Carolina QB Cam Newton had a strong passing game Sunday in the Panthers' 31-7 win over the Chargers. (US Presswire)

The Panthers (5-9) continued their late season upward trend with a 31-7 trouncing of the Chargers (5-9) in San Diego on Sunday.

Panthers RB Mike Tolbert, a former Charger, put the game seemingly out of reach early with two 1-yard TD runs in a 3:35 span in the first quarter. His second TD capped off a short 21-yard drive that began with a lost fumble by Chargers QB Philip Rivers on a sack.

The Chargers O-line was missing three starters, and with the early lead the Panthers D-line was able to focus on the pass rush. Rivers had one of the most un-productive days of his career, completing 16 of 23 passes for just 121 yards and one TD. Rivers was sacked six times and turned the ball over twice on fumbles.

TE Antonio Gates provided the lone bright spot for the Chargers with an 8-yard TD reception at the start of the fourth quarter. The play marked his 81st career TD and placed Gates in a tie with WR Lance Alworth for the franchise record.

It was difficult for Gates to reflect on the accomplishment after such a poor team performance. “It’s a tough time,” Gates said. “To be mentioned in the same category with a guy like Lance, who paved the way for guys like myself and for guys before me, it’s definitely an honor to be in that situation and be among the elites.”

RB DeAngelo Williams was the Panthers' best weapon with 93 yards on the ground and two receptions for 51 yards. Williams gave the Panthers a 21-0 lead in the first quarter with a 45-yard catch-and-run TD off of a tipped ball. “I was able to pluck it out of the air and get down field,” Williams said. “There were a lot of great downfield blocks. All I had to do was run.”

QB Cam Newton demonstrated he is maturing into a quality game manager. He protected his lead by throwing no INTs, and his impact mainly came through the air; he only had four carries for seven yards. Newton completed 19 of 33 attempts for 231 yards and two TDs.

Newton believes he has grown from early season adversities that saw the Panthers lose several close games. “I’ve learned a lot,” Newton said. “It’s been a challenge for me, but I have been learning from a lot of different people how to become a complete leader."

When the game turned: Turner said he was unable to run his game plan after Tolbert reached the end zone for the second time. “Once you get to 14-0, it just maximized the matchup in a negative manner in terms of what we had with our offensive line and their front,” Turner said. “It was fairly obvious we struggled to do much with that matchup.”

Highlight moments: Williams made a slew of tacklers miss with his 45-yard TD.

Mathews done for season: RB Ryan Mathews’ day and season ended early with an injured left shoulder. After the game, it was determined Mathews had broken his left clavicle. Mathews suffered a broken right clavicle in preseason opener and missed the first two games of the regular season.

Top-shelf performances:

  • WR Steve Smith -- He was targeted 9 times and had six receptions for 57 yards and a TD to lead the Panthers receivers. Smith now has 1,056 receiving yards this season.

     
  • LB Thomas Davis -- Davis flew around the field and racked up nine of the Panthers' 38 solo tackles. He also added one assists for a total of 10 combined tackles.

     
  • RB Mike Tolbert -- Tolbert had season highs with 40 yards rushing and two TDs. He came into the day having only carried the ball 30 times for 90 yards with no TDs. Last year, Tolbert led the Chargers with 10 combined TDs (8 rushing, 2 receiving). By comparison, Chargers RB Ryan Mathews will finish this season with just one rushing TD.

What they said:

  • QB Cam Newton on his defense -- “There was a lot of help from our defense starting with unbelievable field position. We had a lot of 40s and 50s and sometimes even 30s (starting field position) which was big for our psyche to get momentum and finish the game out.”

     
  • TE Randy McMichael on the loss -- “When you get your ass kicked, hell yeah it feels bad. Losing sucks. Even when you lose by one point or how many points we lost today. It just sucks all the way around. No loss hurts more than the other to me. I think they all suck.”

     
  • Panthers coach Ron Rivera on Panthers improvement -- “Probably the biggest thing that has happened for us more than anything else is the confidence level with which we’re playing.”

Numbers you should know: RB Curtis Brinkley, who was re-signed on Wednesday, led the Chargers rushing attack with 42 yards on six carries. Brinkley was also the second leading receiver with three catches for 14 yards, and he led the Bolts' pathetic offensive performance with 56 combined yards.  

Injury update: Panthers -- OG Zack Williams tweaked a knee in pre-game warm-ups and did not play. Cam Newton played through a sore ankle and a cut finger. Chargers: RB Ryan Mathews (broken left clavicle), RT Reggie Wells (ankle and toe), WR Malcom Floyd (ankle) and ILB Takeo Spikes (hamstring).

Going forward: Chargers -- They travel to take on the Jets (6-7) on Dec. 23 before finishing the season at home against the Raiders (4-10) on Dec. 30. Panthers -- They close out the season by hosting the Raiders (Dec. 23) and then on the road against the Saints (6-8). Ron Rivera may be able to keep his job with a strong finish, but after Sunday's game the handwriting is on the wall that Turner’s days in San Diego are dwindling quickly.

Follow the Chargers and Dan McLellan on Twitter @CBSChargers and @sandiegosports.