NOTEBOOK : Friesz Experiences Agony of Defeat
Chargers quarterback John Friesz could not lace up the shoe over his swollen left ankle, but it was better than limping from the locker room with a cast on his foot.
Friesz suffered a sprained ankle in the second quarter, but X-rays indicated no break.
“I don’t know the severity of it,” Friesz said. “I don’t perceive it as being long-term. Obviously, it will be day-to-day.”
Before leaving the game, Friesz was pressured by Jets defensive end Jeff Lageman into throwing off target to Nate Lewis. Jets cornerback James Hasty intercepted.
“That was a terrible decision on my part,” said Friesz, who completed 7 of 9 passes for 61 yards before being hurt. “It didn’t help to get hit when I was releasing it and the ball didn’t end up where I wanted it. But even if the protection was fine, it would have been incomplete. So it wasn’t a good decision or good throw.”
Bob Gagliano, who didn’t play for Detroit beyond last November, relieved Friesz and completed 9 of 22 for 76 yards with an interception.
Chargers Coach Dan Henning said Gagliano lacked the velocity needed to zing it out to the team’s wide receivers, but he said Gagliano played under duress given his lack of practice time and the Jets’ heavy pass rush.
“I’ll just take it day-by-day and see how John is,” Gagliano said. “If I’m going to play I’ll get some more (practice) reps this week.”
It was that kind of day. Jets running back Brad Baxter fumbled the ball on his team’s first drive in the third quarter at his 26, and several Chargers defenders had the chance to fall on the bouncing ball. They didn’t and by the time someone got around to recovering the ball, the Jets had gained 31 yards.
Safety Stanley Richard and linebacker Henry Rolling, who started the first 11 games for the Chargers, were placed on the team’s inactive list prior to the game.
Anthony Shelton, a flop as starting strong safety earlier this season, replaced Richard, who has been bothered a pinched nerve in his neck. Billy Ray Smith filled Rolling’s place.
Mike Zandofsky started at left guard in place of rookie Eric Moten, who has had a difficulty of playing an entire game because of a pinched nerve in his neck.
Moten, who was well-rested, came into the game in the second quarter and was penalized for holding.
The Chargers lost starting left tackle Harry Swayne in the second half with a bruised leg.
Running back Marion Butts predicted he was going to be a marked man after ransacking the Jets’ defense for 280 rushing yards in two meetings last season.
Butts was right. On the Chargers’ first offensive play, he caught a short pass and was promptly hit by seven Jets defenders for a loss of a yard.
Butts gained 63 yards on nine carries in the first half, but with the Chargers trailing 14-3 at the half, Henning went to Rod Bernstine and Ronnie Harmon.
“We never got back in position to use Butsey,” Henning said.
Blair Thomas had been the Jets’ heavy-duty ballcarrier this season, but he had failed to score a rushing touchdown this season.
In the first quarter Thomas danced up the middle and appeared to have fallen in the end zone for a touchdown. A look at instant replay, however, and the touchdown was negated. The ball was placed at the one for a nine-yard gain.
But guess who got the ball on the following play? Thomas, and he took it in for the touchdown. Instead of spiking the ball, he took it with him to the sideline--just in case his first touchdown was going to be his last touchdown this season.
Thomas, who scored one rushing touchdown last year, came on in the fourth quarter, however, to double his 1990 totals. Thomas broke loose for a 22-yard touchdown and will probably petition the league today to play the Chargers again before the season ends.
Jets Coach Bruce Coslet put the game in perspective: “They didn’t come close to our end zone.”
On the Jets’ first possession of the third quarter they were faced with a fourth and 19 from their 42. Jets punter Louie Aguiar dropped back to punt, but after accepting the snap he took off running. Aguiar made a lunge for the first down marker, but after a lot of chest thumping, instant replay officials ruled that Aguiar’s knee was down--a yard short of the first down.
“It was surprise,” said Larry Pasquale, Chargers special teams coordinator. “But they didn’t make it.”
Wide receiver Al Toon caught a 13-yard pass in the first quarter to extend his streak to 88 consecutive games in which he has caught at least one pass. . . . Jets safety Erik McMillan’s second-quarter sack of John Friesz was his first since 1989. . . . John Kidd’s 57-yard bouncing punt, which was downed on the Jets’ two-yard line in the third quarter, was his longest of the year. . . . Pat Leahy’s 28-yard field goal in the third quarter was the 300th of his career. Leahy is tied for fourth with Mark Moseley on the all-time field goal list. Jan Stenerud has the record with 373.