Times-Advocate du lieu suivant : Escondido, California • 20

C4 TIMES-ADVOCATE, Escondido, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 1984 Winslow ponders future knowing he did right thing By Don Norcross Times-Advocate Sportswriter AN low's half: a DIEGO 1984 season. season But Kellen was in Wins- those only eight weeks he experienced more ups and down than an elevator operator. There was his one-week "retirement." which really wasn't a retirement at all but a negotiating ploy, which proved to be rather successful. One week after retiring, Winslow signed a five-year, $3.5 million contract.

His sticky contract situation out of the way, Winslow then enjoyed half a season that began to take on historical proportions. At the pace he was catching footballs, Winslow would wind up the 1984 campaign with 119 catches, obliterating Charley Hennigan's record of 101. Hennigan's record has stood for 2 20 years, having been set in 1964 with the Houston Oilers. 'I've watched replays several times and when they show the play I turn my head But then came Winslow's season-ending knee injury nine days ago against the Los Angeles Raiders. It's given him plenty of time for reflection.

"I think this season has been one of maturity, one of growth and one of education for me," said Winslow. And what has he learned? "That a man has to do what he thinks is right," said Winslow. "That he has to stand by his guns. He's the one that has to live with his decision." Winslow was referring to his decision to retire after one game this season. It was a decision that wasn't popular with many of his teammates, who were angered that Winslow was putting himself before the team.

Nor did Winslow's actions get rave reviews from the press. Speaking publicly for the first time Monday since suffering his injury, Winslow said, "A few weeks back several people drug me through the mud because I wanted Quotebook John Maffei By Times Advocate Sports Editor SAN DIEGO Notes and quotes night's 24-0 victory by the Seattle Chargers in San Diego Stadium: Steve Largent of the Seahawks his 100th straight game. In each of cluding Monday's game, his first catch TD. He caught four passes on Monday and all three Seattle touchdowns. Quarterback Dave Krieg of sonal battle with Dan Fouts of the completed 23 of 29 passes for 282 yards.

TD passes and was intercepted once. 39 for 200 yards and was intercepted back Lionel James threw the other ception. Krieg on the game: "I had and Steve Largent had another big was going to be a much tougher especially after the way they played 31-13 Seahawks victory). My receivers well today. I was happy we could and score some points.

We wanted around and find the open man with 3 Most of the time, the open man covered by Chargers' cornerback have to go back to the drawing board. just doesn't seem to be there," said Seattle Head Coach Chuck Knox "Needless to say, our defense played We gave the game ball to the coaches. Offensively, we had some but Krieg did a great job throwing the him time, he can hit people. He got the we've had all year." Knox on the shutout: "It's the Continued from page C1 time the club has been shut out at home since Nov. 14, 1976.

The Broncos had the honor then, too. pitching a 17-0 shutout. "In all fairness to our said linebacker Cliff Thrift. "I can't ever remember that many guys being hurt at one time." ow ter Early crippled Bobby in the is Air Duckworth fourth Coryell? quargot dinged and had to leave for a play. Who replaced him at wide receiver? Bruce Mathison, the third-string quarterback.

Knowing Holohan probably wouldn't be able to play, the Chargers hoped to run against Seattle. Green Continued from page C1 such short drops. You've got to rush Fouts up the gut. You try to rush him right up the middle because you know he'll stand in and Kellen left Raider a message Associated Press Photo guaranteed and he has already made a name for himself, Winslow won't lack motivation to rehabitate his knee. "Not at all," he said, "because I like to play.

I love to play." Interestingly, he said he hasn't seen a replay of his injury. "I've watched replays several times and when they show the play I turn my head away," he said. Despite the injury, Winslow said he won't wear a knee brace when he comes back. "The type of knee brace our linebackers and offensive and defensive linemen wear would be pretty restrictive to my style of play," he said. "Besides, there's no assurance a knee brace would have protected me from that type of hit." against the Raiders.

sibility of it being career and I said, 'We can't have recalled Winslow. Winslow, though, stopped short of guaranteeing a comeback, saying it may not be the Lord's will. "He might send me sign saying I'm through playing football," said Winslow. "But I haven't seen that sign yet." Winslow did say he wouldn't rush himself back. "Before I step out on that field I'm going to make darn sure in my own mind it can take a lick," he said.

Winslow said Chargers trainer Ric McDonald has installed a continuous passive motion machine in his house and he has already begun rehabilitation. Even though his contract is after Friday's practice." really commend Catlin on the game: "We felt going in we had a good game plan, but they have to execute it." Catlin, when informed him credit, saying they were plan: "It means we did a three-fourths of this game lieve in what we're trying them the credit." the players were giving confident with the game good selling job and that's if we can get them to beto get them to do. Give The leading rusher in the game was Earnest Jackson of the Chargers who finished with 38 yards on 18 carries a 2.1 average. "It just wasn't our day. Everytime we'd get something going, it seemed to come back at us.

They stopped the running game, and when you stop the running game, it makes it much tougher on your passing game." Seattle's top rusher He had 10 carries for 36 at fullback for the Seahawks on three carries. He's not who played so well for so Steelers. He didn't play a was fullback David Hughes. yards. Franco Harris started and gained three yards even close to the same back long with the Pittsburgh down in the second half.

The Chargers were playing without tight end Kellen Winslow, out for the season with a knee injury, tight end Eric Sievers, who sprained a knee on the opening kickoff, and tight end Pete Holohan, who played only briefly because of a sprained ankle. That meant Ron Egloff, re-signed earlier in the week had to play every down at tight end. Egloff had two catches for 26 yards. Chargers Coach Don Coryell on Egloff's performance: "He had to play the entire game, and I The offense even ended on a fit- Krieg became the ting note. On their final play from back to riddle the the Seattle 30, Fouts lofted an arch- ary.

He completed ing prayer into the end zone. for 282 yards. Joiner went up, clutched the ball, But even that then had it slip through his hands. ment for the It was so bad Coryell apologized Krieg became for his side's performance. back in a month "We knew we were short-hand- yards against the ed," said the head coach, "and we Steve Largent really became short-handed offen- for the San sively when Sievers hurt his knee.

caught four But even so all of us are embar- discression. Three rassed to play as poorly as we for touchdowns. did." The defenders, While the offense was the biggest counting to 11. On sore, it did have company. The back Scott Byers special teams didn't exactly rate Williams both rave reviews.

Seattle kicked off field. Byers then five times. Only once did the and ran back into Chargers return the ball past the the play was 20. The Chargers kicked off once. Chargers other Seattle returned the ball to the fense, it didn't Chargers' 48.

completed a Then there was the time the liams didn't get Chargers had 12 men on the field to time, the Chargers block an extra point. Not one, but for too many men two of them ran off the field. the Seahawks, Defensively, the Seahawks' Jim The defense the AFC West standings now that's the way it tied for second at 7-2 with the Los TV, losers don't. Angeles Raiders, one game behind "'We won last Denver and second, national TV making the playoffs exposure. team and "'We knew we were on TV, and Championship we wanted to show the nation what national TV this we could do," Green said.

"San Di- defense ego is on TV all the time. But the NFL takeaways they're winners. Until you win, No. 1 in sacks with By Don Norcross Times-Advocate Sportswriter way ellen game he of Winslow his normally 1984 left leaves season the final one the with something to say. As he was being carried off on a cart after suffering his season-ending knee injury last week against the Los Angeles Raiders, Winslow was pointing toward the Raiders, talking and waving.

Winslow said he was telling a couple of his friends on the Raiders good-bye, but for the most part he was carrying out a running feud with defensive end Greg Townsend. "He came in on one pass rush and yelled that I was holding," said Winslow. "I said, 'C'mon, be trying to egg him on. He pushed me and the ref threw a flag." After the Raiders were assessed 15 yards for a personal foul, Winslow said he blocked Townsend out a couple more plays and that Townsend continued to complain to the refs that Winslow was holding. "He was taunting me and I was taunting him," said Winslow.

"I wanted to try to get him to swing at me and get another 15-yard penalty." Winslow said the Chargers scored a touchdown on the drive he and Townsend were exchanging pleasantries. "As I left the field I felt good because mentally I had taken him out of his game." And when Winslow was being carted off the field, Townsend naturally had some more words for Winslow. Kellen's response? "As I was leaving the field," recalled Winslow, "I said, 'I can still block Kellen Winslow waves as he leaves the field after sustaining knee injury some security, some future, something stable that said whether Kellen Winslow was hurt or not he would be a San Diego Charger and would be paid 'X' amount of dollars. "Several articles were written that he should come back and play football, wait it out and see. Kellen Winslow's glad he did what he thought was best.

"If he'd waited and seen you're looking at it now." As he made his last statement, Winslow rapped the cast that runs from his ankle to his thigh. It was a reminder that football is a cruel game and that at any time a star can become a has-been. Winslow, though, sought to secure his future. He demanded that his contract be guaranteed a rarity Diego's been self. I think this from Monday beaten the Chargers Seahawks over the It is.

Knox on the caught a pass in with the Los his last five, in- 1 Denver Broncos: has been for a the Raiders once, for 51 yards the satisfaction tonight." Seattle won his per- Strong safety Chargers. Krieg intercepted three He had three He shared the Fouts was 24 of most noteably twice. Running tions in a game Chargers' inter- refused to talk Seattle bus. excellent protection, Seahawks game. I thought it game: "Give all and closer game, the coaches.

They us in Seattle (a We could have got open quite plan and done the keep drives going us in we're right to throw the ball Simpson, single coverage. masterful about appeared to be away any of our Gil Byrd. hard to tell you The chemistry would've worked Byrd. Chandler in there. on the game: you have to play a helluva game.

Defensive defensive team and stopped the trouble running, special. We've ball. If you give Catlin (the team's best protection job preparing us. understand and first time San game plan "If we didn't run, I was afraid we wouldn't have (Dan) Fouts," said Coryell. "I was afraid he'd wind up on the shelf." The Seahawks, in case you didn't notice, can put some pressure on a quarterback.

They came into the game with 32 sacks, second in the league. It was a nice plan. Except for one thing. It didn't work. The Chargers were held to 48 yards rushing in 23 attempts, a 2.1- yard average.

Earnest Jackson mirrored those stats, gaining 38 yards on 18 tries. When the running game failed and San Diego fell behind by 17 at the half, the Chargers had no choice but to go to the air. This means of travel was not very successful. Fouts did complete a nice percentage of passes 24 of 39 but most of them were of the short variety. More telling, he was intercepted twice.

The Chargers only other passer on the night, halfback Lionel James, also had his only attry and get a pass off. He won't break to the outside and scramble, so you can ignore that part of the field. "Ed White is a good old veteran player, and he's hard to rush over. He's strong, but I had to try and bull rush Obviously, it worked. "We were in a position most of in the NFL and he received it.

"I insisted on it," he said. "'They told me a guarantee wasn't necessary. They said I wouldn't get cut. I still insisted on it. "The thing I was looking for in this contract wasn't the megabucks that were reported in the paper.

I was looking for the security that I would be here the next five years, whether I broke my neck giving service to this team or walking across the street and getting hit by a car." Winslow expressed confidence that he would be able to play again next season, even though his knee injury a torn medial collateral ligament and a damaged anterior cruciate ligament which required reconstruction is a serious one. "'The doctor mentioned the pos- is the first time the Seahawks have twice in one season." AFC West where Seattle at 7-2 is tied Angeles Raiders for second behind the 8- "We still play Denver twice and but all I want to think about now is of working hard and being successful Kenny Easley of the Seahawks passes on Monday a club record. old record with five other players, Dave Brown, who had two intercepfour times. After the game, Easley as he hurried off half dressed to the defensive back Keith Simpson on the the credit not to the players, but to designed a masterful game plan. sent any 11 players out there with that same thing.

The coverages they put on the money all night when asked what specifically was so the game plan: "I don't want to give household secrets. Seriously, it's exactly what we saw and did. It even with Kellen Winslow and Wes Besides, Chuck's always telling us the hand you're dealt." back John Harris on how Seattle Chargers' offense: "It wasn't anything played them a few times and Tom defensive coordinator) did a great He gave us the kind of plan we could execute. We started working on the Thursday and we were confident with it tempt picked off. All-Pro safety Ken Easely pulled down all three thefts.

Surely he is disappointed he won't see the San Diegans again. He came into the game with just one interception. Meanwhile, Coryell's worst suspicions were upheld. Forced to throw, Fouts became a sitting duck. He was sacked six times, and now the Seahawks lead the entire NFL in sacks with 38.

As for the Chargers, they've now given up 26 sacks, two less than their entire 1983 total. So feeble was the Charger offense it could not even accept charity. With 6:03 to play and the only doubt being whether or not the Chargers would be shut out, the defense forced a turnover, giving their teammates the ball on the Seattle 11-yard line. Three plays later, the San Diegans were faced with a fourth and two from the Seattle three. What did they do? Run.

Jackson gained a yard and the shutout was safe. the game where we had to throw," White said. "They're a good football team, and they were always coming. Everything we did, they shut us down. They put us in obvious passing situations, and that's a tough place to Green admits that his motivation for this game was two fold.

First there was Seattle's place in even practice. him. He was doing things he didn't Ron made every effort. He was doing things, like going in motion, he'd never done in practice." Wide receiver Charlie Joiner of the Chargers had three catches for 33 yards. He now has 626 career receptions for 10,347 yards.

He need six receptions to surpass Raymond Berry's 631 and move into third on the all-time NFL list. Joiner needs 24 catches to pass Charley Taylor and become the NFL's top all-time receiver. Joiner needs only 26 yards to pass Harold Jackson and move into second on the all-time yardage list. Joiner on the game: "Having no tight ends really hurt us. We're basically a three-tight end team.

There is no blame to be placed. We just didn't exe- cute. We keep have to keep think people Linebacker saying saying saying we're going to rebound. We it until we do rebound. I don't put us down and count us out." should Billy Ray Smith of the Chargers intercepted a pass.

It was his third interception in the last four games. a Smith was the defensive leader for the Chargers with eight tackles, two assists and the interception. Keith Ferguson registered the only Chargers sack. Nose tackle Joe Nash led Seattle with six tackles, an assist and a sack. second-half kickoff NE Before the game, the Chargers waived kicker Benny Ricardo to make room for defensive end Lee Williams on the roster.

That left a post-operative Rolf Benirschke to do the kicking. His only kick the made it to the 14. latest quarterCharger second23 of 29 passes was an improveChargers. the first quarternot to pass for 300 Chargers. was his usual pain Diegans.

He only passes, but he used of them went too, had trouble one play, nickel and lineman Lee sprinted off the made a U-turn the secondary as developing. Like the forms of pass debother Krieg. He 42-yard pass. Wiloff the field in were flagged on the field and naturally, declined. did have its is.

Winners get on year (finishing 9-7, as a wild-card advancing to the AFC game), so we got on year. (ranked No. 1 in with 38 and 38) is just start- moments, though, forcing three turnovers. Normally, if the Chargers hold the opponents to 24 points you'd expect them to win or at least be close. But this was no normal game.

Talking about the defense having to continually go back on the field, Thrift said, "I felt like Davey Crocket at the Alamo. They kept coming and coming. The odds were overwhelming. And you've got to fight, even though you know you're going to die." Asked if the Chargers were indeed dead, Thrift said, "'Let's be realistic. We are 4-5." And losers of three straight.

Even Coryell, who normally makes Normal Vincent Peale sound like a pessimist, admits his club has been relegated to the role of spoiler. Meanwhile, that thud you heard in the background was the Chargers falling to the AFC West basement. All I by themselves. ing to be recognized. We knew the nation was watching, and we came to play.

We don't feel we've gotten the destinction due us. "We're good, people just don't know it." The Chargers know it now, and if the people watching on TV didn't turn the game off early, they know, too..