The third pickoff was a beauty. A week after scoring on the longest play in NFL history, a 109-yard return of a missed field goal at Minnesota, Cromartie burned Manning by reaching up with his right hand and pulling the ball down to his chest in one motion.I've been a Charger fan since 1979, almost thirty years. I even knew some of the guys in the early 1980's who played, having met them during the Special Olympics games where my family participated in racquetball games. One of my cousins dated Rolf Benirschke for a while.
Of course, I remember watching the Epic In Miami, which is considered by the NFL and sports afficianados as one of the best games in NFL history. That memorable picture of Kellen Winslow still sits in my mind. Chargers won.
But perhaps the best performance of the game was put in by Kellen Winslow. In addition to his blocked field goal, he recorded a NFL playoff record 13 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown, despite suffering numerous injuries. During the contest, he was treated for a pinched nerve in his shoulder, dehydration, severe cramps, and a gash in his lower lip that required three stitches. A picture of an exhausted Winslow being helped off the field by two teammates after the game is an enduring image in NFL lore and has been replayed constantly ever since.
Of course, the very next week, the Charges became famous for playing in what has now become known as the Freezer Bowl in Cincinnati, with the temperature 9 degrees below zero, and a windchill factor of minus 59, making it the coldest weather for a title game in NFL history. Chargers lost.
Last year, I fully expected the Chargers to go all the way, and they were taken out by the Pats in a game that everyone expected the Chargers to win. After that season, the firing of Marty Shotenheimer, and letting the assistants go to other teams, seemed very much like a bad move by the owners. With the play of this team this season, I'm going to have to say I still think it was a bad move. Last night's game, without Peyton completely breaking down, he would have run circles around the Chargers, and we as fans all know that. This team is not going to be like it was last year. And you can blame that all on the coach and owners.
At least Cromartie is fun to watch! That NFL record he set last week will NEVER be broken; it can only be tied, given the yardage of the play (109). And that one-handed grab out of the air interception reminded me a lot like Lester Hayes from the old days of Oakland.
He was known for his "bump and run" coverage style, and for using Stickum™ before it was banned in a rule bearing his name.
Cromartie didn't have to use Stickum.
