Charger Special Teams Are Anything But : NFL: Nothing solved in kicker derby. Errors also spoil the day for punters and kick returners.

During the first quarter of the Chargers’ 20-14 loss Friday to the San Francisco 49ers, special teams coach Chuck Priefer could be seen waving a white towel along the sidelines.

Maybe Priefer knew something.

His special teams went from bad to worse, eventually surrendering.

Kicker John Carney began the night by pushing a 37-yard field-goal attempt to the right in the first quarter. He missed again from 46 yards in the fourth quarter when a poor snap by Sam Anno threw off Carney’s timing, causing him to kick under the ball. His kick was on target, but short by a few yards.

Punter John Kidd had been a bright spot--averaging 48 yards on three punts. But when it counted most, Kidd failed to come through, shanking an 18-yarder. That gave the 49ers the ball at San Diego’s 41 and set up the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Return man Eric Bieniemy turned the ensuing kickoff into an adventure by hesitating at the goal line before finally bringing the ball out to 14. Bieniemy’s indecision cost the Chargers’ six yards and four seconds.

But it’s only an exhibition game, right? No big deal.

“It is a big deal,” Kidd said. “You never want to have a punt like that. It’s like a game-winning field goal. With the score the way it was, I wanted to get the ball as far down the field as I could. It really doesn’t matter that it’s a an exhibition game. You just never want to have a punt like that.”

So what happened?

“There was nothing different that I could see,” he said. “I just wanted to give us the best field position I could--hit the ball as far as I could.

“I was having a really good night. It just didn’t happen for me.”

Said Priefer: “He’s a pro. You don’t need a 50-yarder there. You just need a 40-yarder to get out of trouble. It really ruined a heck of day for John. He had a 51-yarder and a 49-yarder. He also had good location.”

Kidd said his 18-yarder was only the third shank job of his nine-year career.

“That wasn’t the best time for it,” he said.

Carney also probably could have picked a better time to have an off night. He could have clinched a job with a two-for-two game. But Priefer and Charger Coach Bobby Ross appeared to indicate the battle with Carlos Huerta will go down to Chargers’ final exhibition game Thursday against the Rams.

“It has to,” Priefer said. “It’s close. Carlos can kick in this league. There’s no doubt in my mind.

Said Ross: “If we can, I think we’ll go another week. That’s the way I’m feeling right now.”

Huerta had made his only two attempts, from 22 and 33 yards, but he has had trouble getting his kickoffs past the 10-yard line.

Carney distanced himself from Huerta on kickoffs--booming three inside the 10-yard line. But his field goals were not worth talking about.

“It was just one of those nights,” Carney said.

Before sneaking out of the locker room, Carney said his performance left the coaches with a difficult decision.

Priefer excused Carney for his second miss from 46 yards because of Anno’s high snap. But he couldn’t understand Carney’s miss from 37.

“He just missed it,” he said. “From that distance, 30 to 39 yards, he’s got to make that. I expect him now to make the next eight of 10.

Priefer also partly excused Bieniemy for his blunder.

“That was not totally Eric’s fault,” he said. “It was poor communication on the team’s part. Although ultimately, he is responsible.”

Any good news, Chuck?

“Our coverage teams did well,” he said.