Chargers Try to Stay Positive

No one was fired or traded Monday, a day after the Chargers’ record dropped to 0-3.

It appears the players will have to pull themselves out of this one.

“I think it has to be a commitment from each guy,” said Bobby Beathard, Chargers general manager. “An attitude that says, ‘I won’t make a mistake.’ As far as a big change, I don’t know.

“I’ve been in this thing before and you try to come up with answers, but a lot of it’s just talk. Because if you knew the answer, you’d do it right away.

But even though no one had any answers, just a lot more questions, everybody in Charger land tried to stay positive about the team’s worst start since 1975.

Chargers Coach Dan Henning was leading the cheers at his press conference.

“I understand people feel that we don’t have a chance because all of sudden we’re 0-3 and we have a tough schedule,” Henning said.

“But we have to remain positive. I can see us getting a lot better because I see what the problems are.”

Quarterback John Friesz said he isn’t sure what the problems are, but he knows the Chargers are not an 0-3 team.

“It’s been frustrating because we feel we’re better than our record states,” Friesz said. “We’re going to try to put this behind us. Everybody’s kept a good positive attitude.”

Said right tackle Broderick Thompson: “We have young excellent talent. It’s just going to take some grooming. It’s going to take going through some of the wars to get the experience that is so badly needed.

“Everybody’s out there trying as hard as they can. I don’t see anybody just trying to get through the day.”

And Beathard said he has yet to see anyone begin to accept losing.

“I felt that the players were thinking each one of us have to do more,” Beathard said after talking to players in the locker room following Sunday’s game. “I didn’t detect frustration to the point that they’re saying, ‘That’s it. We’ve tried everything.’

“I think they’ve been pushing hard. I didn’t get the feeling anybody took the losses lightly. If that’s the case, you get rid of the people that don’t mind losing. I’d like to think that if anything, they came out it more determined after this loss.”

Henning criticized those who thought Sunday’s loss could have been avoided with more aggressive play calling in the last two minutes. He defended his decision to call safe plays once Friesz had moved the Chargers’ offense within field goal range for John Carney, who proceeded to miss a game-tying 47-yard field goal.

“Two years ago, in the very same situation against Seattle, we attempted to do more than what we were capable of doing with what we had in the game,” he said “We got a holding call that put us out of field goal range.

“Nobody seems to write or say what other possibilities are in there. All they want to do is find fault. If we had to do it, we’d do it the same way again. Once you get into field-goal range, your job is to maintain it there.”

Straying from his positive theme, Henning cited all the negative things that could have happened had he taken more risks.

“If you pass the ball, you can have tipped balls, incompletions, you can also have holding,” he said. “We did what we thought was prudent under those conditions and I’d do it again tomorrow.”

Understandably, Friesz agreed with his coach.

“When you’re throwing the ball, everything has to be in sync,” Friesz said. “It’s not that he doesn’t have confidence with us, it’s just the reality of it.

“There are a couple young guys on the offensive line and I’m young. In a few years or in a matter of time, when we’re playing like we should and we have the experience to know what to do, then he’ll broaden his plays. But I think he’s smart to keep us in a game-tying situation.”

The Chargers might not have been in a position to tie the game had Carney made one of his two previous attempts from the dirt portion of the field. But Carney had no excuses.

“All the kicks that I kicked off the dirt felt good,” he said. “I felt that I prepared myself well for them. I thought that I hit the ball real well. Unfortunately, two of them were a couple feet off the mark.

Even though he has missed four of seven field goals this season compared to connecting on 19 of 21 last year, Carney feels he is an improved kicker.

Wide receiver Anthony Miller appears doubtful for Sunday’s game in Denver after reinjuring his hamstring against Atlanta.

If he can’t play, Henning said he would start Nate Lewis and move rookie Shawn Jefferson into Lewis’ slot. H-back Craig McEwen would be the backup.

Linebacker David Grayson will be placed on injured reserve after breaking his leg Sunday. Beathard said he would likely bring Mike Wilcher back to replace Grayson on the roster. The other possibility is activating another receiver, possibly Yancey Thigpen, who is on the developmental squad.