NFL: Winless Chargers Grounded By QB Controversy, Injuries

By Steve Bowles

It's a shame that a team with such talented players as Junior Seau, Freddie Jones, Rodney Harrison and Neil Smith can be 0-7, but if their performance against a tough Bills team last week is any indication, this is a better team than they've shown thus far. They hung in admirably in that Buffalo game, only to lose it in overtime as a result of Steve Christie's 29-yard game-ending field goal. The Chargers had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, only to let it slip away. Chargers QB Jim Harbaugh threw a crucial interception and Doug Flutie led the Bills on a 31-yard drive culminated by a Christie 46-yard field goal.

The ol' injury bug reared its ugly head again; the Chargers lost two defensive backs (Mike Dumas and Reggie Rusk) and starting DT (Mike Mohring) during the course of the game, so it left them in a precarious situation.

QB Controversy: Three's a Crowd For the Chargers this season, it has been one thing after another. First off, the biggest bust in the NFL, Ryan Leaf, who was considered to be one of the top quarterbacks of the 1998 draft. After a great start, winning his first two career starts, he went south, finishing the '98 season with a 45.3% completion rate, just two TD passes and 15 interceptions, then made more news with his off-season behavior. His actions earned him a four-week suspension during the '99 season, a lost season due to a shoulder injury.

Next, a serious quarterback controversy that has left second-year head coach Mike Riley without an option besides rotating his three QBs-Leaf, Harbaugh and Moses Moreno-during the course of a single game. And since Leaf has recently gone down with a wrist injury, Riley can do nothing but throw his hands in the air.

"That's been probably the biggest factor for our team is lack of consistency of who the quarterback has been," Riley said, according to AP's Bernie Wilson. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I don't have to be committal right now." To make things worse, going into last week's action the Charger QBs had committed 14 turnovers, including 12 interceptions.

The Chargers are off to their worst start since 1975, when they lost their first 11 games before chalking up a victory. Things don't get easier for them after the Buffalo game. Following their bye this week, they will go up against Oakland, (at) Seattle, Miami, and (at) Denver.

The Quarterback of the Future? Coach Riley has a decision to make: To keep Leaf or cast him off. The embattled quarterback will likely be back for the Oct. 29 matchup against the Seahawks in Seattle, and will figure to see extensive playing time in the season's final nine weeks. How he performs in those opportunities will give Riley an accurate perception in how Leaf fits into the scheme of things; either he plays well and is rewarded with a new contract (his current one expires after 2001) or he stinks it up and is traded/released.

And if Leaf gets hurt again? Then here we go again.

It's Not Their Receivers! Remember the Chicago Bears team in 1995 that ran over their NFC Central competition enroute to a division title? They boasted two high-octane wide receivers: Curtis Conway and Jeff Graham, who that year became the first duo in Bears history to post 1,000+ yards receiving in the same season. Today, both Conway and Graham play for the Chargers, and are doing well; Conway has 287 receiving yards on 21 receptions, Graham has 369 receiving yards on 25 catches. The downside is that they have just three touchdowns between them, but that's a direct result of the numerous turnovers by the QBs. Proof that if the QBs can hit their targets, this could be a dangerous offense.

Where to Go From Here Obviously, this is a lost season for the Chargers, but a lot of what their future holds in their quarterbacking corps. Jim Harbaugh was brought in this year to add veteran stability and to offer advice to youngsters Leaf and Moreno. Coach Riley has a lot of work to do concerning the development of these two, but it is all dependant on whether or not Leaf gets his head on straight and demonstrates the necessary work ethic to recover from his injuries, and whether or not Moreno can just keep himself healthy.

If you're a Chargers fan, don't worry! You're days of glory are just ahead.

Article courtesy of www.4thandlong.net