Chargers play for pride
Even with six Pro Bowlers, life has returned to normal for the San Diego Chargers.
They’ll miss the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 seasons and are reduced to playing their final game for pride only. Granted, they’ll be going after their 10th win when they host AFC West champion Denver on Saturday, but the game will otherwise be meaningless because the Broncos have clinched a first-round bye.
And no, Philip Rivers won’t play, unless Drew Brees gets hurt.
“We will play everybody that is healthy enough to play. Our starters will start, our starters will play, because we have one objective, and that is to get to 10-6,” coach Marty Schottenheimer said Monday in his first public comments since the Chargers looked listless in a 20-7 loss at Kansas City on Saturday that ended their playoff chances.
“There’s a difference between preseason and regular season, in my view. Ours is about winning football games … and 10-6 just sounds a lot better to me than 9-7.”
Which is why Schottenheimer won’t replace Brees with Rivers, who’s played sparingly – but collected more than $14 million – in his two years in San Diego.
The Chargers’ gross inconsistency ended their attempt to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in a decade.
They lost at home to Gus Frerotte and the Miami Dolphins, then went on the road and ruined a perfect season for Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. With a chance to continue their playoff push, they fell flat at Kansas City.
Asked if the Chargers were too good of a team not to make the postseason, Schottenheimer said: “No, I don’t think you can say that. With the end of the season when we look at it, we’re going to look back at opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on.”
Boller still yet to clinch starting job for ‘06
By throwing three touchdown passes in each of his last two games, Kyle Boller has provided the Baltimore Ravens with evidence that he can be an effective NFL quarterback.
That doesn’t necessarily mean he will retain his starting job in 2006.
Ravens coach Brian Billick insisted he will wait until after the season to decide whether to keep Boller atop the depth chart. Boller’s performance against Green Bay and Minnesota the last two weeks has been impressive, but Billick wants to see how the former No. 1 draft pick fares Sunday in Cleveland before making any kind of commitment.
“Obviously it helps. But this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, so we’ll see what he does this week, too,” Billick said. “Can you follow up two good performances? It never seems to end.”
With Boller leading the way, the Ravens totaled 78 points against the Packers and Vikings while putting together their first winning streak since November 2004. The last two games, Boller is 43 of 61 for 542 yards, with six TDs and one interception. Before that, he had five touchdowns and nine interceptions in six starts.
Mora claims ‘great control’ over emotions
Jim Mora acknowledged he was upset when he put an abrupt end to a radio interview following the loss Saturday that knocked his Atlanta Falcons out of playoff contention.
Still, Mora insisted “I have great control of my emotions,” adding he is unfairly judged by those seeking to link his emotional displays with those of his father, former coach Jim Mora.
“I think part of that comes from the fact I share my last name with my dad, who’s got famous sound bites,” he said. “So everyone is always looking for one, looking for one, looking for one. So you know what? There hasn’t been any.”
As for the episode Saturday, he said:
“All I did was take the headphones off and slam them down and the thing bounced and I walked out,” he added. “If I offended anyone I obviously apologize. That wasn’t my intent. … I didn’t handle it as well as I should have.”
Around the league
The New York Giants signed linebacker Kevin Lewis. … Dallas released inconsistent kicker Billy Cundiff and re-signed rookie Sean Suisham. … Jacksonville defensive tackle Marcus Stroud rolled his sport utility vehicle upon striking a slow-moving pickup truck near Sanderson, Fla., Saturday night. No one was seriously injured.