Day of Ups and Downs Ends Well for James

There were times Sunday when Lionel James felt like looking for the nearest escape hatch in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

But there also were times when things couldn’t have been better, and the elevator ride that ended happily for him was typical of the route taken by the Chargers in their 27-24 overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns.

One big reason for the Chargers’ 6-1 record is their refusal to be deterred by adversity. Such was the case Sunday.

They let two early leads slip away, blew one opportunity after another, and eventually fell 10 points behind. Somehow, though, they prevailed.

So it was with James, the fourth-year wide receiver who is 5-feet 6-inches, 170-pounds. He made some mistakes, and was quick to acknowledge them, but scored two touchdowns and emerged as one of the heroes of the Chargers’ sixth straight victory.

Consider this log of James’ ups and downs:

Up--With 1:05 played in the first quarter, ran 15 yards for a touchdown.

Down--In the second quarter, dropped a key third-down pass.

Up--On the first series of the second half, caught a pass for 46 yards.

Down--Late in the third quarter, fumbled and lost the ball on the Chargers’ 20-yard line.

Down--After fielding a punt early in the fourth quarter, threw an errant lateral that went out of bounds.

Down--Four plays later, was called for offensive interference in catching a pass, nullifying a 25-yard gain to the Browns’ 21.

Up--Four plays later, caught a 22-yard touchdown pass that cut the Browns’ lead to 24-21 with 5:08 left in regulation.

After that, kicker Vince Abbott, who had two earlier misses, completed the Chargers’ turnaround with two field goals. He tied the the score with 1:46 left, and kicked the game-winner after 2:16 of the extra period.

In the Chargers’ locker room afterward, the broad smile on James’ face gave meaning to the Shakespearean words, “All’s well that ends well.”

Asked about the many twists his fortunes had taken, James said, “The bad things I did hit me pretty hard, especially when I fumbled. I wanted to get to the bench as fast as I could, and when I got there, I couldn’t wait to go back in and redeem myself.”

James then detailed some of the highlights and low lights of his strange afternoon:

His first touchdown: “I lined up as a running back (which he used to be) in our three-back offense. It was an option play, and they committed to Gary Anderson and not to me.”

His dropped pass: “That was inexcusable. I was in between a catch and a run. I tried to run before I caught it.”

His catch for 46 yards: “It was kind of a pick play, and we caught them in man-to-man coverage. Dan Fouts had been passing into the flat, so they were in hot pursuit in that direction, and I went down the middle and got open.”

His fumble: “I didn’t tuck the ball away. I was in between a tuck and a run, and the guy (Carl Hairston) knocked it out of my hand.”

His misdirected lateral: “I just overthrew him (Jamie Holland). The The punt took me all the way to the sideline, so I had to throw it 50 yards. I’m not used to being on that end of 50-yard passes.”

His offensive interfence call: “Their cornerback, Frank Minnifield, and I were wrestling as we went downfield. I wasn’t that surprised, but it could have gone either way.”

His second touchdown: “I ran a normal corner route, and Dan threw it right where their man (Chris Rockins) couldn’t get to it. I wasn’t the primary receiver. Wes Chandler was. But Wes was covered underneath, so Dan went to me over the top, and Rockins fell down. Maybe he got his feet tangled; I don’t know, but I saw the ball coming and he didn’t.”

Summing up a day he won’t soon forget, James said: “This was the ultimate test for us. It was the type of game that builds character. I’m just glad that, in spite of everything that happened, I was able to help us win.”