SAN DIEGO — There's still some magic left in Doug Flutie's 39-year-old body.

        With San Diego on the verge of losing its grudge match with Buffalo, Doug Flutie scored on a 13-yard dash with 1:10 remaining to give the Chargers a 27-24 win over the Bills on Sunday.

        The game wasn't decided until Ed Ellis blocked Jake Arians' 44-yard field-goal attempt with 7 seconds left.

        But it was Flutie's play that kept Buffalo from giving its owner the win he so badly wanted against a Chargers team loaded with ex-Bills.

        After the Bills went ahead 24-20 on rookie Travis Henry's 3-yard run, Ronney Jenkins returned the kickoff 72 yards and had another 13 yards tacked on for a taunting call against Brian Moorman.

        On the first play from scrimmage, Flutie dropped back to pass but the pocket began to collapse. Phil Hansen got a hand on Flutie's leg, but he broke free and scrambled toward the end zone, diving in for the go-ahead score as the towel-waving crowd went wild.

        Bills owner Ralph Wilson said last spring that he'd rather beat the Chargers this year than win the Super Bowl. It must have galled him that his team was beaten by the quarterback sent packing from Buffalo last Feb. 28.

        Wilson was angry because John Butler surfaced as San Diego's general manager 17 days after he was fired as Buffalo's GM last winter. Not only did Butler bring four other front-office employees with him, but he signed Flutie, Marcellus Wiley and linebackers Sam Rogers and John Holecek as free agents.

        Rob Johnson, who feuded with Flutie for three seasons in Buffalo, led the Bills (1-5) on a 68-yard drive in the closing minutes. Henry scored with 1:30 to go, breaking the plane as he lay on a pile of blockers. Instant replay upheld the call, and the Bills kicked off.

        But there was still enough time for the Chargers (5-2) and Flutie, who turned 39 on Tuesday.

        Flutie also threw one touchdown pass, finishing 21-of-33 for 254 yards and no interceptions. Johnson, knocked out of the game briefly in the third quarter, was 24-of-37 for 310 yards and one TD, with one interception.

        San Diego led 13-10 early in the fourth quarter when Johnson, on third-and-17 from his 16, was pressured by Leonardo Carson and badly missed Eric Moulds. Jason Perry picked it off and raced in for a 37-yard touchdown and a 20-10 lead.

        Johnson came right back, though, and threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Peerless Price, who got behind rookie cornerback Tay Cody, to pull to 20-17.

       
       Buffalo ....... 0 10 0 14—24 San Diego ....... 10 3 0 14—27 First Quarter

        SD—FG Richey 37, 9:16.

        SD—F.Jones 1 pass from Flutie (Richey kick), 1:59.
       Second Quarter

        SD—FG Richey 25, 14:11.

        Buf—R.Johnson 1 run (Arians kick), 6:58.

        Buf—FG Arians 41, 0:00.
       Fourth Quarter

        SD—Perry 37 interception return (Richey kick), 10:34.

        Buf—P.Price 61 pass from Johnson (Arians kick), 10:11.

        Buf—Henry 3 run (Arians kick), 1:30.

        SD—Flutie 13 run (Richey kick), 1:10.

        A—63,698.

        ———
       INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

        RUSHING—Buffalo, R.Johnson 11-67, Henry 10-24, Centers 3-10, Morris 1-4. San Diego, Tomlinson 16-76, Flutie 2-12, Fletcher 2-7.

        PASSING—Buffalo, R.Johnson 24-37-1-310, Van Pelt 2-2-0-6. San Diego, Flutie 21-33-0-254.

        RECEIVING—Buffalo, P.Price 8-151, Moulds 7-70, Riemersma 4-74, Centers 4-8, Henry 2-8, Black 1-5. San Diego, Conway 9-120, Fletcher 4-44, Graham 3-44, Dwight 2-32, F.Jones 2-5, Tomlinson 1-9.
       MISSED FIELD GOALS—Buffalo, Arians 45 (SH), 44 (BK). San Diego, Richey 36 (WR), 41 (WR).
       

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