European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 22, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Chargers Roar into playoffs los Angeles a the san Diego chargers made nil history sunday becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs after starting a season with four losses. And they did it in a big Way routing the los Angeles raiders 36-14. John Carney kicked five Field goals without a miss and Stan Humphries threw two touchdown passes As the chargers scored on their first five possessions in overpowering the reeling raiders. If san Diego wins at Seattle or Kansas City loses to Denver next sunday the chargers get their first acc West title since 1981. Regardless they have a wild card spot. The win was the sixth straight and 10th in 11 games for the chargers 10-5who Are in the playoffs for the first time since 1982. They were 4-12 and last in the division last year. The chargers moved into sole Possession of first place in the division by virtue of their win and Kansas City a 35-21 loss to the new York giants on saturday. The raiders eliminated from playoff Contention last week fell to 6-9 with a listless performance. San Diego scored every time it had the Ball in Thesee pages 21,22 and 23 for More nil coverage first half to take a 23-0 Lead. Carney kicked a 42-Yard Field goal Midway through the first Quarter and a 23-Yardcr in the first minute of the second period to make it 6-0. Humphries who completed 17 of 32 passes for 237 Yards without being intercepted threw a 14-Yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller and a 50-yarder to Nate Lewis to make it 20-0. To that Point the chargers had 10 first Downs and 190 Yards in offence the raiders had run just nine scrimmage plays for a net of minus-4 Yards and did no to have a first Down. The raiders finally got a first Down with 5 50 left in the half on a 1-Yard run by Eric Dickerson. They moved into san Diego territory before Gill Byrd intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 20 Yards to the 50-Yard line. The chargers then moved into position for a 25-Yard Field goal by Carney with 11 seconds left in the half. The los Angeles defense finally forced a punt on san Diego a first Possession of the second half. By that time it did no to make any difference. Carney kicked a 28-Yard Field goal the next time the chargers had the Ball to make it 26-0. The raiders finally got on the scoreboard with 1 38 left in the third Quarter on a 21-Yard pass from backup Vince Evans to Alexander Wright. They needed to move Only 27 Yards after san Diego a John Kidd fumbled a Low snap from Center and was unable to get off a punt. A 1-Yard touchdown run by Eric Bieniemy two plays after Junior Seaux a 29-Yard interception return to the los Angeles 3 made it 33-7. Evans threw a 5-Yard scoring pass to Tim Brown and Carney kicked a 23-Yard Field goal to Complete the scoring. Marcus Allen who claimed in a television interview at halftime of the raiders 20-7 loss at Miami last monday night that team owner a1 Davis had a vendetta against him again was used sparingly by the raiders. Allen cheered by the crowd of 40,152 at the los Angeles coliseum gained 12 Yards on two carries and caught one pass for 13 Yards. The stars and stripes ports december 22,1992 b Page 28 Broncos nip sea Hawks stay alive Denver a John Elway became the 15th player in nil history to pass for 30,000 Yards returning to the lineup from a four game Layoff to rally the turnover prone Denver Broncos past Seattle 10-6 sunday. Denver 8-7winning at Home for the 10th time in the last 11 games snapped a four game losing Streak and kept its playoff Hopes alive. The Broncos can earn a wild card spot by beating Kansas City next week. Elway sidelined by a bruised throwing shoulder for the four games the Broncos lost passed the Broncos into scoring position three times in the first half. But Seattle 2-13 led 3-0 at intermission because of five Denver turnovers. Denver finally got a Takeaway of its own on the first play from scrimmage of the second half and converted the turnover into the games Lone touchdown. Seattle a John l. Williams fumbled when hit by Michael Brooks and Kenny Walker recovered at the sea Hawks 24. Gaston Green who himself had missed the last two games with a knee injury a promptly scampered 23 Yards Down the left sideline and two plays later Green plunged Over from the 1 for a 7-3 Lead. Later in the Quarter Seattle marched 81 Yards for another Field goal but Denver countered Early in the final period. Alton Montgomery returned the Kickoff 64 Yards to the Seattle 26, and David Treadwell kicked a 30-Yard Field goal. Saint linebacker Sam Mills 51 leaps Over Bill quarterback Jim Kelly 12 to hit running Back Thurman Thomas 34 sunday. Bills turn Back saints 20-16 new Orleans a the Buffalo Bills moved closer to defending the Home Field advantage throughout the acc playoffs even without their Best defenders. With defensive stars Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett injured the Bills beat the new Orleans saints 20-16 sunday. The Bills 114trying to reach the super bowl for the third straight year need a Victory at Houston on sunday to secure being at Home for All the acc playoffs. Smith was inactive for the game because of cracked ribs. Bennett who played Early on in a flak jacket sat out the second half and had Only two tackles in the game. A who would have thought that without Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett our defense would come through like they did Quot Thurman Thomas said. A if anybody deserved a game Ball it was our defense. They came up with the big Nav when we needed the Bills who trailed 13-6 at the half held the saints to just 12 Yards Rushing and 19 Yards passing in the second half. New Orleans had Only 205 total Yards in the game and quarterback Bobby Hebert who had been sacked Only 11 times this season was tracked Down four times for a loss of 32 Yards. 1 would probably say it was our Best win this year a Thomas said. A without Bruce and Cornelius in there i think its probably the biggest win in be had since in be been Here especially considering what we had to go with on Thomas ran for 115 Yards and two touchdowns and caught six passes for 62 Yards. He scored from the 2 with 7 19 remaining for the winning Points. That touchdown was set up when Reginald Jones was called for a 24-Yard pass interference penalty on buffaloes fourth-and-1 pass from Jim Kelly into the end zone to Andre Reed. Buford Jordan fumbled the Kickoff return and the Bills took Over again at the saints 23. Steve Christie who hit a 25-yarder in the first Quarter and missed a 50-yarder in the third made a 29-Yard Field goal to make it 20-16. 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