Herrmann Hopes to Prove the Chargers Can Survive Life Without Fouts

It’s a day of firsts for the Chargers: the first start by Mark Herrmann, the first look at Gary Anderson and the first game under defensive coordinator Dave Adolph.

The Chargers have a pretty good idea what life without Dan Fouts can be like, but Herrmann hopes to alter that impression this afternoon when he makes his first start in a game against the Seattle Seahawks in the Kingdome.

Herrmann, who will be the No. 1 quarterback until Fouts returns from a knee injury, will get assistance from Anderson, the new running back who just signed a $2 million contract and reported to the team Monday.

Meanwhile, the team’s defense, which had been yielding so much yardage that Tom Bass was relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator, makes its debut under Adolph.

The Chargers will be trying to atone for a 49-35 loss to the Seahawks in the season’s second game. It was a 28-point explosion by Seattle in the third quarter that started the San Diego defense on a disastrous downward spiral which Bass was not able to stop.

Things got even worse last Sunday when Fouts, who was off to his best start ever, suffered a disabling knee injury in the first quarter. He will be out from three to six weeks.

The loss of Fouts puts Herrmann on the spot. Even though he had fairly respectable statistics, he threw two costly interceptions and was unable to produce a touchdown.

Herrmann, who was once a heralded passer at Purdue, had a healthy dose of pressure in the preseason when he didn’t get a chance to play until the final half of the final exhibition game.

With only 30 minutes to show what he could do, Herrmann directed the Chargers to three touchdowns and thus was able to dislodge Bruce Mathison and become the Chargers’ backup quarterback.

With that performance behind him, Herrmann is not totally intimidated by the prospect of what he faces today.

“There was a lot of pressure in that exhibition game,” he said. “I was nervous because I only had 30 minutes to win the job.

“I know I’m going to be nervous today, too, but I hope I can perform close to the level that Dan would. It helped to have a week of practice to get keyed into the things I have to do.”

Herrmann, making his first start since an appearance as a member of the Indianapolis Colts against San Diego last year, said he hopes his teammates can forget about Fouts and move forward.

“This is a pivotal game for us and we have to think positively,” he said. “I think you’ll see us sticking with the things that worked for us in the first four games. We won’t be changing the offense a lot.”

One change will be the addition of Anderson, the highly regarded acquisition from the United States Football League’s Tampa Bay Bandits. The Chargers haven’t indicated how much he will play, in part to keep the Seahawks off guard.

Another new weapon is second-year running back Buford McGee, activated this week after missing all of the preseason and the first four games with a hamstring injury.

The Seahawks have lost two straight games since their conquest of the Chargers, and Coach Chuck Knox is morose.

“We simply aren’t a very good team right now,” he said. “Our defense has been giving up a lot of points, we haven’t run the ball well, we’ve made 12 turnovers in the last two games and we’ve played musical chairs with our punters.

“Of course, we haven’t been coaching very well, either. I’m the coach, so the buck stops with me.”

The Chargers will be more concerned about stopping quarterback Dave Krieg, running back Curt Warner and wide receiver Daryl Turner, none of whom they could handle in the first meeting.