McMahon Still Feels Sore About Health Question

SAN DIEGO —  Maybe what the Chargers really need is a damage control coach.

Their head coach, Dan Henning, continues to confuse. Monday, he was guilty on three different fronts.

Their special-teams coach momentarily lost his cool. And a player they waived Saturday practiced with them the day after their 40-14 season-opening loss to the Raiders. He was unsigned when he did so. As if that wasn’t enough, Jim McMahon, the quarterback who was supposed to turn the franchise around, sounded healthy but unhappy, upon reflection, when asked about Henning’s decision to remove him in the third quarter Sunday.

Asked Monday why he came out of the game, McMahon said, “Because the coach made the decision.”

Asked upon what that decision was based, McMahon said, “I don’t know. He’s the coach.”

Asked for his opinion of Henning’s decision, McMahon said, “I’m very unopinionated.”

McMahon, who completed seven of 18 passes for 91 yards but no touchdowns, also said his ribs were still sore but he expected to be able to play next Sunday in the Chargers’ home opener against Houston. Henning said McMahon would start.

But Henning also said Darryl Usher, the wide receiver he waived Saturday, didn’t practice Monday. Usher said he did.

“As far as I know, I’m part of the team,” Usher said. “But I’m still talking with my agent.”

Later in the day, the Chargers decided to sign Usher. The player who will probably be released to make room for him is defensive end Gerald Robinson.

Henning also said cornerback Sam Seale, burned badly against the Raiders, had a leg injury. Seale said he was fine.

And, Henning said, the Chargers’ substitutions at center against the Raiders were spontaneous and not “orchestrated.” Which was one more explanation that flew in the face of information from one of his players. After the loss, rookie center Courtney Hall said the coaches had told him before the game he would play the first half and the fourth period against the Raiders.

For the second consecutive week, Henning said he will close practice to the media. Prior to last week, no Charger coach had ever closed practices for a full week.

Special teams coach Joe Madden got downright testy when quizzed about the high number of breakdowns by his players Sunday and said he would make “whatever changes necessary” to remedy the situation.

But he wouldn’t get specific. Henning said the Chargers would look at two free agent punters today because Lewis Colbert averaged 34.3 yards on six punts and didn’t always kick the ball where he was ordered to kick it.

Last year, wide receivers Jamie Holland and Anthony Miller were second and third in AFC kick returns. Miller is no longer returning kicks. Asked why, Henning said, “Because the other two are in there.”

He was referring to Holland and rookie Victor Floyd. Floyd mishandled one kickoff against the Raiders and compounded his error by running backwards into the end zone, where he was tackled for a safety.

Meanwhile, rookie Dana Brinson, the Chargers’ leading punt returner in the exhibition season, is still waiting for an explanation of why he isn’t returning punts anymore. He has been replaced by rookie Wayne Walker, who erred by fielding a punt inside the 10 against the Raiders.

“It was never clear to me why they stopped using me on punt returns,” Brinson said. “They haven’t said anything, but probably tomorrow . . . you never know.”

Somehow the subject kept coming back to McMahon. And the explanations kept changing.

What is known is this: Early in the third period, McMahon directed a touchdown drive that ended in a one-yard run by Marion Butts. It cut the Raider lead to 28-14. But on the play before the touchdown, McMahon bruised the area around his ribs on a three-yard keeper.

On the next Charger possession, Walker’s poor decision on the punt return and a three-yard penalty backed the Chargers to their three. Henning inserted David Archer for McMahon.

From here it starts getting fuzzy.

After the game, Henning said he wanted to get McMahon “out of the line of fire.” But Archer said McMahon was the one who asked out.

Monday, Henning said the poor field position factored into his decision to remove McMahon. Henning also said he would have put McMahon back in the game if the Chargers had pulled to within seven points.

By the end of the day, Henning found himself answering questions about whether or not he had “given up” by replacing McMahon, whom team doctors had cleared to go back in the game.

“I didn’t think it made a great deal of difference at that point,” Henning said of the switch. “Jim had gotten jolted on the previous series. Field position is why I decided to finally go with David.”

When did Henning think the Chargers were out of the game?

“When I started to substitute defensive players in the final three minutes,” he said. By then the Chargers trailed, 40-14.

“I don’t think he (Henning) gave up,” Charger rookie Burt Grossman said. “I was under the impression he (McMahon) got hurt.”

Charger tackle Brett Miller said, “People are always going to second-guess. I personally don’t think there’s anybody out there with the experience or knowledge to second-guess Dan Henning.”

Said defensive end Leslie O’Neal: “The coach has his reasons. I doubt he gave up.”