spanishomelette Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20040821022&prov=ap San Diego 38, Arizona 13 Preview - Box Score - Recap By MEL REISNER, AP Sports Writer August 22, 2004 AP - Aug 22, 12:05 am EDT TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- The way Drew Brees is playing, San Diego's inability to sign Philip Rivers might not be a controversy much longer. Brees continued his strong exhibition season, passing the Chargers to a big halftime lead and a 38-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. ``Once we got going, I felt like we moved the ball effectively,'' Brees said. ``I thought we were pretty good on third downs. I don't know what the numbers were, but we put together some good drives.'' For the second straight game, coach Marty Schottenheimer sat LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers' marquee player. As it turned out, neither Tomlinson, the only player to rush for over 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes in the same season, nor Rivers, the rookie quarterback the Chargers received after trading Eli Manning, was needed. Brees, who completed 11 of 14 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown in the exhibition opener, was 13-of-21 for 172 yards, a TD and an interception in one half of play. ``I thought he played reasonably well,'' said Schottenheimer, who was concerned about the failure to get in the end zone early. ``Once again, I think he managed the game well.'' San Diego dominated in every way, denying new Arizona coach Dennis Green his first win and nearly keeping the Cardinals, 23-6 losers at Minnesota last week, out of the end zone again. Arizona got its TD on a 29-yard pass from rookie John Navarre to Reggie Newhouse with 33 seconds left. ``I don't think I've ever seen a game that had so many things go wrong with one team,'' Green said. The Chargers scored their first on a 7-yard run by kicker Nate Kaeding after a fake field goal. Schottenheimer didn't want to tip his hand on trick plays in the exhibition season, but was miffed about not scoring in the red zone. ``The reason I went with the fake is I got tired of kicking field goals,'' he said. The Chargers also turned an interception by Arizona's David Macklin to their advantage, recording the first of two safeties when Stephen Cooper tackled Damien Anderson in the end zone. San Diego also answered with a 28-yard run by Michael Turner after Kyle Vanden Bosch came within inches of getting Cleo Lemon for the Cardinals' first sack of the preseason. That was seconds after Schottenheimer won his challenge of a 15-yard pass play that would have kept an Arizona drive going. The Chargers took a 22-6 lead on a 21-yard field goal by backup Mackenzie Hoambrecker with 4:25 left in the third quarter after that possession, and added two points 1:23 later when Arizona's Everett Lindsay held defensive end Dave Ball while trying to protect Shaun King in the end zone. Josh McCown, left in for the first series of the third quarter while Green tried to get his offense in the end zone, was 11-for-17 for 109 yards. But there was no zip with all three starting wide receivers missing from Green's preferred offensive set. Pro Bowl wideout Anquan Boldin and first-round draft picks Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson are injured, and Green complained all week that the offense couldn't develop as well without them. ``We moved the ball really well and we would get down there, and it would stall out,'' McCown said. Kaeding scored San Diego's first 10 points, sending the Chargers to a 10-3 lead when he lined up for his second field-goal try, took a flip from holder Mike Scifres and ran untouched around the right side with 1:56 left in the first quarter. ``It felt weird,'' he said. ``I'm used to kicking it.'' The first two Chargers scores were set up by great kickoff returns -- 65 yards by Drayton Florence and 43 yards by Turner. The Cardinals got within 10-6 on Neil Rackers' 38-yard field goal with 13:42 left in the second quarter. But Brees started a drive with a 20-yard pass to Justin Peelle and completed it with a 24-yard throw to Wes Welker to make it 17-6 with 10:11 to go. Arizona, among the NFL's worst pass-rushing teams for three years, finally got pressure on Brees, with Bertrand Berry knocking Brees off-balance to set up Macklin's pick on the Arizona 2. But that led to Cooper's safety with 5:15 left in the half. The Chargers added two TDs in the fourth quarter. Jonathan Cox returned a fumble 28 yards with 13:10 left, and Luke Powell returned a punt 76 yards with 3:45 to play. Notes Cooper started for injured ILB Donnie Edwards (calf), who led San Diego with 162 tackles in 2003. ... The game began a series of three straight exhibitions against AFC opponents for the Cardinals. ... Chargers TE Antonio Gates (right ankle) and LB Carlos Polk (shoulder), were hurt in the first half and didn't return. CB Sammy Davis got a concussion in the second. ... Cardinals CB Duane Starks reinjured his groin in the first half. Updated on Sunday, Aug 22, 2004 2:29 am EDT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebowski Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Take that, Inmate!!! If only they played the Cardinals every week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 San Diego vs Arizona preseason game, do they call that the Toilet Bowl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pr11fan Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 How dumb would S.D. feel if Brees turns into a pretty good qb and they passed up chance to draft Gallery at 1 or Taylor, Winslow, or Williams at 4? :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmchairRedskin Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Plus Rivers still hasn't signed. Although I suppose that was the point of your post pr11fan. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inmate running the asylum Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Originally posted by Sebowski Take that, Inmate!!! If only they played the Cardinals every week. I'm going to watch the replay later this morning at 11:00 a.m. I understand the Cardinals are all beat up physically, with FitzGerald and some others out. The Chargers have a few promising young players. I like this TE Antonio Gates; I think RB Michael Turner will surprise people; and DE Dave Ball may be a real surprise. But you know, Sebowski, the Chargers will be doing good to win 4 games again this year, being they have to face the Broncos, Raiders and Chiefs in that division. I just cant see how the Chargers are going to improve their record this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pr11fan Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Originally posted by ArmchairRedskin Plus Rivers still hasn't signed. Although I suppose that was the point of your post pr11fan. :laugh: Partially, I still thought Brees could be salvaged, he did okay in 2002 for the first half of the year. They gave him no wr's last year except for often injured Boston and their o-line was horrendous. I thought they should've taken Gallery and given Brees one more year. But I guess we'll eventually find out who was right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Gut Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 I also feel they shoulda taken Gallery and given Brees one more year. Oh well, their franchise, not mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboDaMan Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Not sure I understand the fake FG. If you have any intention of doing it in the regular season, why would you show it now? And if you have no intention of using it, why bother running it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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