Chargers Make Too Many Mistakes to Win

The Chargers made enough mistakes Sunday against the Houston Oilers to ruin the most statistically productive afternoon of Jim McMahon’s storied eight-year NFL career.

They committed 13 penalties for 117 yards. They turned the ball over five times without taking it away once. And for the second consecutive week, their special teams looked like the Keystone Cops.

As a result, the Chargers lost, 34-27.

McMahon passed for 389 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw three interceptions, one of which led to a Houston touchdown. The two fumbles by McMahon’s running backs also turned into Oiler touchdowns.

“We should have thrown for 500 yards today,” McMahon said.

The only other NFL game in which he has thrown for more than 300 yards was in 1987 against Denver. He lost on that day, too.

This was the second defeat in as many weeks for the Chargers, who have now allowed 74 points in two games. And it was witnessed by the smallest crowd for a home opener--42,013--since absentee owner Alex Spanos bought the team in 1984.

The Chargers still had a chance to win with 55 seconds left when Lester Lyles recovered Chris Bahr’s onside kick at the Charger 45 after wide receiver Anthony Miller’s second touchdown reception had cut the lead to seven.

But the officials ruled that Lyles had touched the ball before it traveled the required 10 yards. After prolonged delays and reviews, replay official Royal Cathcart upheld the original call. The Oilers promptly ran out the clock.

When the game was over, Charger Coach Dan Henning and Oiler Coach Jerry Glanville didn’t shake hands. Probably, they were too busy shaking their heads.

Henning had watched a 14-3 Charger lead turn into a 34-14 Houston advantage in less than two periods. Glanville had watched replay after replay after replay of the controversial onside kick shown on the stadium scoreboard screen.

“I don’t know,” Henning said. “One official said his final decision was our player touched the ball too early. He said our guy (Lyles) took off before the 45 and touched the ball before it went far enough. I can’t argue with his decision if that’s the way he saw it. But if that’s how he saw it, it shouldn’t have gone through two reviews.”

Charger defensive back Elvis Patterson insisted the officials shouldn’t have called so many penalties.

“I feel they should let us play football,” he said.

“When are they going to let the players get back to playing instead of the officials playing?” he added.

Houston, the most penalized team in the league last year and last week, committed eight penalties for 70 yards.

It was Patterson’s block of a Greg Montgomery punt that gave the Chargers the ball at the Houston one on the second play of the second period. Moments later, the first of rookie Marion Butts’ two one-yard touchdown bursts put the Chargers on top, 14-3.

The Chargers had taken the lead 10 minutes into the first period when McMahon found Miller uncovered on the left sideline. Miller faked out free safety Tracy Eaton at the Oiler 22 and raced into the end zone to complete a 63-yard play. Before that, the only scoring had been a 24-yard field goal by Tony Zendejas.

Patterson’s punt block was the only bright spot for beleaguered special teams Coach Joe Madden whose player or players:

--Allowed a 63-yard kickoff return on the opening kickoff.

--Roughed the Houston punter.

--Shanked a punt 14 yards out of bounds.

--Mishandled a snap that cost the Chargers an extra point.

Then there was the play on which return man Darryl Usher received a penalty when he grabbed an opponent’s face mask.

“We’ve just got to go back to work and make sure those things don’t kill us,” Henning said.

Houston’s Warren Moon finished with 21 completions in 35 attempts for 235 yards. The Chargers never sacked him. And, admitted defensive coordinator Ron Lynn, they didn’t expect the Oilers to stay in their run-and-shoot offense (featuring four wide receivers) for almost three fourths of the game.