PRO FOOTBALL REPORT / WEEKDAY UPDATE : CHARGERS : Knox Heaps Praise on Chargers

Coach Chuck Knox of the Seattle Seahawks is being careful not to repeat the mistake allegedly made by Tampa Bay’s Ray Perkins last week.

Before the Chargers met the Buccaneers, Coach Dan Henning told his troops that he had a tape on which Perkins guaranteed a Tampa Bay victory. The ploy so inspired the Chargers that they trashed the Buccaneers, 41-10.

Knox was reminded of this Wednesday in his conference call with the San Diego media. He said, “Yes, I heard about it,” then heaped praise on the Chargers, who Sunday will meet the Seahawks in Seattle.

When someone called the Chargers a mystery team, Knox said, “They’re not a mystery team to me. They’re well coached and they have excellent players. They could have won all their other games. The scores of the (five) games they lost are very misleading.”

Defense, of course, is something about which the Chargers are justifiably proud, and Seahawk quarterback Dave Krieg emphasized that in his conference call.

Surprisingly, some 10 minutes went by before anyone asked Krieg what he thought of the Chargers’ defense. When the question finally came up, Krieg said, “I was waiting for somebody to ask me that. Their defense has just been phenomenal. Watching them on film, I can’t find a weakness.”

At that point, Krieg was asked, “Then why are the Chargers 3-5?”

He replied, “That will change. The talent is there. The way they come off the ball is the only thing I’m concerning myself with this week.”

Henning picked Eric Floyd over Joel Patten to start at offensive left tackle in place of Leo Goeas, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Monday.

Floyd, a 300-pounder, was released by the Chargers in 1988 and was on their developmental squad last season until he was activated for the last three games. He started the first four games this year, but received some unfavorable reviews.

Recalling the criticism, Floyd said, “It got me down, but the other guys helped pull me up. I was supposed to be gone by Sept. 9, and then by midseason. Because of me, (quarterback) Billy Joe Tolliver was supposed to take out more life insurance.

The Chargers added linebacker Willie Walker to their practice squad. Walker, 6-1 and 240, from North Carolina, had tryouts with the Seahawks and New York Jets in training camp. . . . Tolliver practiced despite a case of flu. . . . Strong safety Martin Bayless, who missed the Tampa Bay game because of a leg injury, worked out lightly and said he would be ready by Sunday. . . . Billy Ray Smith, who played only on field goals and extra points Sunday after missing five games with a pulled stomach muscle, is scheduled for part-time linebacker duty in Seattle. “I’m ready to get back into it a little at a time,” he said.