Chargers Use New Defensive Attitude, 20-0
When the Chicago Bears limited the Dallas Cowboys to two field goals in a 17-6 victory last Sunday in London, no one was shocked. After all, the Bears’ defense was the best in pro football last year--and arguably the best ever.
But there probably was not a soul on this side of the Atlantic--with the possible exception of Charger defensive coordinator Ron Lynn--who suspected that the Cowboys would come to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium and get shut out, 20-0, as happened Saturday night.
Lynn had predicted his defense would be “totally dominant” in its preseason debut, but he said it facetiously.
He had a lot of history on his side. The Chargers had not shut out an opponent in 98 regular-season games, dating back to a 35-0 win over New Orleans on Dec. 9, 1979. And they hadn’t held an exhibition opponent scoreless since an 0-0 game with Green Bay in 1980. Nature interceded in that last one, with a thunderstorm halting the game in the fourth quarter.
There was no divine intervention Saturday night.
“The D’s came to play,” Coach Don Coryell said of San Diego defenders. “They were crawling all over people. It has to give our guys more confidence.”
The shutout meant different things to different defenders.
To Lynn, the important thing was establishing an aggressive personality.
“We got pressure on their quarterbacks, chasing them out of the pocket and making them throw off rhythm,” Lynn said. “I’m sure we fouled up some things and didn’t run all our stunts correctly, but we had a lot of hurries and flushes and guys running to the ball, and that’s the personality we want to establish.”
The Chargers established their new defensive presence with three sacks in the first quarter. Earl Wilson, who has been overweight since training camp began, even had a ball thrown in his face by Dallas’ Danny White, prompting Lynn to quip: “Earl didn’t eat it cause there was no pepperoni on it.”
The Cowboys, naturally, were dismayed.
“Y’all have a sorry chore covering us tonight,” Coach Tom Landry told the assembled media. “We played a terrible game. It was agony to watch.”
Running back Tony Dorsett put it even more bluntly.
“It’s time for our people to start taking things seriously,” he said. “I am concerned. I am very upset.
“Seeing what I was seeing, it’s not too healthy. If I were the head coach, you’d see a lot of people scared. I’d take the Mike Ditka approach. The red flag should be thrown up right now. I think it’s time to panic.”
And when was the last time a Charger defense inspired such lamentation?
Linebacker Billy Ray Smith is entering his fourth year with the Chargers, and he had never seen an evening like this. “The last shutout I played in was at Arkansas when we beat TCU at Little Rock in 1982,” he said.
Still, he wasn’t entirely satisfied.
“We played well, but we have to get it refined,” he said. “We missed a couple of things tonight.” This was the debut of the Chargers’ new pressuring, penetrating defense, a scheme installed by Lynn at the behest of team owner Alex Spanos, who was fed up with the old bend-but-don’t-break approach.
Short of suiting up Richard Dent and Mike Singletary, the Charger defense couldn’t have looked much better.
As for offense, there was some of that, too.
The Charger passing game included 42-yard catches by Kellen Winslow and Gary Anderson and a 40-yard sliding reception by Timmie Ware.
Quarterback Dan Fouts completed four of 10 passes before yielding to Mark Herrmann, who looked poised and confident.
“Mark was good last year but he’s going to be even better this year,” Coryell said. “Heaven forbid that Dan should go down, but with Mark we have a guy who can win, not just finish out a game.”
Even while the Chargers were assembling a 20-0 lead, some of the most exciting moments of the first half were courtesy of the San Diego defense.
The Chargers sacked White three times in the first period alone, and the Dallas quarterback didn’t take the abuse too kindly.
Wilson and Fred Robinson dumped him the first time. Robinson and Chuck Ehin got to him again, and then Wilson burst into the Cowboy backfield and slung White to the dirt portion of the baseball infield.
The rough treatment seemed to irritate White, who got into a little scuffle with the newly svelte Wilson.
Wilson has been assessed nearly $3,000 in fines for reporting to training camp about 15 pounds more than his assigned limit of 275. Defensive line coach Gunther Cunningham may want to let Wilson stay at 280, his program weight for the Dallas game.
While the defense was manhandling the Cowboys, the Charger offense got in step after Fouts missed his first four passes.
Fouts tossed a 42-yard completion down the middle to Winslow to set up a 22-yard Rolf Benirschke field goal for the Chargers’ first score and first lead of the year.
Herrmann replaced Fouts at the beginning of the second quarter and quickly loosened up the Cowboy secondary.
After a sweep by Tim Spencer, he arched a 42-yard throw to Anderson at the Dallas 11. Spencer scored a couple of plays later to give the Chargers a 10-0 lead.
A short punt by ex-San Diego State kicker Mike Saxon gave the Chargers good position at their 46 to start the next series.
Herrmann needed just five plays to gain a 17-0 lead. A 20-yard pass to Pete Holohan was the key play in the drive.
Benirschke added a 32-yard field goal to provide the Chargers a 20-0 halftime cushion.
Herrmann left the lineup in the third quarter after completing seven of 10 passes for 133 yards.
He was replaced by Wayne Peace, who is battling Tom Flick for the No. 3 quarterback job.