Jets May Be Respite for Weary Chargers

If one guy from Kansas City and another from Seattle can provoke Chargers tight end Arthur Cox into committing a pair of personal fouls, what might 45 guys from New York get him to do today?

Cox kicked a defender two weeks ago and spit at another last week in receiving two of the 18 penalties assessed against the suddenly down and dirty Chargers (5-7).

In addition to losing their cool recently, the Chargers have dropped consecutive AFC West Division games to fall out of the playoff race. They are coming off a devastating 13-10 overtime loss to the Seahawks, and have had a difficult time this week shucking aside the memory of a Sunday night nationally televised game gone sour.

“The concern after last week is it was such a disappointment, how do guys come back?” General Manager Bobby Beathard said.

Well, they get a break today from the schedule-makers and will play the Jets.

Thank heaven for the Jets (4-8). When the Chargers were at their very lowest earlier this season following a 36-14 loss to Pittsburgh, they went into Giants Stadium and pounded on the Jets, 39-3.

Consider the Chargers’ offense, and how it has struggled, and then take note: The Chargers have outscored the Jets’ offense, 23 touchdowns to 18. Quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver has thrown more touchdown passes (12) and been sacked fewer times (16) than the Jets’ Ken O’Brien (8 TDs, 30 sacks).

Even Arthur Cox will like these guys. The Jets rank 23rd in the NFL on defense, while the Chargers stand fifth. On offense, the Jets have scored only one touchdown on offense in the last 12 quarters of play. The Jets have lost three games in a row and six of their last eight.

“We went back to Pittsburgh when they hadn’t scored any touchdowns, and we went to Kansas City when they hadn’t scored many touchdowns,” defensive coordinator Ron Lynn said, “and for us to fall into that kind of trap is ludicrous.

“They got too many weapons. If wide receiver Al Toon is playing you know that’s a big-time player, and Rob Moore is living up to everything everybody thought he would be coming out of college.

“We have immense respect for running backs Blair Thomas and Freeman McNeil, and Johnny Hector certainly isn’t getting enough playing time,” Lynn said. “Hey, it’s typical of this league: Who would have given the Rams any chance of beating the 49ers last week? I don’t think you can go by any previous encounter, records or any of that stuff.”

The Chargers scored 37 unanswered points in an Oct. 14th collision with the Jets. They gained 412 yards on offense to the Jets’ 148, and ran for 224 yards, while New York managed but 95 on the ground.

A walk in the park . . .

“We soundly beat Seattle the first time and what happened the next time?” safety Vencie Glenn said. “When a team gets humiliated like the Jets did, you know they’re going to come in with a grudge and something to prove.”

Last week, the Jets were thumped 24-7 by Pittsburgh, and after the game first-year coach Bruce Coslet suggested it might be a time for change on offense.

“I think we have a lack of confidence in ourselves,” Coslet said, after the Jets penetrated inside the Steelers’ 34-yard line but once. “I don’t think we’re as confident as we were early in the season. We have to get the confidence back in our own ability and the execution. I think we’re playing a little tentative, playing afraid to make mistakes.”

O’Brien started for the Jets and was relieved by Tony Eason after completing 9 of 17 passes for 117 yards with a pair of interceptions. Eason was 1 of 5 for 5 yards.

After thinking about making a change in starting quarterbacks, Coslet elected to stay with O’Brien, who completed 4 of 11 for 56 yards in the Jets’ loss to the Chargers.

The Jets came together at the beginning of the week for a team meeting. “I didn’t feel the same excitement out there,” said JoJo Townsell, who called the meeting. “It would be nice to end the season strong. I don’t want to see a 4-8 team become a 4-12 team.”

The Chargers, meanwhile, are looking ahead to a bye and then a stretch drive that includes road games against the Broncos and the Raiders sandwiched around a home game with the Chiefs.

They are playing the Jets a second time because of having the luxury of playing this year’s fifth-place schedule. To date, they have compiled a 2-1 record against fifth-place teams, and are touchdown favorites to make it 3-1.

“I think our guys are going to be fired up,” Beathard said. “Each week we find out something about this team, and unfortunately this is a way to see how it will come back from a disappointing loss like last week’s.

“I think there is pride; I talked to a couple of players and asked their feelings and they had no doubts the team would be really up for this game. I hope I’m not reading wrong, but I think we’ll bounce back emotionally from last week.”

The Chargers have the added incentive of pushing running back Marion Butts over the 1,000-yard mark this season. Butts, the NFL’s leading rusher in just his second season, has 995 yards on 217 carries. In the first game with the Jets, he ran for 121 yards on 26 rushes.

“The atmosphere is going to be a little bit different than the last couple of weeks,” safety Martin Bayless said, “but we still got to go out and win. We were in the playoff race and had two games just past before our face. But we have to stay focused and end on a high note.”