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After two tough losses, Chargers seek first win vs. Jets

Sep 16, 2008 - 11:30 PM NY Jets (1-1) at San Diego (0-2), 8:30 pm EDT

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- If NFL games were 59 minutes and 30 seconds long, the San Diego Chargers would be undefeated. Unfortunately, the contests last 60 minutes and they are winless.

The Chargers will try to bounce back from a pair of heartbreaking losses when they host the New York Jets on Monday night.

San Diego suffered a 26-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers in its season opener when Jake Delhomme tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game. For an encore, the Chargers lost to the rival Denver Broncos on a two-point conversion with 24 seconds left after a bad call.

Trailing for nearly the entire game, San Diego grabbed its first lead at 38-31 when Philip Rivers connected with running back Darren Sproles on a 66-yard score with 4:22 left. After allowing the Broncos to march down the field, the Chargers appeared to catch a break.

Denver quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled when the ball slipped out of his hands and was recovered by San Diego at the 10-yard line. But the officials ruled the play dead after an inadvertent whistle and gave the ball back to Denver.

"It was clearly a fumble," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "Ed (Hochuli), the official, came over to me and said he blew the whistle, and that is not acceptable to me. This is a high-level performance sport and it is not acceptable to have the refs decide it on that play."

Hochuli said the ruling on the field was an incomplete pass and that the replay rules in that instance do not allow the referees to award the ball to the other team.

Three play later on fourth down, Cutler tossed a 4-yard TD pass to Royal and then found Royal again on the two-point conversion, giving the Broncos a 39-38 triumph.

The Jets are also coming off a loss to a division rival. Brett Favre passed for 181 yards and a TD, but threw a critical interception as New York lost to the New England Patriots, 19-10, last Sunday.

Excited about acquiring Favre as well as guard Alan Faneca, tackle Damien Woody and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins this offseason, the Jets learned they have a long way to go before being considered a contender in the AFC East.

Favre, who announced his retirement this offseason before being traded from the Green Bay Packers, passed for 375 yards and three touchdowns with one interception over the first two games of the season.