Chargers Tame Colts, but It Hurts : Pro football: Bernstine injures shoulder in 34-14 victory.

It was the kind of electrifying performance that inspires a team to surpass its expectations, and then they had to deliver the bad news to Rod Bernstine.

Run after run, cutback after cutback, Bernstine appeared unstoppable. He carried the ball 23 times, gained 150 yards, scored two touchdowns and lifted the Chargers over the Colts, 34-14, in front of 48,552 in the Hoosier Dome.

It was Bernstine’s first starting assignment, because of Marion Butts’ knee injury, and he had wanted it so. But after savaging the defense of the Colts (3-3), ranked eighth in the league, Bernstine learned he had sustained a separated shoulder and might require surgery.

“Damn, I can’t believe it,” Bernstine said. “I get the chance to play and I get hurt. . . . I don’t know whether I’ll have surgery or not, but hopefully I can get back before the season is over.”

Bernstine injured his shoulder on a 14-yard run to the Colts’ two-yard line in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. Colt defensive back Mike Pryor appeared to put a helmet into Bernstine’s left shoulder, and Bernstine had to leave.

“My shoulder popped out and the doctors had to put it back in on the sideline,” he said. “Painful? It was really painful until they got it back in. It was so painful, I don’t even know who scored on the next play for us.”

Eric Bieniemy. After Bernstine went to the sideline, Bieniemy went the final two yards for his first NFL touchdown. The score halted the Colts’ comeback bid and increased the Chargers’ lead to 24-14.

“Rod had really sparked us,” Charger Coach Bobby Ross said. “We didn’t think it was anything serious initially, but X-rays indicated a significant injury and we’re looking at a minimum of four to six weeks before we get him back.

“There was a separation, and it’s his option if he wants surgery. To me he needs to get it to get a good shoulder or otherwise it will keep coming out. It’s a setback to us. It kind of dulls the win, to tell you the truth.”

Bernstine was the spark in this victory. On the Chargers’ opening drive, he ran the final 25 yards for a touchdown, which included a Gary Anderson-like leap into the end zone from the five-yard line.

“I saw Gary Anderson’s leap and to compare Rod’s with that is like comparing a Michael Jordan dunk to a Mark Eaton dunk,” said Charger defensive end Burt Grossman. “They’re both dunks, but they are not alike.”

Anderson’s mighty leap in the 1986 season opener against Miami in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium ignited a 50-28 Charger romp and became a highlight film fixture.

“I’m no Gary Anderson,” Bernstine said. “I knew I was in position to get hit in the knees, so I just tried to jump over the defender.”

After the Chargers regained possession of the ball a few moments later, quarterback Stan Humphries went 62 yards to wide receiver Nate Lewis to the Colts’ six-yard line.

“The run was working, and they bit on the play-action,” said Humphries, who was 12 for 17 for 205 yards with an interception. “Nate made a great catch.”

Bernstine ran right for four yards, and then took another sky-high dive for the two-yard touchdown and 14-0 lead.

“Bernstine is the biggest back I have ever played against,” said Colt linebacker Duane Bickett. “We knew they were going to run the ball and we thought we could stop them. But we never seemed to get on track.”

The Colts narrowed the score to 14-7 after quarterback Jeff George threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to running back Anthony Johnson in the final minutes of the first quarter. But then came the mistakes. A lot of mistakes.

The Colts advanced to the Chargers’ three-yard line in the second quarter, but on third and goal defensive back Darren Carrington intercepted George’s pass for tight end Kerry Cash in the end zone.

The Colts had another scoring try after defensive back Jason Belser intercepted a Humphries’ pass and returned it to the Chargers’ 48 with 1:37 remaining in the half. The Colts moved to the Chargers’ 26, and called on kicker Dean Biasucci, who was wide left from 44 yards.

The Chargers had been outscored 64-10 in the second half of their first five games, and as they left the locker room after halftime Sunday, Ross reminded them they had to prove themselves worthy in the third quarter.

The Colts contributed to the Chargers’ second-half crusade with a fumble on the second offensive play. Linebacker Henry Rolling induced Johnson to drop the ball, and linebacker Gary Plummer recovered at the Colts’ 20-yard line.

The Chargers were forced to take a 23-yard John Carney field goal, but they stretched their advantage to 17-7.

The Colts, meanwhile, remained in their self-destruct mode. They advanced to the Chargers’ three-yard line, fell back to the eight after a penalty and then George watched in horror as his pass bounced off wide receiver Bill Brooks into the hands of Carrington once again.

“Right place, right time,” Carrington explained.

The Chargers tried to put the game away, but illegal motion on tackle Broderick Thompson forced them into a passing situation. While backing up to pass, Humphries was hit, he fumbled and the Colts recovered at the Chargers’ 38-yard line.

On second and goal from the Charger three-yard line, the Colts caught the visitors napping. Offensive tackle William Schultz turned to the referee as he made his way to the line of scrimmage, pointed to his chest and said he was an eligible receiver on the play. The referee nodded, and announced to everyone in the Hoosier Dome that No. 74 was an eligible receiver.

The Chargers, however, did not take note, and George found a wide open Schultz in the end zone.

The crowd became excited. The Colts trailed the Chargers 17-14, and if they got the ball back. . . .

Forget it. Bernstine took the Chargers to the goal line before getting hurt, and Bieniemy went in for the touchdown.

The Colts appeared unnerved. They lost the ball on Johnson’s fumble on their next possession and Humphries eventually ran right two yards for another Charger score. George fumbled the next time the Colts got the ball, and Carney converted that turnover into a 27-yard field goal.

“We lost our poise a little in the fourth quarter,” Colt Coach Ted Marchibroda said. “I learned a little about our football team today. We saw how hard you have to play in the National Football League. We played a team that was 1-4, and we saw how hard they played. San Diego beat us on both sides of the ball.”

The Chargers gained 392 yards, forced five turnovers and made Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium more meaningful.

“We have an opportunity to get back in the race,” linebacker Gary Plummer said. “We’ve talked a lot about playing with great intensity and effort, and that’s well and good, but it comes down to winning and losing. To play a game like we did today where we played well in all three phases, it’s very gratifying.”