CHARGERS UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / T.J. SIMERS : First-String Defense Draws Ire of Ross

The Charger scrubs, which include developmental squad players and players who have yet to play for the team this season, had their way with the team’s first defensive unit at the close of practice Friday.

Quarterback Pat O’Hara tossed a touchdown pass to a diving Charles Wilson during the team’s two-minute drill, and it ignited a Bobby Ross tantrum.

Ross called his players together, waved his hands, threw his hat to the ground and yelled at his team.

“I wasn’t (real happy), to put it bluntly,” Ross said, “because it was something that we needed to work on.”

The players’ attention, however, was diverted from Ross by an arriving ice cream truck at the opposite end of the field.

Defensive Burt Grossman assessed the situation and said he wondered if Ross was going to take the ice cream away from them.

“He kind of said it like, ‘There’s some ice cream over there; if it was up to me, though, you wouldn’t get it,’ ” Grossman said, mimicking Ross’ speech. “It was like, ‘I’ll take my ball home, and then you wouldn’t be able to play.’ ”

Grossman said the defense had intercepted a pass in the two-minute drill and was prepared to call it a day, but Ross wouldn’t let them leave the field.

“We had gotten an interception in the two-minute, and everybody on defense thought we could take it in (go home),” Grossman said. “Usually you get an interception and it’s over, but he wanted to keep going.”

Grossman was asked if Ross’ outburst might fire the team up for Houston.

“It doesn’t fire me up,” Grossman said. “It’s just a matter of opinion when he says stuff like that. It’s no big deal.”

After Wilson hauled in the touchdown pass from O’Hara to close Friday’s practice, he was cut.

The Chargers announced that they had released Wilson, who was signed earlier in the week, and defensive lineman Tony Savage. They added wide receiver Robert Claiborne, who was cut earlier in the week to make room for Wilson, to the roster along with wide receiver Johnnie Barnes, the team’s ninth-round pick.

Wide receiver Nate Lewis remains on the active roster, but he is not expected to play against the Oilers.

Ross talked to wide receiver Shawn Jefferson earlier this week after Jefferson criticized the fans. He spoke with him again after Jefferson told the media he guaranteed a Charger victory in Houston.

“Shawn is an emotional guy,” Ross said. “There is no guarantee for anything, that’s why you play the game. I think Shawn is wanting to be positive; I can’t fault him for that.

“I don’t want him to give them blackboard material. It’s going to be hard enough without that. If that’s what happens, so be it.”

When Grossman heard about Jefferson’s guarantee, he said, “I wish he would guarantee a reception. . . . If we were playing San Diego State, I wouldn’t guarantee a win.”