Chargers secondary is passing the test

Friday, Oct 13, 2006
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

After safety Marlon McCree hauled in his first interception of the season in Sunday night’s win over the Steelers, he made sure to find linebacker Shaun Phillips and pat him on the back.

“He got a good rush and made Ben (Roethlisberger) throw one up,” McCree said.  “I owe him for that one.”

When Phillips was asked how he hopes to be repaid, he simply pointed to the football field.

“I’m sure that I’m going to get a few sacks this season because Marlon is sticking to his man,” Phillips said.  “It all works together.  He can pay me back by making the quarterback hold onto the ball, which all of those guys have been doing.”

That’s exactly the message that has been preached at Chargers Park.  Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer promised that as the pass rush improved, the secondary’s numbers would in turn be better.  The Bolts are seeing the two units come together this season.  On top of leading the NFL in total defense, the Chargers also boast the NFL’s best pass defense.  Through four games, they’re giving up just 138 yards per game through the air and allowing opponents to complete just 48 percent of their throws.

“You hear our guys talking about being a dominating defense,” cornerback Quentin Jammer said.  “That comes on both ends.  We’ve really been challenged by some of the things that have been said about us in the past.  We don’t want to be the weak link.  We’ve tried to step it up.”

Their pass rush has certainly helped both ends of the defense.  The Bolts rank fourth in the NFL in sacks with 16, and the three teams ahead of them have each played one more game due to the Chargers’ early bye week.  The Bolts secondary isn’t being asked to cover their men as long, and they’re seeing the benefits.

“There’s no magic to it,” Schottenheimer said.  “Every quarterback in this league becomes less of a percentage thrower when he’s got these big guys surrounding him.  It’s hard to see, it’s hard to get the follow through and it’s hard to get your footwork done.”

The Chargers are also encouraged by the increase in interceptions they’ve experienced this season.  In 2005, the Bolts intercepted 10 passes.  They’ve already picked off six through four games this season, the sixth best total in the NFL.

“Those things tend to come in bunches,” Schottenheimer said.  “I’m pleased.  We spent a lot of time working through the offseason on ball drills and things like that.  It’s been obviously a big point of emphasis because we didn’t take the ball away as much as we would have liked to the last couple of years.”

While Jammer is pleased with how the secondary has played, he stressed consistency.  He’s hopeful that as the season progresses, the numbers will continue to be there.

“Give us about 10 more weeks and then we’ll see where we are,” Jammer said.  “It’s been a good start, but we all know that what counts is how you finish.  We’re going to keep it up.”

Status quo

There were no changes to the Chargers injury report Thursday.  Safety Bhawoh Jue (knee) was the only player that missed some practice time.  He is not expected to play Sunday.  Tight end Ryan Krause (hamstring) and tackle Marcus McNeill (hand) are probable.

San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis, the sixth overall pick in April’s draft, will not play this week.  He’s out with a fractured fibula.  Though he practiced, guard Larry Allen (knee) remains doubtful.  Linebacker Derek Smith, the team’s leading tackler, returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday’s drills.  He is probable with a hip injury.  Starting left tackle Jonas Jennings (hand) is questionable and also missed practice.

Headed home

Sunday will be a special game for San Francisco native Igor Olshansky.  Several of Olshansky’s friends and family members will be in the stands Sunday to watch the Chargers take on the 49ers.  Olshansky attended St. Ignatius High School, the same school that produced Chargers Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts.  Like Olshansky, Fouts also attended Oregon before being drafted by the Chargers.

Practice makes perfect

After being visibly displeased with the way his team practiced Wednesday, Schottenheimer was much happier Thursday.

“It was much improved,” Schottenheimer said. “The concentration and execution were far better than they were yesterday.  You have days like that, but you have to make sure that you don’t put two of those back to back because then it becomes a trend.  They responded very well to that.”