Charger Offense Is No-Show in 20-13 Loss
The Chargers found out just how far they are from being a playoff contender in the National Football League Sunday.
They were overmatched, 20-13, by the New York Giants who were underwhelmed by the underdog Chargers.
If there is such thing as a seven-point route, this was it. The reason for the defeat was the Charger offense.
The Giants, led by quarterback Phil Simms (22 of 33 for 232 yards) and running back Ottis Anderson (27 carries, 96 yards) finished with 15 more first downs than the Chargers.
The Giant defense limited the Chargers to 51 yards rushing and a total of 179 yards, the Chargers’ lowest output of the season. The Chargers converted just one of 11 third-down opportunities and one of three fourth-down tries.
Their punter, Hank Ilesic, uncorked a five-yard punt in the first quarter. A 43-yard field goal by Chris Bahr was spoiled by a holding penalty on Gary Plummer.
The Giants (6-1) had possession of the ball for 37:25 to the Chargers’ 22:35.
The loss dropped Chargers to 2-5, good for sole possession of last place in the AFC West.
For the third straight week the Chargers lost a game they could have won or tied on their last possession. Two weeks ago in Denver, quarterback Jim McMahon threw an interception that killed his team’s last chance. Last week against Seattle, McMahon got sacked on the game’s final play.
Sunday McMahon threw three straight incompletions on his last three attempts.
“Three totally emotionally dehydrating losses,” said Charger defensive lineman Joe Phillips. “Three weeks in a row it’s been, ‘Ohhhhhhh.’ ”
McMahon wound up with 12 completions in 27 attempts for 133 yards, one interception and no touchdowns. It was not a McMahon performance, especially considering how well his injured offensive line protected him from linebacker Lawrence Taylor and the rest of the Giant defense.
Taylor, playing most of the game against reserve left tackle James FitzPatrick, didn’t sack McMahon. He had no solo tackles and just two assists. Nose tackle Erik Howard had the Giants’ only sack.
In the dressing room after the game, McMahon dodged reporters and ducked out a side door. It might have been his niftiest move all day.
The Giants’ margin of victory would have been wider if an open Maurice Carthon hadn’t dropped a Simms’ pass in the end zone late in the first quarter. The Giants settled for Raul Allegre’s 21-yard field goal, and a 3-0 lead.
After Bahr converted a 26-yarder late in the second quarter, Giant tight end Mark Bavaro caught what would have been a 10-yard touchdown pass from Simms, but tackle John Elliott was called for holding. Allegre’s subsequent 40-yarder on the final play of the half gave the Giants a 6-3 lead.
That margin grew to 20-6 on a pair of four-yard touchdown runs in the second half by Anderson. The Chargers answered with a 30-yard field goal by Bahr and a touchdown by the defense.
Billy Ray Smith stripped the ball from Carthon with less than three minutes to play and free safety Vencie Glenn scooped up the fumble and ran 81 yards for the score touchdown. It was the longest fumble return in Charger history.
By holding the Chargers scoreless in the first quarter Sunday, the Giants remained unscored upon in the first 15 minutes of all their games this season.