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Chargers QB
Doug Flutie
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It didn’t take new head coach Marty Schottenheimer long to declare every spot on
the Chargers’ depth chart open for competition, including quarterback. It happened on
the same day he was hired.
"The moment you deprive any player of the opportunity to compete to be a starter
is the moment you lose that player," Schottenheimer said in late January. "I
have no preconceived ideas at quarterback. Both Doug (Flutie) and Drew (Brees) and whoever
else might be a part of what we’re doing, they’re going to be given an
opportunity."
That opportunity is all Brees could ask for. As a highly decorated college quarterback
at Purdue and an early second-round pick in 2001, Brees spent nearly his entire rookie
season sending signals in from the sideline.
Flutie, on the other hand, could have been elected mayor of San Diego after the first
month and a half of the season. But after the Chargers’ surprising 5-2 start, things
turned as sour as month-old milk. Flutie threw 15 interceptions compared to only eight
touchdowns during the team’s nine-game losing streak and ended the season ranked 24th
in the league in passer rating.
In fairness to Flutie, the Chargers’ offense did move up from 28th to 11th in his
first year despite a patchwork offensive line. But his decision-making often was not up to
par, and when things took a turn for the worse, Flutie made a habit of deflecting the
blame.
Brees’ only action of the season came in Week Eight. With Flutie woozy from a
concussion, Brees rallied the Chargers to 20 straight points to take the lead against
Kansas City. But the Chargers’ defense failed to stop the Chiefs in the final minute,
and the 25-20 loss started the downhill slide.
While general manager John Butler denies he overruled former head coach Mike Riley and
some of his assistants, who all are believed to have wanted Brees to play late last
season, there are many who contend Butler promised a two-year commitment to Flutie when he
signed as a free agent last offseason. Former offensive coordinator Norv Turner was one of
Brees’ biggest supporters and felt he should have gotten more playing time. Turner
was not shy about voicing his opinion when the team plummeted out of playoff contention,
but Brees remained on the sideline.
Brees said he gained a tremendous amount of confidence after the Kansas City game.
Until then, he just had been nervous, knowing the time was going to come and hoping he
wouldn’t be too tentative. But his success against the Chiefs only made him hungrier.
As the season progressed, Brees often was told early in the week to be prepared to play
some on Sunday. Then Riley told him he was going to get a shot during the final two weeks.
But nothing happened.
This offseason, he has the opportunity to make something happen. Schottenheimer said he
wants to move swiftly toward making a decision because "everybody in the locker room
wants to know who the guy is," but he isn’t about to skip any steps in the
process. He plans on giving both passers the same number of reps with both the first and
second teams throughout minicamps, offseason workouts and training camp. Every throw and
every decision will be charted and evaluated, and a starter is expected to be named before
the club’s final preseason game at the latest.
"That’s the way it should always be," the 39-year-old Flutie said.
"I wish it had been that way throughout my career. I have no problem with that. If
Drew winds up being the guy, Drew’s the guy, and I’ll support him 100 percent.
We’ve got a great relationship, and all this can do is make me a better football
player."
Brees agrees, citing how the open competition can only improve the focus of both
quarterbacks.
"I think it’s good for the team too, because when we get out of this deal,
whoever is the starter, the team is going to know that person earned it," he said.
Cam Cameron, the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator, doesn’t have too many
fond memories of Brees. That’s because he used to serve as head coach at Indiana,
Purdue’s Big Ten and intrastate rival. Cameron joked that most of the gray hair on
his head came from coaching against Brees. But now they’re on the same side, and
Cameron, who served under Turner in Washington in the mid-’90s and runs a similar
run-oriented, motion offense, is eager to work with both quarterbacks in what figures to
be a highly publicized and equally competitive duel.
Cameron said he’s impressed with Flutie’s instincts and how quickly he picked
up Turner’s offense in his first year, while Brees admits he has a long way to go
toward winning the job and may be thinking too much.
"I think I’m one of those guys who should be able to step out on the field at
any time, with any offense and be perfect," said Brees, whose poise and accuracy
helped put a dent in the Big Ten record books. "That’s an attitude where
I’m going to be too hard on myself, and I catch myself doing that. Then again,
that’s kind of the way I want to be so I can go out there and expect
perfection."
Schottenheimer’s statement regarding the open competition came as a bit of a
surprise to some, but it’s hard to argue with someone who has one losing season in 16
years as an NFL head coach. Still, QB battles have a tendency to divide locker rooms, as
the wavering between Flutie and Rob Johnson did recently in Buffalo.
"I don’t think that’s going to be the case here because Doug and I
aren’t going through the locker room looking for support," Brees said. "I
would assume from what I’ve seen is that everyone in the locker room likes Doug and
me."
And as Brees put it, there are plenty of other guys on the team competing for jobs
every offseason, they just don’t get as much publicity.
"Personally, I’d rather know who the guy is," WR Curtis Conway said.
"That way you can really get to work and know that you’re not going into that
situation of going back and forth on who’s the guy."
Conway would prefer to get his timing down with one quarterback, but he’s not into
worrying about things that are out of his control. He spoke for the entire receiving corps
when he stated he’ll be ready catch the ball from whoever throws it to him.
As far as how each of them have handled the competition, Conway said the only
difference from last year is that Brees is working more with the first team. He
doesn’t see a change in attitude or any real sense of urgency from either of them.
Yet.
But the spotlight isn’t going to go away. It’s going to get brighter and
brighter as the regular season draws near.
"When you’re the quarterback of a football team, the whole city knows
you," Conway said. "You just don’t have the pressure of the team. It’s
like you’re taking the whole city on your back." |
