Chargers Wake Up Too Late

After the Miami Dolphins took a 13-point lead in the third quarter Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, the public address system blared out the 1966 anthem “Good Lovin’ ” by the Young Rascals.

“Doctor, Mr. M.D.,” said the lyrics settling over a crowd of 65,026 at Qualcomm Stadium, “now can you tell me, tell me, tell me, what’s ailin’ me?”

It was a question that retained its relevance for the Chargers after the Dolphins (6-7) prevailed, 23-21.

The Chargers are 8-5 and still a contender for a wild-card playoff spot. But their next game is against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts, and a loss could finish their playoff hopes.

Charger Coach Marty Schottenheimer said that nearly everything was ailin’ his team: a tough Miami defense led by linebacker Zach Thomas, a Charger defense that failed to put pressure on Miami quarterback Gus Frerotte, and three turnovers.

“At the end of the day for us, everybody had a hand in this loss, and it’s disappointing as hell,” Schottenheimer said.

The Chargers led at halftime, 7-3, but in the third quarter the Dolphins scored on two touchdown passes from Frerotte to Chris Chambers and a Olindo Mare field goal.

In the fourth quarter, the Chargers scored on a four-yard run by quarterback Drew Brees and an eight-yard pass from Brees to Antonio Gates. But a 20-yard field goal by Mare sandwiched between the Chargers’ scores gave Miami the winning margin.

“It was a kind of weird feeling -- it didn’t feel like a lot of energy out there,” Charger linebacker Donnie Edwards said. “We didn’t have that spunk.”

The Dolphins felt disrespected, always a motivational spur.

“It seemed like they were taking us lightly,” Dolphin safety Yeremiah Bell said. “We took offense to that ... They probably thought we were going to come out here and lay down.”

The Chargers’ LaDainian Tomlinson, who rushed for 75 yards in 21 carries but had no touchdowns, said Bell wasn’t altogether wrong.

“I think in that first half we were just going through the motions that we weren’t playing a good football team, like we had won two or three Super Bowls,” Tomlinson said. “There was just something about this day.”