Season-in-review team reports — AFC
West
As published in print Feb. 6, 2002
2001 record: 5-11 |
| Overview |
| With some shrewd offseason maneuvering by new general manager John
Butler, it looked like Mike Riley’s job was secure and the Chargers would take the
cake as the turnaround team of the league with their strong start following a 1-15
disaster the year before. But things took a dramatic turn for the worse for Riley &
Co., as the Chargers stumbled, closing the season with a nine-game losing streak that
sealed Riley’s fate. After much deliberation, former Redskins head coach Marty
Schottenheimer was hired to replace him. |
| Turning point |
| The Chargers entered Week Eight riding an emotional high. They already
had increased their win total by four from the previous campaign and, at 5-2 with a
last-place schedule, looked like a virtual certainty for the postseason. Rookie QB Drew
Brees rallied the Chargers back from a 19-0 deficit to the 1-6 Chiefs but couldn’t
pull out the victory. The Chargers never won again the rest of the season. |
| Offensive MVP |
| Rookie RB LaDainian Tomlinson proved to be worth all the hype and then
some. Running behind a suspect offensive line and defenses stacked to stop him, Tomlinson
rushed for 1,236 yards and 10 touchdowns to finish second to the Bears’ Anthony
Thomas in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. The Chargers also utilized a quality of
Tomlinson’s game that had gone underused in college — his receiving skills. He
hauled in 59 passes, ran hard and was durable. |
| Defensive MVP |
| Newcomers Marcellus Wiley and Ryan McNeil both deserve a fair amount of
consideration for what they brought to the table in their first year in southern
California, but SS Rodney Harrison was the team’s most valuable defender. Harrison
was the team’s leading tackler despite missing two games with an injured ankle. He
also registered 3½ sacks, two interceptions, 13 passes defensed, a pair of forced fumbles
and a fumble recovery. |
| Biggest surprise |
| Veteran WR Curtis Conway was a disappointment in 2000 after signing a
lucrative free-agent deal. He never seemed to be completely healthy, and his numbers
reflected it. But 2001 was a different story, as he avoided injury and made the
much-needed impact in the passing game the Chargers had been seeking for so long. His
speed on the outside and big-play potential helped immensely. |
| Biggest disappointment |
| Basically, this category could be a three-way tie. QB Doug Flutie looked
like a sight for sore eyes early on, as San Diego relished the thought of being able to
wash its hands of Ryan Leaf. But the Flutie magic didn’t last, and his penchant for
interceptions and refusal to accept his share of the blame in the second half of the
season helped sink the Chargers’ chances. The Chargers’ defense once again was
unable to hold leads when it mattered most, and the PK duties also were a disaster. The
Chargers chose not to re-sign the best kicker in team history (John Carney) and instead
settled on former 49er Wade Richey, who did not perform well. |
| Rookie recap |
| Tomlinson didn’t disappoint and showed he was worthy of all the
accolades he received coming out of college. Brees looked very good in a brief stint and
appears to be the Chargers’ future at the QB position. Despite some injury problems,
CB Tay Cody, the team’s third-round pick, earned a starting spot and was a solid
tackler in the open field. LBs Carlos Polk and Zeke Moreno didn’t see much time
because of the depth at their positions, but they did well with their special-teams
obligations. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| DE Wiley was phenomenal and a real boost to the Chargers’ pass-rush
capabilities, recording 13 sacks. McNeil made plays, but Alex Molden, the other free-agent
starter at cornerback, didn’t play well and succumbed to injuries. There were mixed
reviews on Flutie, but the move to Richey proved to be disastrous. WR-RS Tim Dwight
couldn’t shake the injury bug, but he could be a key if the Chargers can re-sign him. |
| Team leaders |
Rushing — LaDainian Tomlinson, 1,236 yards on 339 carries, 3.6 avg.,
10 TDs.
Passing — Doug Flutie, 294-521 attempts for 3,464 yards, 15 TDs, 18 interceptions,
72.0 rating.
Receiving — Curtis Conway, 71 receptions for 1,125 yards, 15.8 avg., 6 TDs.
Scoring — Wade Richey, 89 points on 26 PATs and 21 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Ronney Jenkins, 58 for 1,541 yards, 26.6 avg., 2 TDs.
Punt returns — Tim Dwight, 24 for 271 yards, 11.3 avg., 1 TD.
Punting — Darren Bennett, 78 for 42.4 avg., 36.9 net, 4 TB, 25 inside 20, 0 blk.,
62L.
Interceptions — Ryan McNeil, 8 for 55 yards, 6.9 avg., 0 TDs.
Sacks — Marcellus Wiley, 13. |
| Results |
Pointspread Shown Refers to San Diego.
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 9 |
Washington |
(-2.5) |
30-3 |
| Sept. 23 |
At Dallas |
(-4) |
32-21 |
| Sept. 30 |
Cincinnati |
(-6.5) |
28-14 |
| Oct. 7 |
At Cleveland |
(-3) |
16-20 |
| Oct. 14 |
At New England |
(-3) |
26-29* |
| Oct. 21 |
Denver |
(+3) |
27-10 |
| Oct. 28 |
Buffalo |
(-7) |
27-24 |
| Nov. 4 |
Kansas City |
(-5) |
20-25 |
| Nov. 11 |
At Denver |
(+5) |
16-26 |
| Nov. 18 |
At Oakland |
(+8) |
24-34 |
| Nov. 25 |
Arizona |
(-7) |
17-20 |
| Dec. 2 |
At Seattle |
(+3) |
10-13* |
| Dec. 9 |
At Philadelphia |
(+7) |
14-24 |
| Dec. 15 |
Oakland |
(+3.5) |
6-13 |
| Dec. 23 |
At Kansas City |
(+3) |
17-20 |
| Dec. 30 |
Seattle |
(-2) |
22-25 |
| Jan. 6 |
BYE |
|
|
* Overtime |
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