Charger Notebook : Williams, Byrd Looking to Bag Pro Bowl Berths

Two years ago, when Charger defensive end Lee Williams was leading the American Football Conference in sacks, offensive players from the other 13 conference teams did not vote him a spot on the Pro Bowl squad.

“They robbed him,” Charger cornerback Gill Byrd said Monday. “Twice would be a little hard to swallow.”

Williams, currently tied with Buffalo’s Bruce Smith for first place in sacks in the AFC with 10, will find out Wednesday if history repeats itself. That’s when the National Football League is scheduled to release the results of Monday’s league-wide Pro Bowl balloting.

The way the voting works is this: Offensive players vote only for defensive players and vice versa. AFC players vote only for other AFC players; NFC only for other NFC players. Last year, three Chargers--tight end Kellen Winslow, punter Ralf Mojsiejenko and tackle Jim Lachey--were voted to the Pro Bowl team.

Lachey and Winslow no longer are Chargers. Mojsiejenko ranks second in AFC punting average behind Harry Newsome of Pittsburgh. Byrd, second among AFC cornerbacks with 6 interceptions, and Williams are the Chargers’ best hopes.

“But I won’t be bitter if I don’t make it,” Byrd said. “I’ve been lost, basically, in a maligned defense. I’ve thought about making the Pro Bowl, but I’ve never lost any sleep over it. The fact that San Diego is perceived around the league as a team with no defense hurts.

“And there have been injustices done around the league. I’ve heard about teams not voting for a player on another team because they want a player on their team at that position to make it.”

Said Williams: “I don’t know how I’m perceived around the league, but my peers know a little bit more about me this time.”

Each Pro Bowl roster will include two starting defensive ends and one reserve. Same at cornerback. One of the AFC starters at defensive end last year, Raider Howie Long, has been injured much of this season. Last year’s other AFC starter at defensive end was Smith. The reserve was Jacob Green of Seattle.

The three AFC Pro Bowl cornerbacks last year were Frank Minnifield and Hanford Dixon of Cleveland and Albert Lewis of Kansas City. The AFC interception leader among cornerbacks is Eric Thomas of Cincinnati with 7.

“I don’t know if Gill Byrd is a household name,” Charger defensive coordinator Ron Lynn said. “I don’t know if enough guys around the league are aware of what he’s done. But there isn’t anybody who’s worked any harder. There isn’t anybody who prepares any harder.”

Byrd has not allowed a touchdown pass since Week 2 in a game at Denver.

Upon further review, as they say in the NFL, Charger Coach Al Saunders still thinks referee Fred Silva made the correct call in whistling Steeler quarterback Bubby Brister for intentional grounding late in the Chargers’ 20-14 victory Sunday.

Brister protested with a string of obscenities and Silva tacked on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that moved the Steelers from their 32 to the 8.

“In the game I thought it was a great call,” Saunders said Monday. “When I looked at the films after the game, I thought it was really a good call. It was a legitimate call.

“And I think, because of the way Bubby responded to the call, it was a legitimate call to be unsportsmanlike conduct.”

After 15 weeks:

-- Charger running back Barry Redden has gained 23 yards in 17 carries. His longest run is 5 yards.

-- Redden has scored 1 more touchdown (3) than Charger running back Gary Anderson, who has rushed for 879 more yards than Redden.

-- The Chargers have sacked opposing quarterbacks 31 times. Charger quarterbacks have been sacked 31 times.

Charger Notes

The preliminary injury report for Sunday’s season finale against Kansas City: running back Lionel James (shoulder) and defensive end Leslie O’Neal (knee) are probable.