New Beginning Has a Familiar Ending

Like an old Andy Griffith rerun that has been shown once too often, cornerback Gill Byrd is getting tired of watching the same Charger show.

By now, Byrd, in his 10th year with the Chargers, knows the script: Defense plays well, but not well enough. The ending?

A 24-10 loss Sunday to Kansas City in the Chargers’ season opener at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

“I’m real sick of it,” said Byrd. “I make no bones about that. I’m sick of it. I want some wins. I’m hungry for some wins. I’ve been here nine years. I’m definitely tired of it. I want to rewrite the script.”

The names were a little different this time. But Blaise Winter, Floyd Fields and Tony Blaylock could just as well have been Otis Campbell, Floyd the barber and Barney Fife. They too are part of the same tired plot.

The newcomers and the veterans played well through three quarters, allowing the Chiefs’ ball-control offense just 118 yards and seven first downs. But in the fourth quarter, with Kansas City leading, 17-10, the Chiefs drove 70 yards and piled up seven first downs to put the game away. Barry Word’s one-yard plunge capped a 16-play, 75-yard drive that took nine minutes, one second off the clock and left the Chargers with just 1:23.

“It’s just too familiar,” Byrd said. “The bottom line is, you come up with losses and don’t come up with the plays when you have to. It’s simple when you explain it. But we didn’t get it done and that’s the bottom line.

“I thought we played well, but it doesn’t matter. We lost. It doesn’t matter.”

Mental and physical errors plagued the Chargers in the final drive. Kansas City was facing a second and 29 at their 32 when quarterback Dave Krieg dumped a pass to running back Todd McNair in the flat. McNair started to pick up speed until linebacker Henry Rolling came flying across and tackled him high-- putting him down at his 45.

Third and 16 right? Sorry. Rolling got a piece of McNair’s face mask. The referee’s ruled Rolling’s face mask penalty to be flagrant instead of unintentional. Fifteen yards and an automatic first down, instead of five yards and still a third and 11.

Rolling didn’t disagree, but he did question it’s severity.

“I didn’t think it was flagrant,” he said. “As soon as I felt my hand go in there, I pulled it out. Maybe they were trying to make up for that pass interference call (earlier against the Chiefs’ Albert Lewis). Those things happen when you’re playing hard.”

Those things seem to keep happening to Rolling. He was penalized for grabbing Cleveland’s Eric Metcalf’s face mask last year. The penalty kept alive a Cleveland drive that resulted in a touchdown.

“(The officials) did the same thing there,” Rolling. “It was quick. I didn’t think it was flagrant, but they called it.”

Rolling said he has no plans to change.

“That tackle was high, but you have to play aggressive,” Rolling said.

Said defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger of the play: “It’s part of the game.” When asked how crucial the play was, Arnsparger became testy.

“I said it’s part of the game,” he said. “If you don’t believe me, it’s like playing touch football. You go out there and you don’t grab the flag. . . . Well, you went out and made an error.”

After the penalty, the Chiefs marched the final 40 yards, using short passes and power runs by Barry Word.

Kansas City also was aided by an offside penalty on linebacker Steve Hendrickson. In the second quarter, defensive tackle Blaise Winter jumped offside on a fourth and two--giving Kansas City a first down. The Chiefs eventually scored on a field goal.

“That’s the things we have to correct,” Byrd said. “Attention to detail. We didn’t have it. We didn’t have it.”

Linebacker Junior Seau, who intercepted a pass and had 1 1/2 sacks, was disgusted.

“It’s a big downer right now,” he said. “Ending the way we did. We have to learn that we have to close the game. We can’t rely on the offense. If it takes a shutout, we’re going to have to shut them out.

“Football is 60 minutes. You have to play for 60 minutes and that’s what we stress. And we didn’t play for 60 minutes. We went in there had three good quarters and a half. We have to close the deal.”