Injured Lachey May Miss Oilers Game : Chargers’ Premier Blocker Questionable for First Time in 2 Years
Offensive tackle Jim Lachey remains hobbled by a pulled hamstring and may miss Sunday’s game against the Houston Oilers.
Lachey, the Chargers’ premier blocker, hasn’t missed a game in his two-year career but was described as “very questionable” by Coach Al Saunders.
If Lachey is unable to play, he will be replaced in the starting lineup by Ken Dallafior (6-foot-4, 269 pounds), a second-year man who has never started a game in the National Football League.
Because of the possibility that Lachey may not play for several weeks, the Chargers activated rookie offensive lineman Curt DiGiacomo (6-foot-4, 266 pounds) as a backup.
Saunders says he would have preferred to add another defensive lineman to help compensate for the loss of Leslie O’Neal, who underwent knee surgery Wednesday. The Chargers had picked up former Miami Dolphin defensive Mack Moore to supplement their defensive line.
“It looks doubtful for Jim Lachey for next week,” Saunders said. “If he was OK, we would have brought in another defensive lineman to help us get more pressure on the quarterback.”
The Chargers are expecting to face a flurry of passes from Houston’s Oliver Luck, who replaces injured quarterback Warren Moon.
“We have no one individual who can replace Leslie O’Neal,” Saunders said. “He has been one of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFL this year (with 12.5 sacks).
“Other players will have to pick up the slack. One individual can’t take Leslie’s place, but we can compensate as a team. We have to find other ways to pressure the quarterback.”
O’Neal is still hospitalized in Lake Tahoe, where he underwent surgery for repair of torn ligaments in his left knee after he was injured Sunday.
He was operated on by Dr. Richard Steadman, physician for the U.S. Ski Team, who was recommended by O’Neal’s agent, Marvin Demoff.
Chargers trainer Mark Howard, after talking with Steadman, reported that the surgery went well, without complications.
Howard also said it might be possible for O’Neal to return sooner than expected. At first it was feared that he might miss all of next season, but now it appears that his recuperation might not require more than nine months. At that pace, he could be ready by early in the 1987 season.