CHARGER REVIEW : NOTEBOOK : Henning Takes Note of Officiating Crew

Dan Henning has not been one to make excuses and he won’t go so far to blame Sunday’s 20-17 overtime loss on the officials, but he raised serious questions about referee Gordon McCarter’s crew.

McCarter’s crew worked the Chargers-Rams game this season, and Henning took issue with several calls. Henning complained to the league office, and the league office said five of the nine penalties called against the Chargers were done by mistake.

The Chargers matched a club record with 14 penalties Sunday. In two games officiated by McCarter’s crew, the Chargers have been penalized 23 times for 216 yards, and the opposition has been penalized 10 times for 65 yards.

“We play all year and we play 14 games and we’ve had three games that have been out of whack in the number of penalties on one side or the other,” Henning said, “and this group has been with us twice.

“If we’re that way that should go on all year. It shouldn’t be inconsistent like that. If we are a team that gets penalized more than the opposition, then that should show up with all the crews, not just with one.”

The league informed coaches earlier this year that criticism of the officials would result in heavy fines. Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson, however, was not fined for his recent comments because the league determined his gripes were correct.

“I’m not worried about it (being fined),” Henning said. “I’m concerned about having to fight through that in a game we were prepared to play and played hard. I thought we were going to win the football game and it was like every time we had a chance to do something or stop them, there was going to be a penalty.”

What was more surprising: A 14-0 halftime lead for the Chargers or halftime statistics crediting running back Eric Bieniemy with three carries for 17 yards?

Bieniemy gained 15 yards and a first down with his first official NFL carry in the second quarter. He finished the game with three rushes for 17 yards.

The Chiefs tried to pull a fast one on Chargers linebacker Billy Ray Smith. Very dumb.

The Chiefs attempted to run an end around with J.J. Birden, but Smith was not fooled. He not only tripped up Birden, but inspired Chiefs tackle John Alt to try and save the play with an illegal block. The officials penalized the Chiefs 10 yards.

Smith, however, couldn’t stop running back Harvey Williams from catching Mark Vlasic’s 16-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Vlasic rolled right and Williams ran left and Smith got caught between the two.

“It was zone coverage,” he said. “I saw him break back out and I tried to get him, but just didn’t get there in time.”

Smith went to the locker room during the first half for X-rays on his ankle. The X-rays were negative and after Smith had his ankle retaped he returned to action.

“I’m disappointed in the way I played,” Smith said. “I think that down in the last part of the game, the things they count on me to do, I wasn’t doing. That’s what really tears me up.”

Vlasic, who relieved an ineffective Steve DeBerg, now has completed 26 of 38 passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions this season. The Chargers kept Billy Joe Tolliver and John Friesz, left Vlasic unprotected in Plan B free agency, and signed Bob Gagliano.

“I think Mark did the job they asked him to do,” said Bobby Beathard, Chargers general manager. “I don’t look back and think we made the wrong move with Vlasic.”

Henning said: “I didn’t watch Mark Vlasic; I watched John Friesz.”

And Henning said Friesz played a terrific game. “I’ll tell you John played as good a game as he has all year. This was a very difficult defense to operate against. He made plays today.”

Friesz completed 19 of 37 passes for for 208 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Punter John Kidd made a stunning recovery from last week’s poor performance against the Raiders with an average kick of 47.8 yards. His 60-yarder in the fourth quarter was his longest since leaving Buffalo last season to come to San Diego.

Kidd also prevented disaster from wiping out John Carney’s 27-yard field-goal attempt to tie the game with 11 seconds to play. Center Frank Cornish’s snap was short, and Kidd reached forward to prevent it from bouncing off the turf and quickly put the ball on its end to let Carney make the kick.

“I trapped it and tried to get it down the best I could,” Kidd said. “He got a good piece of foot on it, so I figured he’d make it.”

Life with Burt Grossman is never dull. In the second quarter Grossman jumped offsides and the Chiefs gained five yards. On the following play Grossman raced past Chiefs tackle Rich Baldinger and sacked DeBerg for an eight-yard less.

The Chiefs informed the Chargers early they were playing not to lose .

On their first possession, running back Barry Word was stopped for no gain on third and one from the Chargers’ 45-yard line. Despite the fans’ insistence that the Chiefs go for the first down on fourth down, Coach Marty Schottenheimer sent out punter Bryan Barker. Barker’s punt went into the end zone, and the Chargers took possession on their 20-yard line.

The Chargers, meanwhile, had nothing to lose and so when they were afforded the chance to go for it on fourth down--they did.

Running back Rod Bernstine ran left on fourth and one at the Chiefs’ 38-yard line and plowed into Kansas City safety Deron Cherry for a two-yard gain. The Chargers picked up the first down, while Kansas City’s trainers rushed out to help pick up Cherry.

A short time later on the same drive, the Chargers were confronted with a fourth and one from the Chiefs’ 12, and went for the first down once again. Bernstine ran left for two yards, and two plays later the Chargers went in to score on Friesz’s six-yard pass to Nate Lewis.

You ask: Where has Shawn Jefferson been?

The Chargers acquired Jefferson, a wide receiver, in the trade with Houston for defensive lineman Lee Williams and promptly planted him on the bench. Jefferson made it on to the field against the Chiefs on kickoff coverage and immediately drew a flag for running offside.

Jefferson had the opportunity to catch an important pass in overtime on third and 10 from the Chargers’ one, but he dropped the ball.