PRO FOOTBALL / Week 13 : No Bad Teams in NFL, Just Bad Records : And Baddest of the Bad --Those Winless Colts-- Play Host to the Chargers
SAN DIEGO — Since succeeding Don Coryell as head coach a month ago, Al Saunders has repeatedly promoted the notion that there are no bad teams in the National Football League.
Every team, he argues, has competent coaches and players. Some teams win more games than others, but none deserves the label bad.
His claim will be put to the test today when the Chargers face the winless Colts in the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis.
The Colts are trying to stay out of the history books as the first team to go 0-16.
“We’ve played hard,†said Coach Rod Dowhower. “It’s been a case of not being experienced, not having continuity and maybe not being good enough.â€
Saunders, no doubt fearful his team may not approach the game with the intensity it reserves for the Raiders or Denver Broncos, did his best to build up the Colts.
“They are scary,†he said, maintaining a straight face. “They have some outstanding players. I’m sure they will be ready for us.â€
The Colts, who last week lost to Houston, 31-17, do have eight first-round draft picks. Among them are defensive linemen Donnell Thompson and John Hand, whom the Chargers coveted in the 1986 draft; linebackers Johnnie Cooks and Duane Bickett, and cornerback Leonard Coleman.
The Colts’ offense features wide receiver Bill Brooks, the league’s most productive rookie pass catcher this year, and rookie quarterback Jack Trudeau, who suffered a bruised shoulder last week but was expected to be ready for today’s game.
The Colts may not be a bad team, but they are surely the closest thing the NFL has to offer. And Saunders may be stretching his credibility by saying that the Colts don’t deserve the abuse that has been heaped upon them.
After all, the Colts rank 21st in total offense and 22nd in total defense. The Chargers, no juggernaut either, are 12th in total offense and 24th in total defense.
In last week’s loss to Houston, the Colts seemed flat, Dowhower said.
“Maybe it all caught up with us,†he said. “Maybe it (the losing streak) has taken a lot more out of us than we realized.â€
Dowhower dodged a discussion of rumors that his job is on the line.
“This is a difficult situation to be in,†he said. “I’m no expert on losing. I don’t profess to have the answers.â€
Saunders’ hope is that the Chargers won’t view the Colts as an easy mark.
“We have a lot to prove,†he said. “In the last three games against Denver, Dallas and the Raiders, we have taken a giant step toward gaining some respect.
“Now it’s time to put it all together and win a game. We need to eliminate the errors that have been costing us and play a total game--offense, defense and special teams. Our hope is to play hard and play up to our ability.â€
If his pregame speech isn’t more rousing, the Chargers could be in trouble. He declined to say if he had found another inspirational clipping, such as the one he read to the team before the Denver game about a legless Vietnam veteran who took four days to complete the New York Marathon by propelling himself on his arms.
The right arm of Dan Fouts is in better shape this week so he will return to the starting lineup. He was idle in last Thursday night’s game against the Raiders because of a bruised shoulder sustained four days earlier against Dallas.
Fouts threw well in practice this week, Saunders said, but if Fouts should get hurt again, Mark Herrmann would be the first quarterback off the bench. Tom Flick, who started against the Raiders, is back to No. 3.
Herrmann completed 13 of 23 passes in relief of Flick to rally the Chargers from a 31-10 third-quarter deficit to a 31-31 tie that sent the game into overtime. The Chargers wound up losing on a 28-yard touchdown run by Marcus Allen.
Among the errors Saunders would like to correct are problems in the kicking game that have resulted in blocked punts the last two games. The Raiders scored a first-quarter touchdown on a blocked punt by Lester Hayes.
It would not be unreasonable to surmise that the Colts will come after San Diego punter Ralf Mojsiejenko.
“I sure would in their place,†Saunders said. “When you’ve had a kick blocked, you can count on people trying to do it again. We’ve been working very hard on every situation we can think of to improve our protection.â€
