pose a real ``test for the Cowboys.'' Nine years out of 10, it's the other way around.

We'll see about this year. The quarterbacks might tell the tale.

Can Brees repeat his magical 2004 if he's forced to do more this time than drive a well-oiled machine? The Chargers' Drew is off to a bumpy start.

Can Bledsoe recapture his old glory in an offense with youngsters Witten and running back Julius Jones? The Cowboys' Drew just did.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) OLD-TIMER'S DAY

Veteran Drew Bledsoe rallies the Dallas Cowboys past Drew Brees and the San Diego Chargers 

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

(2) Drew Bledsoe, left, greets Keyshawn Johnson after they combined for a TD pass Sunday.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Box:

40,000 CLUB