Chargers-Steelers Game Could Be Battle of Bores

You’re looking at Bubby versus Billy Joe, and so before you ask: The last time two National Football League teams played to a scoreless tie was on Nov. 7, 1943.

Stock up on the No-Doz, make sure that’s regular coffee you’re drinking, and be thankful there’s no sudden death.

The Charger are 1-3, the Steelers 1-3, and one more pertinent fact that may come into play: Only five teams in NFL history have gone through an entire game failing to record a first down.

There were 18 seconds remaining in the first half last week at Three Rivers Stadium when Pittsburgh picked up its initial first down of the game against Miami. They finished with eight, and went on to score six points--their second-best effort this season.

The Pirates may win the World Series before the Steelers score a touchdown on offense. For that matter, the Padres may win a World Series before the Steelers score a touchdown on offense.

The Steelers’ leading receiver this season is a guy named Mularkey. It’s been 17 quarters and nine months since Pittsburgh’s offense posted a score in a regular-season game. How bad is it? Last week fans at Three Rivers began chanting: “We want Mark Malone.”

San Francisco has played one less game than the Steelers this year because of last week’s bye, and has gained 468 more yards than Pittsburgh. The Rams have played one less game than Pittsburgh and have scored 48 more points.

“I don’t think it would be wise to approach this thing lightly,” defensive end Lee Williams said. “I’ve seen them do a lot of things effectively on film.”

Siskel and Ebert should be so kind. The Steelers have crossed the opponents’ 20-yard line a total of six times this year. They average 2.6 yards a carry on the ground, and not surprisingly then, ran a franchise-low 14 times last week.

Last week center Dermontti Dawson jumped into a pass-blocking stance, but forgot to snap the ball. On third and eight, the Steelers ran a play with 10 men on the field, and came up a yard short of gaining a first down. Running back Tim Worley forgot which way to run on a screen pass pattern, and as a result, quarterback Bubby Brister was sacked.

Brister has thrown six interceptions and is the AFC’s lowest-rated passer. Lower than a battered Bernie Kosar, rookie Jeff George, retread Marc Wilson, and shoot fire, lower than San Diego’s very own Billy Joe Tolliver.

Brister, however, steered the Steelers to five victories in their final six games and an appearance in the playoffs last season. Brister, a fiery field general, was 12 of 27 for 142 yards in the Steelers’ 20-17 win over the Chargers last season.

“Bubby’s got a lot of fire, all right,” Williams said. “But fires have been put out.”

Brister has been frustrated by a new offensive system introduced this season by former Jets head coach Joe Walton. Walton changed the team’s passing game, injected new terminology and took the emphasis off the high-powered running game that was key to the Steelers making the playoffs.

“For what Joe Walton has gone through the last four weeks and for what he’ll go through after that,” Coach Dan Henning said, “I might have some sympathy for him. This week, I have none.”

Worley, who gained 770 yards as a rookie for the Steelers, has been given the ball only eight times in the past two games. His agent has asked that he be traded, and last week Worley left the field and drew criticism for tossing his helmet in disgust.

Worley is averaging 2.8 yards a rush, and Merril Hoge, who ran for 621 yards last season, has averaged 2.5 yards a plunge. The Steelers, lest it hasn’t been figured out, are ranked No. 28 in the NFL.

“They had 19 first downs against the Raiders and I don’t know if anybody else has done that,” Henning said. “They’ve struggled against some teams, but played fairly well against others.

“We got beat by Pittsburgh last year, and we got beat by the Jets with Joe Walton coaching the offense. That’s enough for me.”

The Steelers edged the Chargers a year ago on the strength of Rod Woodson’s 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. They defeated Houston 20-9 earlier this season with Woodson returning a punt 52 yards for a score, and cornerback David Johnson running back an interception for a touchdown.

“We’re going to score,” Tolliver said. “They’re struggling a little bit, and we are, too. I’m sure they are frustrated as hell, but so are we.”

The Chargers have scored eight offensive touchdowns, including six via the pass, and will be matched against the league’s sixth-ranked defense. The Steelers’ defense has allowed only two touchdowns through the air.

“It can be a 3-0 ballgame, a 3-2 ballgame,” cornerback Gill Byrd said. “Each defense is going to go into this game thinking it has to create turnovers and give each offense good field position, so they don’t have to drive 80 yards to score.”

The Chargers’ defense, like the Steelers’ offense, has yet to score this season.

“That’s something we’ve talked about,” linebacker Gary Plummer said. “Look at Buffalo last week, the defense scored two touchdowns in a minute and a half. If that’s what it takes, then that’s what we will have to start doing.

“But you look at Pittsburgh, and what has happened to them is a mirror image of what has happened to us as a team. They haven’t been beaten, they’ve screwed it up. That’s exactly what has happened to us. Let’s just hope this isn’t the week they get it straightened out.”