Chargers Beat 49ers, Exhibit a 3-0 Record
The temptation is to start believing the Chargers are very serious about making a run at the playoffs, but then again, exhibition season isn’t always the best measuring stick.
The San Francisco 49ers, two-time defending Super champions, left San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium Saturday night with a 1-2 record after the Chargers hung on for a 29-28 victory before 49,289. The Chargers are 3-0.
What’s to be made of this?
“I don’t think you can ever take the preseason and make anything real heavy of it in one direction or another,” Charger Coach Dan Henning said. “I don’t know if you can make any hard indicators. Nice to win.”
Nice, also, to have a receiver such as Anthony Miller, who can pull passes out of the hands of Ronnie Lott, the 49ers’ strongman safety. Miller finished with eight receptions for 143 yards, including the one over Lott that covered 41 yards in the second quarter.
Still, Charger players didn’t do much popping off about knocking off the team of the ‘80s. The word perspective came up often in the locker room.
“To keep it all in perspective, its’ the preseason,” quarterback Mark Vlasic said. “At the same time, I think the guys are doing some pretty good things. You can’t take that away from them.”
Because Vlasic did some good things in relief of starter Billy Joe Tolliver, Henning said he will start next week in the final exhibition against the Raiders. Vlasic, who competed seven of 10 for 78 yards and a touchdown, has been well above average in all three games.
Tolliver, on the other hand, has had his ups and downs. And Saturday, it was his spirits that were down.
“Sure, I’m disappointed,” said Tolliver, who threw the ball erratically on two first-half scoring opportunities. “Preseason is so you can go out and play against different competition and improve. I can’t be pleased with a performance where I gave away two easy touchdowns. There’s some plays I have to make, and I didn’t make them.”
Ted Tollner, the Charger quarterback coach, won’t disagree.
“He should be (disappointed),” Tollner said. “He missed some passes that he’s got to make.”
So Vlasic is to start next week. Does this indicate that Tolliver may be headed for the backup role?
“It’s not indicative of anything except that (Mark) played well,” Tollner said.
Once again, the Chargers demonstrated in the second half that they are lacking depth on defense. The other big concern is the injury-riddled offensive line, which so far is holding its own but will be tested more severely when the regular season begins.
The Chargers didn’t exactly put a lid on 49er quarterback Joe Montana, who completed 19 of 29 for 213 yards and two touchdowns, but the defense stood tall when Montana made a bid to bring his team from behind in the second half. The 49ers trailed, 15-14, at halftime were put on hold by Vlasic, who replaced Tolliver on the first series of the third quarter and completed four of four, including a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Derrick Walker. The drive, which covered 74 yards in 10 plays, was highlighted by a 26-yard pass from Vlasic to Anthony Miller and gave the Chargers a 22-14 lead.
Montana got the 49ers moving in their usual efficient manner on the next possession, driving them from the 49er 14 to the Charger nine on a series of nickel-and-dime passes. After a holding penalty moved the 49ers back to the 19, Montana hit wide receiver John Taylor in the hands, but there was one problem. Taylor dropped the ball in the end zone.
On the next play, Montana threw an off-balance lob to the goal-line that was intercepted by cornerback Joe Fuller. While the Charger defensive backs celebrated, outside linebacker Leslie O’Neal and Montana exchanged pushes and words at midfield.
The 49er bench reacted quickly, and a cluster of players ran to Montana’s aid, causing a short scuffle.
That didn’t bother O’Neal.
“You’ve got to protect your own players,” he said. “I definitely respect them. That’s the kind of thing that needs to be done.”
The 49er coaches did their part to protect Montana, replacing him on the next offensive possession with backup Steve Young, who came on to lead a 13-play, 79-yard drive to make it Chargers 22, 49ers 21.
Henning opted to let rookie quarterback John Friesz mop up, and he did just fine, leading the Chargers 76 yards for a touchdown with 5:03 to play. Of course, Friesz had a lot of help from running back Thomas Sanders, who burst free for a 37-yard run to the 49ers two. Two plays later, he scored from the one to give the Chargers a 29-21 lead.
Young led his team on a late drive, which ended when he snuck in for a touchdown from the one. Running back Rod Bernstine recovered the onside kick with 34 seconds to play to seal the victory.
Exhibition season or not, the Chargers earned a bit of respect from the 49ers.
“I think they will do fine if they don’t turn the ball over,” Lott said. “They’ll win a lot of games. They have some young, talented weapons.”
Said 49er Coach George Seifert: “They’re a much improved team. The enthusiasm was very evident.”
The Chargers took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a nice adjustment by Miller on an underthrown pass by Tolliver. Miller came back between two defenders--cornerback Darryl Pollard and safety Chet Brooks--grabbed the ball and backpedaled into the end zone.
Miller bailed Tolliver out on another underthrow midway threw the second quarter, coming back to wrestle the ball from the hands of Lott, who clapped his hands together in disgust after he saw Miller holding the ball aloft from the ground. The play covered 41 yards and set up a 26-yard field goal by John Carney.
Both of those completions, along with several Tolliver overthrows that nobody caught up with, were good indication that Tolliver needs to learn when to put a little more touch on his passes. A potential touchdown was erased in the second quarter when Tolliver let one fly over the head of Bernstine, who was open in the right corner of the end zone.
Tolliver finished 10 of 19 for 142 yards, which is certainly respectable unless compared to Montana. Twice in the first half, Montana threw touchdown passes that dropped like feathers into the hands of receiver Jerry Rice. What else is new?
The victims on the 49ers’ first touchdown were strong safety Martin Bayless and cornerback Sam Seale, who were left behind by Rice. Montana hit him in stride in the end zone to tie the game, 7-7, 5:19 into the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Montana and Rice connected again to give the 49ers a 14-7 lead. Throwing off his back foot because of a heavy Charger rush, Montana lofted it to Rice, who cut across the back of the end zone to beat Bayless. That capped a nine-play, 64-yard drive.
Carney’s field goal made it 14-10 following Tolliver’s overthrow of Bernstine.
Minutes later, the 49ers helped the Chargers with a perfectly executed exhibition-game blunder that resulted in a safety. Tackle Frank Pollack, serving as the deep snapper, launched a parabola over the head of punter Greg Horne, who raced back to collect the ball and decided to continue into the end zone to make it 14-12. A 34-yard field goal by Fuad Reveiz put the Chargers up 15-14 going in to halftime.
Charger Notes
Cornerback Gill Byrd (strained groin) did not play Saturday. Donald Frank, a rookie from Winston-Salem State, tarted in place of Byrd. Game injuries: Center Courtney Hall left in the first half with a mild concussion and did not return. Broderick Thompson, a guard/tackle, left in the first half with a bruised knee and did not return. Free safety Vencie Glenn suffered a shoulder bruise in the first half and did not play in the second half.