SEATTLE _ Before Sunday, coach Anthony Lynn talked about the Los Angeles Chargers' needing an opponent like Seattle as a sort of barometer.
Consider Lynn's team to be on the rise.
The Chargers rode the running of Melvin Gordon, the efficiency of Philip Rivers and the overall stellar play of their defense to a 25-17 victory.
The win was their fifth straight and put them at 6-2 at the halfway point of their 16-game schedule.
Gordon finished with 113 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries after missing the Chargers' previous game with a hamstring injury. He was limited in practice early last week before being a full participant Friday.
Rivers completed 13 of 26 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns, one each to Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams.
Desmond King's 42-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final seven minutes gave the Chargers room to exhale briefly.
In the final two minutes the Seahawks scored to close within eight points. They then moved to the Chargers' 1-yard line on a pass interference penalty on Michael Davis on what would have been the final play of the game.
The infraction allowed Seattle one untimed down from the 1. After a false start penalty on the Seahawks, Russell Wilson's final pass fell incomplete.
The Chargers now have limited each of their past four opponents to fewer than 20 points.
Rookie safety Derwin James and linebacker Jatavis Brown finished with a team-high 11 tackles apiece. Jahleel Addae, Isaac Rochell, Damion Square and Melvin Ingram each had sacks.
By winning, the Chargers also overcome another shaky day by kicker Caleb Sturgis, who missed two more extra points and a field goal.
The Chargers entered the game well aware of the success Seattle has had running the ball this season. Then, on the first series, they saw the Seahawks rush nine times during a 13-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown.
Russell Wilson passed 10 yards to Jaron Brown for the score, but the running primarily of Chris Carson put Seattle in position to reach the end zone.
Carson later suffered a hip injury and finished the game with 40 yards on eight rushes, his absence aiding the Chargers' defensive fortunes.
The Chargers' offense responded in the most effective way possible, particularly given the noise that was thundering throughout CenturyLink Field at the time. They went 94 yards in 10 plays for their first touchdown.
Rivers passed 12 yards to Tyrell Williams for the score, Williams' fourth in the past three games.
Sturgis, however, missed the extra point, continuing his rough season. The veteran began Sunday having missed four extra points and that's after sitting out the past two games because of a quadriceps injury.
Sturgis missed another conversion later. The Chargers have rookie Michael Badgley on their practice squad and could make a change before playing at Oakland next weekend.
The Chargers took the lead for good on their next possession, going 88 yards in only four plays. All 88 of the yards actually came on two plays.
Rivers and Keenan Allen hooked up for 54 yards immediately before Gordon ran 34 runs for the touchdown.
This time, Lynn decided to go for the 2-point conversion, but Rivers couldn't connect with Antonio Gates.
As the defense tightened up _ limiting Seattle to three punts and a missed field goal _ the Chargers offense produced its third touchdown of the first half.
Mike Williams finished a five-play, 65-yard drive with a 30-yard reception, tiptoeing down the sideline and into the end zone.
Sturgis made that extra point to push the score to 19-7.
The Seahawks made it 19-10 at the half on 44-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski.
