Chargers May Turn to Tolliver
Billy Joe Tolliver has earned a second chance to take the Charger quarterback job away from Jim McMahon.
Coach Dan Henning said Wednesday that Tolliver, the rookie from Texas Tech, probably will start when the Chargers meet the New York Jets Sunday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.
Tolliver took most of the snaps in Wednesday’s workout--23 to McMahon’s 10--and Henning said afterward that he was the No. 1 quarterback as of now. But Henning left the door slightly ajar in case Tolliver does poorly in practice the rest of the week.
“At this point, I’d say Billy Joe will start,” Henning said. “If he looks good, we’ll take a look and see how it goes. If he doesn’t, we’ll start Jim and put Billy Joe in along the way, but I prefer to go the former way.”
Tolliver began the season on injured reserve because of a broken collarbone suffered in the last exhibition game. He made his regular-season debut against the Seahawks in Seattle in the eighth game but was taken out after completing only six of 17 passes for 41 yards. He has not played since.
Asked how Tolliver had fared in practice Wednesday, Henning said, “Just like with Joe Theismann or anybody else, things can go wrong. He had trouble with audible changes a couple of times. Other than that, he did a pretty good job.”
McMahon suffered a slight knee injury in the Indianapolis game last Sunday, but Henning said this had nothing to do with his decision to switch to Tolliver.
In view of the Chargers’ 4-8 record, Henning was asked if the change meant he was playing for next year. He said no.
Asked why not, he said, “Because I want to win this year.”
Asked if he thought the Chargers had a better chance to win with Tolliver at quarterback, he said, “No, I think Jim would give us a better chance as of Wednesday, but maybe by Sunday it will be Billy Joe or a combination of both. That’s one of the reasons I want to see Billy Joe in practice.”
As usual, McMahon wasn’t talking, but Henning said he took the news well. He has been only mildly productive, ranking 18th in the NFL with a passing rating of 73.5.
Tolliver said he was unaware that he had been promoted.
“Nobody’s told me anything,” he said. “Jim’s a little bit beat up, so they gave me extra snaps today. I’d like to get out there and see what I can do, but I’m not one to complain.”
Asked if his rough outing in Seattle had been a setback, Tolliver said, “It was a disappointment, but it definitely wasn’t a setback. Well, yes, it was a setback. If I’d set the world on fire, I’d still be playing.”
James FitzPatrick moved ahead of Brett Miller at offensive right tackle and will start Sunday.
“It’s been a long time,” said FitzPatrick, who was drafted No. 1 out of USC in 1986. “I knew my chance would come if I stuck right in there.”
Said Miller: “I guess they’re trying to make things happen. I guess they didn’t think I was getting the job done.”
Tight end Craig McEwen, a third-year man from Utah who caught 35 passes in two seasons with the Washington Redskins, was signed to replace H-back Joe Caravello, who was placed on injured reserve after undergoing knee surgery Tuesday.
Rookie running back Dana Brinson was waived, creating space on the roster for running back Victor Floyd or wide receiver Quinn Early. Floyd is on the developmental squad but got a lot of work Wednesday, and Early is on injured reserve (knee) but eligible to return.
Brinson said after being cut, “I was told they wanted a bigger guy in first- and second-down situations because Caravello was the backup, and he got hurt. I don’t think I deserve this, but I guess that’s the NFL.”
If Brinson isn’t picked up by another team, the Chargers will put him on their developmental squad.
Charger Notes
Running back Marion Butts was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game because of the knee injury that kept him out last Sunday. Six Chargers are probable--linebacker Gary Plummer (ankle), cornerback Gill Byrd (ankle), defensive end Lee Williams (knee), nose tackle Joe Phillips (ankle), offensive tackle Brett Miller (neck) and quarterback Jim McMahon (knee). . . . For the Jets, defensive end Marty Lyons (knee) is out, and running back Freeman McNeil (ankle) of UCLA is doubtful. Tight end Greg Warner (neck) and linebacker Alex Gordon (neck) are probable. . . . The Chargers project a ticket sale of 45,000, so the game will be blacked out locally.