Chargers Run but Can’t Hide in Final Quarter

For three periods Sunday, the Chargers beat the heavily favored Denver Broncos by running the ball against the league’s top-rated ground defense, hurrying Bronco quarterback John Elway to distraction and generally keeping their wits about them in the noise caldron that was Mile High Stadium.

Then, in the last 15 minutes, the Chargers beat themselves. This is what young teams with new quarterbacks and first-year coaches do in the NFL.

The final score was Denver 16, Chargers 10. And the loss cost the Chargers (2-3) a share of first place in the AFC West.

Denver (4-1) scored the winning touchdown on rookie Bobby Humphrey’s 17-yard burst up the gut with 1:03 remaining against an inside blitz that should have stopped him cold.

But free safety Vencie Glenn missed a tackle at the eight. Cornerback Elvis Patterson missed a tackle at the five. And Humphrey, who led everybody with 102 yards on 23 tries, dragged linebackers Gary Plummer and Leslie O’Neal across the goal line.

“One of the toughest losses I’ve ever been through,” said Charger defensive lineman Joe Phillips, who had one of his team’s three sacks. “Incredible. We gave the game away.”

“Today we were our own worst enemy,” said Tim Spencer, who led Charger rushers with 78 yards on 15 carries.

“Painful,” said utility back Dana Brinson, whose 52-yard punt return set up Marion Butts’ two-yard touchdown run off left tackle early in the third period, which gave the Chargers a 10-6 lead.

Butts took advantage of blocks by Spencer, guard Broderick Thompson and tackle Joel Patten to score his sixth touchdown and the first by the Charger offense in Denver since 1985. But it wasn’t enough.

“I hope we’re all crushed,” said Ron Lynn, the Charger defensive coordinator. “And I hope we all feel a little bit sick about coming that close.”

Here’s how close:

Midway through the final period, McMahon (10 of 19 for 116 yards) completed a 19-yard pass to Jamie Holland that would have given the Chargers a first down at the Denver 44.

But the officials called Patten for holding. “It was 50-50 on whether it was holding or not,” said Patten, who was playing on a sore knee. “But he made the call, and that makes it holding.”

Three plays later, Patten drew an illegal procedure penalty. Two plays after that, the Chargers had to punt.

With 3 1/2 minutes left, Burt Grossman, the Chargers’ rookie defensive end, jumped offside at the Bronco 33 on third and three. Elway’s “hard counts”--he has mastered a technique with which he changes the inflection in his voice while barking out signals--had drawn the Chargers offside all afternoon. But this one was the most costly.

“It’s totally legal,” Lynn said. “And our guy was offsides.”

But Lynn and Charger Coach Dan Henning thought Denver was offside on the same play. They didn’t like the lateness of the call. And they took particular exception when the officials needed a protracted conference to determine who to penalize.

“I don’t think you’re allowed to throw a flag after the whistle,” Henning said. “In fact, I’m sure of it.”

The official who made the call was head linesman Aaron Pointer. Oddly enough, Pointer’s sisters are, yes, the Pointer Sisters. All of which might give new meaning to the song, “Slow Hand.”

Elway would finish with 19 completions on 35 attempts for 199 yards. Three plays after Pointer’s call, Elway’s 17-yarder to tight end Orson Mobley lurched the Broncos into Charger territory.

Moments later, on fourth and one from the 37, Elway faked a dive play and handed back to Steve Sewell, who got outside the Chargers’ containment for seven yards. Two plays later, Humphrey’s touchdown put Denver ahead to stay.

“A guts call,” Lynn said of Sewell’s gain.

In the frantic final 15 minutes, the Chargers committed four of their 10 penalties. Spencer lost a fumble, recovered by Tyrone Braxton and leading to a David Treadwell field goal that made it 10-9. And, following the Humphrey touchdown, McMahon threw a third-down interception, his only one of the game.

The ball was supposed to go to wide receiver Anthony Miller. But afterward, McMahon said it was a “bad read” on his own part.

“Anthony isn’t supposed to go over the middle on that play,” he said.

But that’s where McMahon threw it. And Kip Corrington intercepted. The Chargers managed just 20 yards on their 11 third-down plays.

Their 211 yards of offense was a season low. But their 118 yards rushing was a season high.

“I think you can see from the scores around the league that anybody’s capable of beating you any time,” said Denver Coach Dan Reeves, who is now 51-13 at home. The Broncos’ latest winning streak at Mile High is eight. The Chargers have lost six of their past seven here.

Regardless of how Reeves meant his assessment, it was unflattering to the Chargers.

But they had earned it.

Charger Notes

Charger H-back Rod Bernstine strained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the second half and did not return. That’s the same knee that ended Bernstine’s season prematurely last year, but that was the anterior cruciate ligament and required surgery. Bernstine said Charger physicians told him this injury would not need an operation. “It’s just very sore,” Bernstine said. “And it was very scary.” He said he will probably be “doubtful” for next Sunday’s home game against Seattle. . . . The score at halftime was 6-3, Denver. The Broncos got 46- and 18-yard field goals in the second period from David Treadwell. Charger Chris Bahr kicked a 39-yarder in the first quarter. . . . The Chargers’ two inactive players Sunday were both injured starters--wide receiver Quinn Early (knee) and right cornerback Sam Seale (shoulder). Gill Byrd moved from left corner to right, and Elvis Patterson took Seale’s spot on the left side. Jamie Holland started for Early and didn’t catch a pass. . . . Treadwell’s 54-yard attempt that fell short on the last play of the first half was his first missed field goal of the year. He had made 11 in a row before that and entered the game as the AFC’s leading scorer. . . . Rookie Marion Butts was barely touched on his two-yard touchdown run. “The hole was huge,” Butts said. “It was so huge I almost fell going through.” How huge was it? If he had fallen, he still would have scored. . . . Versions differed on Charger running back Tim Spencer’s fourth-quarter fumble. Tyrone Braxton, the Bronco who recovered, said linebacker Karl Mecklenburg stripped the ball. Spencer said: “As I was struggling to go forward, the ball came out.” . . . Before Sunday, the Chargers had outscored their opponents, 37-12, in the final period. But Denver beat them, 10-0, in the fourth quarter. . . . Byrd’s third period interception, his fourth of the year, was the eighth by the Chargers in the past three games. . . . Right outside linebacker Simon Fletcher, the NFL’s sack leader after four games, made one tackle and zero sacks against the Chargers.

* DAVE DISTEL

When Bronco quarterback John Elway talked, the Chargers listened--and lost. Page 15A.