Chargers Misfire and Jets Win : New York: Overtime is avoided when Charger placekicker Chris Bahr misses from 37 yards.

The San Diego Chargers started a rookie quarterback named Billy Joe Tolliver Sunday. They lost to the New York Jets, 20-17, because he was Billy Joe Terrible.

“I can’t see any good points in my performance today,” Tolliver said after completing 24 of 51 passes for 230 yards, throwing two interceptions and getting sacked five times.

It wasn’t all his fault. Kicker Chris Bahr pushed a 37-yard field goal attempt wide right with 10 seconds remaining that would have sent the game into overtime.

And Tolliver’s offensive teammates, an odd assortment of injury-plagued free agents and Plan B types, were Just Barely Tolerable.

“We didn’t have a great deal of help around Billy Joe,” Charger Coach Dan Henning said.

All of which was Pretty Much Horrible for a Charger defense that has now held 11 consecutive opponents to fewer than 21 points. The Chargers have won only four of those games.

The loss was the Chargers’ third in a row and dropped them to 4-9. The Jets, also 4-9, have won two in a row.

Much of Tolliver’s trouble stemmed from inexperience. This was only his second NFL start. But he also had problems throwing passes that required touch.

The Jets, ranked last in NFL defense after 12 weeks, were smart enough to try to confuse Tolliver. And they succeeded.

“They were in some defenses in the first half and early in the second where I wasn’t sure what was going on,” Tolliver said.

New York cornerback Bobby Humphrey said: “You could tell he hadn’t been in game situations. You could play with his mind a little bit.”

So, yes, the Chargers’ quarterback, at times, was Billy Joe Gullible. Several Jet defenders said they kept waiting for Henning to insert veteran Jim McMahon. Henning said he never came close to making such a move. Henning also said Tolliver will “probably” remain his starter next week in Washington.

Both Tolliver interceptions cost the Chargers dearly. The first occurred late in the first period after Ken O’Brien’s forward pitch to running back Johnny Hector resulted in a nine-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Jets’ lead.

Hector’s score completed a 47-yard, seven-play drive set up by JoJo Townsell’s 30-yard punt return.

Charger Jamie Holland responded with a 34-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Pass interference on Humphrey moved the Chargers to the New York 20. But two plays later, Tolliver threw into double coverage, and cornerback James Hasty intercepted.

Undaunted, the Chargers tied the score with five minutes remaining in the half on a 40-yard run up the middle by rookie running back Marion Butts. Butts broke at least five tackles on the play. “As good a run as I’ve seen this year,” Henning said.

“I could smell the end zone,” said Butts, who scored seven touchdowns in the first six weeks but none in the next five. “It had been a long time.”

The Chargers took the lead late in the third period on a 39-yarder by Bahr, set up by Lester Lyles interception of a Pat Ryan pass. Ryan replaced O’Brien, who jammed his shoulder in the second quarter.

Lyles’ interception was one of three by the Charger defense, which also recovered a fumble.

The Jets regained the lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Roger Vick. And they stretched that margin to 20-10 on a 14-yard rumble by Vick. Pat Leahy missed the extra point.

Vick’s second touchdown came after Erik McMillan intercepted an ill-advised Tolliver bomb and returned it 40 yards to the Charger 16.

“One of the stupidest plays of the year,” Tolliver said. “That’s a play any high school kid knows not to do.”

But thanks to Leahy’s miss, the Chargers weren’t dead. After Leslie O’Neal recovered a Vick fumble at the Jet 49, Tolliver hurried them upfield. His eight-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller cut the New York lead to 20-17 with 3:25 to play.

And after a Jet punt, the Chargers took over on their 44. Six plays later, Bahr, who was six of eight from between the 30 and 39 before his miss, pushed what would have been the game-tying field goal.

“The snap was fine, the hold was fine, Chris told me he just got a little behind it,” said holder David Archer. “It’s like a golf shot that you hit a little fat and leave it out to the right.”