Chargers Don’t Get Their Kicks, Lose to Seahawks, 17-16

The Chargers are getting better at getting worse.

Last week in Denver, a fourth- quarter fumble cost them three points. Moments later, two defensive penalties led to seven more as they lost to the Broncos by six.

Sunday at home-bittersweet-home, they allowed the Seattle Seahawks to block an extra-point try and a field-goal attempt. Both in the final period. The extra point would have tied the game. The field goal would have won it.

Instead, the Chargers lost, 17-16.

“This,” said Charger defensive lineman Joe Phillips, “is as bad as it gets in my mind.”

It was pretty bad in the locker room, too. “It’s like we’re fighting ourselves, not the other team,” said free safety Vencie Glenn.

The defeat dropped the Chargers to 2-4 and into a two-way tie for last place in the AFC West. It was also their ninth loss in their last 10 games against Seattle (3-3), a team that hasn’t won a home game.

After Seahawk end Jeff Bryant looped inside and blocked Chris Bahr’s extra-point kick with 4:14 to play, the Chargers trailed by one. They got the ball back immediately when Lester Lyles stripped return man James Jefferson and David Brandon recovered.

But four plays later, Joe Nash also looped to block Bahr’s 51-yard attempt. It was the fifth field-goal block of Nash’s career, a Seahawk record. It was the team’s second of the year.

Also, Seattle blocked an extra-point kick against Phoenix the second week of the season.

“They block kicks as well as anybody in the league,” said Joe Madden, the Charger special teams coach.

Still, the Chargers would have gotten one more shot at a game-winning field goal if backup left tackle Joey Howard, subbing for the injured Joel Patten, hadn’t held linebacker Rufus Porter with 20 seconds to play. Howard’s hold nullified a Jim McMahon-to-Victor Floyd pass that would have given the Chargers a first down at the Seahawk 24.

“We made enough errors in the fourth quarter to lose two football games,” said Charger Coach Dan Henning.

McMahon, who finished with 25 completions in 39 attempts for 286 yards, said: “Just like last week.”