Kansas City Rookies Run Chargers Ragged, 20-13

Game balls were plopped in the laps of Christian Okoye and Paul Palmer, two Kansas City rookies who now shall be known as Thunder and Lightning.

Meanwhile, the Chargers--the original lightning bolts--had scoring opportunities plopped in their laps but did little to take advantage and lost Sunday, 20-13.

Palmer scored the winning touchdown, a 95-yard kickoff return with 3:19 remaining. Moments before, the Chargers had tied the score at 13-13 on Vince Abbott’s 33-yard field goal, but, the truth is, they had had a first down on the Chief five-yard line and could have gone ahead with a touchdown. Three blitzes, two incompletes and a penalty later, a tie was all they could get.

And then Palmer untied it.

He fielded Abbott’s line drive kickoff and ran gingerly ahead, and then teammate Paul Coffman’s crushing block on Daniel Hunter opened the way.

“It was like a wide receiver seeing a deep pass coming toward him,” Palmer said. “It was like a linebacker sneaking up on a quarterback from the blind side. It was like a defensive back seeing an interception about to be his . . . All I had to do was run.”

Abbott missed him, and then Charger receiver Timmie Ware gave chase. On the Charger sideline, cornerback Danny Walters was watching.

“(Palmer) was running right by me,” Walter said. “I almost ran out and tackled him.”

Instead, Palmer’s teammates tackled him in the end zone, as Palmer celebrated his inaugural NFL game by getting 44 happy Chiefs in his face.

Okoye had at least 44 writers and broadcasters in his face afterward, for he had gained 105 yards in 21 carries, including a 43-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Okoye is from Enugu, Nigeria, and runs like the wind. It wouldn’t be such a big deal, except that he weighs 255 pounds.

He’s only the second Chief since 1981 to gain more than 100 yards, and in 1981, Okoye didn’t even know what the National Football League was. He has played organized football for only four years (at Azusa Pacific University), but his touchdown--which put the Chiefs ahead, 10-0, in the second quarter--shows why he’ll be playing a lot more years.

It was a simple pitchout to the right, but he waited for tackle Irv Eatman to block Charger defensive end Lee Williams and then watched guard Mark Adickes stampede linebacker Andy Hawkins. Suddenly, Okoye saw a clear field and he ran to it--untouched.

“In the past, I would have run zoooooom!” Okoye said. “I never would have waited for my blocks.”

He has been taught how to run and how to block and now what to do with a game ball.

“I will grab a pen tonight,” he said. “I will write, ‘My first NFL touchdown against the Chargers.’ I will write the date and the year.”

Sunday wasn’t so memorable for the Chargers, who turned the ball over four times, dropped possible interceptions, botched a fake punt and came unglued whenever there was a goal-to-go situation.

We start with quarterback Dan Fouts, who threw for enough yards (21 of 39 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown), but not enough points. On his first possession, he overthrew a wide-open Kellen Winslow and was intercepted by safety Deron Cherry.

In the second quarter, his pass in the end zone to Wes Chandler (no catches) was also caught by Cherry.

The Chargers trailed, 10-0, at intermission before Fouts led them on a long drive. He hit Winslow for a 27-yard gain, and then safety Lloyd Burruss was called for roughing the passer.

Tim Spencer’s seven-yard run gave the Chargers first and goal at the two. Normally, you’d like their chances, but guard Dennis McKnight’s false start, on second and goal from the two, pushed them back farther. Then cornerback Kevin Ross sacked Fouts from behind. Abbott’s 32-yard field goal made it 10-3.

Because of a personal foul penalty against Chief tight end Jonathan Hayes, the Chargers began their next possession at the Chief 39-yard line. Again, you’d normally like their chances, but Chief linebacker Dino Hackett sacked Fouts, and Abbott missed a 44-yarder.

Chief quarterback Todd Blackledge (6 of 15 for 79 yards) kept handing off most of the day (the Chiefs rushed for 174 yards), but he connected with receiver Henry Marshall for 19 yards and put the Chiefs in field goal range. Kicker Nick Lowery made the 29-yarder early in the fourth quarter and immediately started cheerleading for the crowd of 56,940.

So here were the Chargers, trailing, 13-3. They had used their new three-running-back offense all day but had managed only a field goal. Running backs Gary Anderson and Lionel James had run more yards going in motion than with the football. What else was left to do?

A fake punt. On fourth down with 11 minutes left in the game, the ball was snapped to linebacker Billy Ray Smith instead of punter Ralf Mojsiejenko. Smith ran a couple of steps and tossed a shovel pass to tight end Pete Holohan, except Holohan had been bumped at the line of scrimmage and wasn’t anywhere near the ball. Chief defender Albert Lewis intercepted.

Still, there’s too much innovation in the Charger offense to keep them out of the end zone. On their next possession, a reverse to James gained 13 yards. And then Fouts hit Anderson on the right sideline. Anderson eluded Albert Lewis, barely kept his feet in bounds, and scored on the 34-yard touchdown pass with 7:37 left.

“I was tiptoeing to stay in bounds,” Anderson said. “Whatever it takes.”

With the Chargers trailing, 13-10, the San Diego defense then caused the first Chief turnover. Outside linebacker Chip Banks--acquired in the off-season from Cleveland--smacked Blackledge in the arm as he threw, and linebacker Gary Plummer intercepted the wobbly pass at the Chief 30.

Soon the Chargers had first and goal at the five after cornerback Kevin Ross made illegal contact with Chandler on a pass near the goal line.

Here’s how they ended up on the 15-yard line:

First down--Fouts pitched right to Anderson, but Hackett blitzed and hit him at the line of scrimmage.

Second down--Burruss blitzed and forced Fouts to throw a wobbly pass over Chandler’s head.

Third down--Fouts lobbed a pass to Anderson in the right corner of the end zone and he outleaped nickel back J.C. Pearson and caught it. But the officials ruled he was out of bounds.

“If (Pearson) hadn’t pushed me, I would have been inbounds,” Anderson said. “Because he pushed me, I thought they’d give me the score.”

Fourth down--Abbott made a 23-yarder, but tight end Eric Sievers was called for holding.

Fourth down (again)--Abbott made a 33-yarder.

Ensuing kickoff--Palmer went all the way.

“It was a great run,” Coach Al Saunders said. “What else can I say.”

Still, with 2:23 left, the Chargers had time to make their final mistake. Blackledge--on second and nine from his 30--passed the ball upfield. Banks tipped it, and Walters, the Charger cornerback, opened his arms to make the interception. He dropped it, however, and the ball fell into the hands of Chief receiver Stephone Paige for a first down.

The Chargers, out of timeouts, couldn’t stop the clock.

The Chief locker room was bedlam. Frank Gansz, the new Chief coach, was 1-0. Palmer, the Chiefs’ No. 1 draft pick who is otherwise known as Lightning, was doing a slew of television interviews. And Okoye, the No. 2 draft pick otherwise known as Thunder, was thinking about what he’d tell his parents.

“It’s a nine-hour time difference, so I’ll call them tomorrow,” he said. “I’ve tried explaining football to them, and they don’t really understand. At least they know what a running back is. I’ll just tell them I scored a touchdown. I’m happy and I have a game ball to bring home.”