ShareThisBy JIM ALEXANDER
It was enough of a risk _ or, if you believe the spin they put out down here, an expression of confidence _ when San Diego Chargers general manager A. J. Smith allowed Drew Brees to go to New Orleans without compensation and handed the starting quarterback job to Philip Rivers.
Still, entrusting the starter's job to a guy who has thrown 30 career NFL passes is relatively conservative given what the Chargers did this week. By tying a tin can to veteran A.J. Feeley, they've created the possibility of starting the season with three quarterbacks who, combined, have thrown fewer career touchdown passes than their star running back.
Rivers has one, in a meaningless season-ender two seasons ago against Kansas City. His backups now are Charlie Whitehurst, this year's third-round draft pick from Clemson, and Brett Elliott, an undrafted free agent from Division III Linfield who hasn't even stirred from the sideline during the exhibition season.
(For the record, LaDainian Tomlinson has fired four career touchdown passes, three of them last season.)
Additionally, this is a team with serious problems at left tackle, maybe the most important position on the line for a right-handed quarterback. The starter for Friday's final exhibition at San Francisco, rookie Marcus McNeill, is coming off a broken hand. Backup Leander Jordan has not distinguished himself with every opportunity to win the job outright. The No. 3 guy, Cory Lekkerkerker, is a converted guard.
Wobbly pass blocking from the blind side, and an inexperienced starting quarterback backed up by untested rookies. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.
"We think we know exactly what we have in Philip Rivers, and we're very comfortable with that," head coach Marty Schottenheimer intoned the other day. "And it made no sense to keep a quarterback (Feeley) that didn't figure into the plan.
"We are where we are. That doesn't mean that's where we're going to be, but that's where we are. I'm very comfortable."
Translation from Martyspeak: The Chargers could sign a veteran backup between now and the Sept. 11 opener at Oakland (and no, it probably won't be Doug Flutie), but until then, Schottenheimer is going to stand by the decision.
He'd better. He has the final call on the 53-man roster, so this has his fingerprints all over it.
And it's not a hard leap to suggest that this might be yet another episode in the increasingly dysfunctional relationship between the Chargers coach and the Chargers general manager.
Flash back to the trading deadline last October. Smith, reportedly without consulting his coach, obtained Feeley from Miami in exchange for third quarterback Cleo Lemon, a Schottenheimer favorite.
You'll never get either man to acknowledge it publicly. But this may have been Schottenheimer's return of serve.
Whitehurst made it easier, of course, with his performance in camp. A three-year starter at Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conference's No. 3 career passer _ trailing, among others, some dude named Rivers from North Carolina State _ Whitehurst picked things up quickly.
Bloodlines and environment never hurt. Whitehurst's dad, David, played quarterback in Green Bay (1977-83) and was a starter for two of those years. Rivers got much of his foundation for success from his dad, Steve, a longtime high school coach in Decatur, Ala.
"It might have helped both of us get to where we are," Whitehurst said. "I don't think it makes a difference now. But (the quarterbacks) are both very analytical about the game, and we can communicate with one another at a fairly high level. Maybe that'll help a little bit."
Yet it can't be ignored that none of the three has ever thrown a pass in an NFL game that meant something.
And if red flags didn't go up when Rivers had an ill-advised pass returned for a 64-yard touchdown by the Bears' Brian Urlacher two weeks ago, they emerged last Saturday when Rivers fumbled away the first two possessions against Seattle, then was sacked twice and fumbled again later in the first half.
Rivers recovered well enough to lead the Chargers offense to a 17-14 halftime lead, which showed character. But if he's having problems against defenses that aren't using full game plans, what happens when they do?
This could be an intriguing season in San Diego, if not necessarily for all the right reasons.
There's the situation at quarterback. There's the perception that the club is still living off of its 12-4 record and division title in 2004 against a weak schedule.
And the stadium issue hovers over the Chargers like a dark cloud. The prevailing opinion here is that winning will help solve the search for a new home. But a losing season, and the dimming enthusiasm that would result, could make them lame ducks.
In the meantime, the quarterbacks have each other.
"Charlie can help me, like I felt I was able to help Drew in some ways," Rivers said. "I didn't have a lot to do with Sundays, but during the week I'd see things."
Gee, wonder what would happen if the coach and GM communicated that effectively.
