Seau Injury Leaves Him Questionable for Colts : Chargers: Coach Bobby Ross wants to rest Marion Butts, who still has a sore knee.
Charger linebacker Junior Seau pulled out of Friday’s practice early because of a serious groin injury, and Coach Bobby Ross announced that the team will try not to play running back Marion Butts on Sunday against the Colts.
“If Junior had to play today he couldn’t,” Charger trainer Keoki Kamau said. “Therefore he is questionable for Sunday. We’ll probably go right up to Sunday before we make that decision.
“We’re not going to jeopardize Junior’s health by pushing him into it. I’d be lying to you if I thought that he wouldn’t be affected by what happened today. It’s going to hamper him.”
Seau tried to run after suffering the injury, but he was unable to do so. He walked off by himself and was in no mood to be consoled.
“We’re going to treat the heck out of this thing,” Kamau said, “but let me reiterate--we’re not going to put this guy in a situation that would jeopardize further injury.”
Butts, meanwhile, has been bothered by a sore knee, and although he did not appear on the Chargers’ injury report this week, Ross said, “At the beginning of the week I thought he would be about 80%, but I don’t really think he’s that now.
“We’re still committed to holding Butts out if we can, even to the extent of taking him off some of these special teams. He’s a backup there. He could go in an emergency, and he’s prepared mentally. But physically, no.”
Rod Bernstine, who has averaged 4.8 yards a carry, will make his first start of the season at running back.
“We’ll see how he’s going,” Ross said. “If he’s juiced up and going good we’ll stay with him. We’ll spell Eric (Bieniemy) some in there for him, but if things are going well we’ll stay with Rod.”
Linebacker Steve Hendrickson will block for Bernstine in goal-line situations, and linebacker Gary Plummer will back up Hendrickson if needed on the goal line.
*
The Chargers will place tackle Mike Mooney on injured reserve with a shoulder injury and add tackle Broderick Thompson to the 47-man roster.
Mooney will undergo surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff Monday and will then begin a four- to five-month rehabilitation.
*
The Colts have relied on a no-huddle offense with Jeff George at quarterback, but it’s not the same hurry-up offense employed by Buffalo.
George takes his time at the line of scrimmage and uses audibles to change to the play that gives the Colts the best matchups against defensive personnel. In many cases, George runs the 25-second clock down to the final few seconds before running the play.
“I think the problem will be Jeff George and the involvement of Anthony Johnson as a ball carrier,” Ross said. “There are certain advantages to the no-huddle and certain disadvantages. We feel like we’re prepared for it.”
*
The Colts are 3-2, and a victory would give them their best start since 1983, when they were in Baltimore.
However, the fans in Indianapolis have yet to embrace the Colts. For the fourth consecutive time this season they have failed to sell out the Hoosier Dome in time to lift the local television blackout. More than 10,000 tickets remain for Sunday’s game.
The capacity of the Hoosier Dome is 60,129. The largest home crowd to date this season for the Colts has been the 50,766 fans who turned out for the season-opener against the Browns.
The Colts were 1-15 in 1991.
*
Last year Alex Gibbs worked his magic to solidify the Chargers’ offensive line; this year he’s preparing the Colts for the Chargers’ No. 1-ranked AFC defense.
“I’m not surprised, in that they now have stockpiled a tremendous number of No. 1 guys (on defense),” Gibbs told The Indianapolis News. “There are a lot of high draft choices--ones, twos and threes--that have been built through about a four-year span, with very few choices on offense. The cycle has reached the stages it should be at that phase.
“And a couple of guys, if had they still been there, would have made this an even better defense. The trade of Lee Williams to Houston helped the Oilers a great deal, and then losing nose tackle Joe Phillips hurt. Had those guys been there on top of what they have right now, they’d be in the awesome stages. They still rank pretty high without those guys.”
Gibbs’ offensive line in Indianapolis has surrendered 13 sacks in five games. The Colts’ run blocking has been ineffective. The team’s running attack is averaging 2.6 yards a carry and will be matched against a Chargers’ defense that is first in the AFC in stopping the run.
“What makes this game tough,” said Gibbs, “is that the caliber of the entire (defense) could be where there are no weak spots.”
