Chargers’ Offense Is Still Sputtering in Regular Season

No one paid any attention when the Chargers sputtered on offense in the preseason.

It’s almost expected that the yardage and scoring will be minimal in exhibitions, because Don Coryell doesn’t want to give away any new wrinkles in the works for the games that count.

This year was no exception, with Coryell employing a straight vanilla version of his offense, and trying to find a backup quarterback as well.

It was supposed to be different Sunday, when the Chargers opened the regular season at Buffalo. And, for one drive, the opening drive, it was.

The Chargers needed but nine plays to negotiate 70 yards and take a 7-0 lead. Press box pundits and armchair quarterbacks had every reason to suspect three or four more touchdowns would follow before the humid afternoon was done.

But it didn’t happen. The Chargers scored but one more touchdown and, as Coryell himself observed, were fortunate to escape upstate New York with a 14-9 win that owed more to the defense than the offense.

After reviewing the films, Coryell was less than enchanted Monday.

“Overall, I was very disappointed with the way we played offensively, except for that first drive,” he said.

“We have to iron out the little things that stop drives. We can’t goof up and stop ourselves like we did. We have to be better, and I think we will be better.”

Sharing top billing with the offensive problems was the status of kicker Rolf Benirschke, whose injured groin may sideline him for several weeks, according to Coryell.

It hasn’t been determined whether the Chargers will try to sign another kicker, such as Benny Ricardo, who replaced Benirschke for two games last year, or turn over all the kicking chores to rookie Ralf Mojsiejenko.

Coryell was pleased with the kickoffs and punting of Mojsiejenko, who averaged 46 yards on seven punts. Mojo also held for Benirschke’s two extra points, the first time in his career he had undertaken that chore.

The Chargers are still entertaining hopes of bolstering their offense with running back Gary Anderson of the Tampa Bay Bandits, who has been offered a contract by owner Alex Spanos. His agent, George Kalafatis, said last week the offer was “totally unacceptable” and added Anderson would not be pressured by a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline set by Spanos.

“I’m still waiting to hear something from him,” Spanos said Monday. “I’d love to have the kid, but I can only afford to pay so much.”

Spanos, like most observers, was less than thrilled with Sunday’s win at Buffalo.

“A win is a win,” he said. “At least it showed that we can win with the thing we’ve been working on hardest, our defense. I was real happy about that.”

The Chargers surrendered yardage in generous chunks to quarterback Vince Ferragamo and two primary receivers, Jerry Butler and Greg Bell, but managed to keep the Bills out of the end zone.

Cornerback Danny Walters was the favorite target of Ferragamo and Butler, and was benched late in the game in favor of John Hendy, who made a couple of important tackles in the last minute. Coryell indicated Monday that Walters likely would retain his starting job.

Walters was candid about his problems.

“I had a bad day and people seemed to realize that,” he said. “A couple of times I was there to make the play, but Butler uses his body extremely well. Just when you’re ready to go up for the ball, he sort of leans on you.”

Coryell is going to be leaning on his offense for more production as the Chargers prepare for this week’s home opener against Seattle.

He said he expects improvement from the offensive line, which has been weakened by injuries and hasn’t had much opportunity to work as a unit. Coryell praised the work of center Don Macek and said rookie tackle Jim Lachey did a representative job against Buffalo’s Bruce Smith, the first player taken in the 1985 draft.

Coryell expects more continuity from his offense, and fewer self-inflicted wounds. He recalled a fumbled exchange between Macek and quarterback Dan Fouts at the Buffalo 12-yard line that prevented the Chargers from possibly scoring the game-breaking touchdown late in the third quarter.

“We can’t afford to stop ourselves,” Coryell said. “We could have put the game away (if not for the fumble). We have to get better.”