CHARGERS: Wide receivers largely missing in action

By JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Sunday, September 7, 2008 9:09 PM PDT ∞

Chargers receiver Chris Chambers is congratulated by teammates LaDainian Tomlinson and Kris Dielman after scoring a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Photo by Jamie Scott Lytle - Staff photographer.

SAN DIEGO ---- The chatter leading to Sunday's season opener was often about the Chargers' wide receivers.

Chris Chambers had bonded with quarterback Philip Rivers through their first Chargers training camp together. And Vincent Jackson was an emerging star, ready to blossom like the Chargers hoped when they drafted him in the second round four years ago.

But through the first half of the Chargers' 26-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the team's wide receivers had one more catch than second-year man Craig Davis ---- and Davis was inactive for the game.

"They wanted to play it safe, and we were able to get it over the top just a couple of times," Chambers said of the Panthers' defense. "They had a good game plan."

Chambers corralled the lone catch by a Chargers wide receiver in the first half ---- a 44-yard touchdown pass from Rivers. Just as important was the time Chambers spent in the first half talking to Jackson.

After a slow start, Jackson came on late, and that's why the Chargers had a pulse ---- and the lead ---- in the game's closing moments.

"I'm glad I tried to keep him in the game, because he didn't  get a lot of balls early," Chambers said. "But he stayed focused, stayed in the game and gave us an opportunity when he caught three or four passes. And that is what got us going."

All three of Jackson's receptions came in the fourth quarter. The first two produced first downs; the third was a 5-yard touchdown pass that gave the Chargers a 24-19 lead with 2 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the game.

"We just made some adjustments at halftime and got  some things worked out a little better with the way they were playing in the secondary," Jackson said.

Chambers finished with just that one first-half catch, and he accepted blame for not corralling some other difficult passes headed his way.

"Each guy can go down the line and say 'If I did this better, if I did that better' maybe that would sustain drives and put more points on board," Chambers said.

"But to go in the fourth quarter and play tough ---- how are you going to respond? And we can definitely take that away from the game: we are a fourth quarter team and had the opportunity to win the game, and that is what you want."

That's what the defense longs for, too.

But that plan wasn't quite purr-fect against the Panthers.

"Give us the lead, give us the lead, and they gave it to us,'' safety Clinton Hart said. "We got to do a better job of closing the deal.''

Quarterback Philip Rivers said his wide receivers are the real deal. They just weren't an integral part of Sunday's offense, combining for four receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

"(Carolina) took some things away early and played some different things," Rivers said. "They were taking away Chris and Vincent outside. That's why you have those other guys out there, too."

But when the game got tight, Jackson got loose.

"It's hard to describe," Rivers said of the turnaround. "If you play 20 quarters, it's going to go in spurts like that."

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.