SAN DIEGO (AP) — Peyton Manning set a franchise record by throwing six interceptions, yet still had the Indianapolis Colts in position to win in the closing minutes.

Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson didn't do much at all and were lucky to walk off the field as winners.

"It was a very emotional and crazy game," Tomlinson said after the San Diego Chargers escaped with a 23-21 on a rainy Sunday night. "Offensively, we didn't have a part in winning this game."

Wet and wild, it was, especially after Adam Vinatieri pushed a 29-yard field goal attempt wide right with 1:31 left.

"I should make that kick every time," said Vinatieri, who won two Super Bowls for the New England Patriots with last-second kicks. "There are no good excuses. I just missed it."

Watching Vinatieri line up for the kick, "I almost had a heart attack," said San Diego's Darren Sproles, who electrified the crowd by returning the opening kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns.

After nearly blowing all of a 23-7 fourth-quarter lead, the Chargers could exhale.

"We were just trying to block it and pray that he misses it," said cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who picked off Manning three times.

"I mean, he could go out and kick a million in a row right now and probably wouldn't miss another one," said Rivers, who was booed toward the end of his awful night. "It was a weird game. Tons of crazy things in that game."

San Diego (5-4) took over sole possession of first place in the anemic AFC West.

The Colts (7-2), who started the season 7-0 before losing 24-20 to New England a week ago, scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in 23 seconds early in the fourth quarter to pull to 23-21.

"Losing two in a row is disappointing," said Manning, who worked without key starters Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark and Tony Ugoh.

Manning threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Kenton Keith on the first play of the fourth quarter and then a two-point conversion pass to Bryan Fletcher to close to 23-15.

On third-and-10 from the 8-yard line, Philip Rivers went back to pass and the ball slipped out of his hand and into the end zone. After a wild scramble, Colts linebacker Gary Brackett picked up the ball for a TD with 14:28 to play. Joseph Addai was stuffed on the two-point conversion attempt, and the Colts trailed by two points.

"That's one of the most disappointing games we've had since I've been here," coach Tony Dungy said. "For us to give up two kick returns for scores ... We just gave away too many points. It wasn't a good performance."

Manning's final pickoff, by safety Clinton Hart, came on a desperation pass as time ran out.

"It was poor quarterback play on my part," Manning said. "I take full responsibility for all of them."

Manning completed 34 of a career-high 56 attempts for 328 yards. Rivers was 13-of-24 for 104 yards and no touchdowns, with two pickoffs, for a career-low passer rating of 30.6.

Two weeks after breaking Johnny Unitas' franchise record of 287 touchdown passes, Manning passed the Hall of Famer again, but not in a way he'll want to remember. The previous franchise records for interceptions was five, done seven times, including four by Unitas. Manning had thrown just four interceptions coming into the game.

With two touchdown passes, Manning pushed his career total to 291 to pass Unitas and move into a tie for fifth with Warren Moon on the all-time list.

Sproles and Cromartie were nothing short of sensational.

Three Colts were left grasping air as Sproles returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a score, and no one had a decent shot on his 45-yard punt return until punter Hunter Smith missed at about the 1.

Cromartie was equally exciting as he filled in for injured cornerback Quentin Jammer. After getting zero picks as a rookie last year, Cromartie now leads the Chargers with six.

The third pickoff was a beauty. A week after scoring on the longest play in NFL history, a 109-yard return of a missed field goal at Minnesota, Cromartie burned Manning by reaching up with his right hand and pulling the ball down to his chest in one motion.

It was the 11th time a Chargers player had three interceptions in a game, and it set up Tomlinson's 4-yard TD run to make it 23-0.

"It means a lot coming against the best quarterback in the NFL," Cromartie said. "For me to pick off three passes, it's a great accomplishment."

Cromartie thought Manning was picking on him early on. "But I was just trying to cover my guy and make the plays."<

Notes:@ Tomlinson had 76 yards on 21 carries. ... Vinatieri missed a 42-yard field goal try as the second-quarter clock expired. ... Colts DE Dwight Freeney left in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury.