Lightning Strikes, 10 Years Later

Pinch me.

Were these the 1991 Chargers or did I slip into a time warp and wake up 10 years ago?

Get this.

These Chargers, whomever they were, got into a shootout with Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins. That figured to be a little bit like sending squirt guns after howitzers or trying to win the Indianapolis 500 in my daughter’s car. No chance.

This isn’t just me.

I asked Dan Henning, the beleaguered coach, what chance he thought the Chargers figured to have in a shootout against Marino and Co.

“Not very good,” he said. “I thought we’d have a chance in maybe a 17-14 game.”

But he was smiling.

And I asked the same question of John Friesz, the kid quarterback.

“If the game got into the 30s,” he said, “I didn’t think we’d have much of a chance.”

He, too, was smiling.

Those smiles were clues. In fact, there were smiles all around. There were handshakes all around. There was dancing in the stands . . . if not the streets.

The Chargers gunned down the NFL’s version of Top Gun, beating the Dolphins, 38-30, in the most electric football game here since . . . who knows when. Understand that the Chargers had not scored more than 24 points in a game yet this year. They scored 28 Sunday in the fourth quarter.

This was not deja vu all over again. This was deja vu finally.

But let’s not get ridiculous. This was not a less-than-instant replay of that classic 41-38 playoff victory over the Dolphins 10 years ago. That was one of a kind. This was simply a bunch of guys who have worked very hard and come very close and often come away disappointed finally getting a taste of delicious.

What’s more, it must be taken into consideration that this was a very important game for Miami, which needed a victory to cinch a playoff berth. And what’s even more more, Miami had a 23-10 lead with 1:48 to play in the third period.

This was not a game the 1991 Chargers figured to win.

In so many ways.

Maybe the first clue that this game was going to be special for the Chargers came with about a minute to play in the first half when the center, of all people, made a critical offensive play. Centers do that all the time in basketball, but they are as anonymous as the guy sitting in Section 52, Row 17, Seat 10 in football.

Friesz, sacked by the Dolphins’ Jeff Cross, fumbled at the Miami 45-yard-line. Two Dolphins about the size of Hulk Hogan were on the ball. Courtney Hall, the Chargers’ center, went into the fray against this tag team. Incredibly, he came away with the ball.

How pivotal was this center and this play?

Ronnie Harmon, on second and 19, ran the same draw play that caused Henning to be roasted earlier this year--and gained 33 yards. Friesz promptly passed for 12 yards and a touchdown to Craig McEwen. That tied the score at 10 with 21 seconds to play in the half.

That was a giant play by Mr. Hall.

This, to be sure, was a game of giant plays. No one keeps records on giant plays, but it may be the most by the Chargers in one game in a decade.

Does that get us back to deja vu, or what?

Most of those big plays came in the fourth quarter, but that’s no surprise. No one scores 28 points in one quarter if everyone is not making plays.

“We weren’t making plays,” Henning said, “and then it seemed like everyone was making plays.”

Down 23-10, the Chargers got rolling when Friesz floated a perfect 25-yard scoring pass to Harmon with 12:46 to play in the game. Unless that was Dan Fouts floating a perfect pass to Kellen Winslow.

On Miami’s first play, Leslie O’Neal blind-sided Marino and Joe Phillips recovered the ensuing fumble at the Miami 13. Unless Fred Dean made the hit and Gary Johnson was on the ball.

Boom, boom, boom and Rod Bernstine was in the end zone. Unless that was Chuck Muncie.

And the Chargers led, 24-23.

Moments later, Marino threw desperately with Burt Grossman in his face and Stanley Richard intercepted. Unless those guys were Louie Kelcher and Willie Buchanon.

Nursing that one-point lead on a third and 19, the Chargers got the first down on a 29-yard pass from Friesz to Shawn Jefferson. Which Jefferson was that? Shawn? Not John?

Bernstine would score twice more before this one was over, punching in from the one for a 31-23 lead and romping 63 yards down the left sideline for the clincher with 59 seconds to play.

The Chargers even officiated well. After Marino threw wildly for an incompletion in the fourth period, Phillips signaled intentional grounding. The referee, standing nearby, immediately reached into his pocket and tossed his flag.

“I was so adamant,” Phillips said, “I guess he listened.”

Paid attendance for this game was 47,731. This time, the last laugh was on the 5,409 no-shows.

This one was a flashback.

Or maybe a look at the future.

Unless I wake up in the morning and find out it was only a dream.