NFL Recap (Baltimore-San Diego)
Posted: Sun November 15, 1998 at 11:17 p.m. EST
SAN DIEGO 14, BALTIMORE 13
SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Terrell Fletcher replaced injured Natrone Means and ran for
a touchdown and punter Darren Bennett made a
game-saving tackle as the San Diego Chargers held
off the Baltimore
Ravens, 14-13, giving quarterback Craig Whelihan his first
win as a starter.
Fletcher, who had just 14 carries in five games, gave the Chargers
(4-6) a 14-10 lead with a three-yard run 19 seconds into the fourth
quarter. Means broke his left foot early in the second, leaving with six
carries for five yards. Fletcher carried 23 times for 47 yards.
Jermaine Lewis
nearly gave the Ravens the lead when he fielded Bennett's punt at
Baltimore's 10-yard line and sprinted up the middle of the field. Bennett,
however, apparently tripped Lewis at the Ravens 45.
One of the league's best punt returners, Lewis got to his feet,
thinking Bennett missed him, and ran to the end zone. But officials
conferred and gave Bennett a 10-yard penalty for tripping and Baltimore
possession at San Diego's 45.
"I kind of hopped over his leg and fell down which gave the referees
the opportunity to make the call," Lewis said. "It took something out of
us to take points of the boards. He stuck his foot out, but he didn't
touch me. I know for sure he didn't touch me. He surprised me when he
stuck his foot out there, but my momentum in avoiding him made me roll
over."
Bennett disagreed.
"Yes, I think I got him. I didn't think I had got him enough to slow
him down. Then, when I saw him lying on the ground behind me, I still
didn't know he was down by contact. Then, I saw him get up and run for the
touchdown and I was obviously disappointed. Then, I did realize he was
down by contact. Then, I was like that's good. Cool, OK."
"From where I was I saw the trip, but I didn't see the player go
down," said referee Jerry Austin. "I don't know he's down, so we continue
to officiate and he kept running and ran into the end zone. After we
discussed it, we put it together this way. We have three flags and we had
two other officials say it went to the ground. Therefore, if he went to
the ground we go to that spot, penalize the team 10 yards and its
1st-and-10."
Jim Harbaugh
completed a 20-yard pass to Lewis on 3rd-and-10, but the connection came
after a false start on offensive lineman Ben Cavil, his second of
the game. Baltimore settled for Matt Stover's second
42-yard field goal, closing the scoring with 3:49 left.
Whelihan, named the starter earlier this week when interim coach June
Jones benched struggling rookie Ryan Leaf, improved to 1-7
lifetime as a starter. He tossed a 47-yard scoring pass to Charlie Jones to give the
Chargers a 7-3 lead with 3:04 remaining in the second quarter. Whelihan
completed just 15-of-42 passes for 172 yards with a touchdown.
"I'll take the win," he said. "Things this season haven't been going
our way. Breaks weren't falling our way. Right now, that doesn't matter
because I'm happy with the win. If it's luck then so be it. A win is a
win."
The Chargers twice kicked field goals on their second TD drive, taking
points off the board both times after Baltimore penalties.
On 4th-and-10 John
Carney kicked a 44-yard field goal but linebacker Tyrell Peters was called
for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Chargers a first down on the
Baltimore 13. Fletcher followed with an eight-yard run before losing a
yard. An incomplete pass brought 4th-and-3.
Carney kicked a 24-yard field goal but defensive end Michael McCrary was
penalized for climbing on a teammate's back in order to block the kick.
San Diego accepted the penalty and Fletcher ran around right end from three
yards on the next play for his first touchdown of the season.
Jim Harbaugh was 12-of-33 for 150 yards with a touchdown and an
interception for Baltimore, which has lost five of its last six games.
After Stover's second 42-yard field goal, the Ravens got the ball back with
1:44 remaining. Harbaugh scampered six yards before throwing consecutive
incompletions.
"I think we lost a football game that we didn't give ourselves a
chance to win," said Baltimore coach Ted Marchibroda. "We didn't play
smart enough to win the game today. We have some guys playing this game
for themselves. They are not playing for the team."
Stover's first 42-yarder opened the scoring 93 seconds into the game.
The Chargers managed little on offense until Whelihan hooked up with
Charlie Jones for a 44-yard TD to make it 7-3 with 2:04 left in the first
half.
Baltimore took a 10-7 lead when Harbaugh tossed a 58-yard pass to
Lewis with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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