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Flutie to start Chargers' exhibition opener
By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
August 1, 2002
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- For what it's worth, Doug Flutie will start the San Diego Chargers' exhibition opener. ADVERTISEMENT
With the game more than a week away, at home against Arizona on Aug. 10, Flutie wasn't reading much into coach Marty Schottenheimer's decision Thursday.
``Somebody has to go first, and we'll just go from there,'' said Flutie, the incumbent who's battling second-year pro Drew Brees for the starting job. ``All I'm trying to do is play my best.
``Just like the first day of practice, somebody had to go take the first snap,'' Flutie said. ``Somebody gets to jump in and take the first throw. Out of respect, it's usually decided by Drew and I, and Drew says, `Go ahead.'''
Schottenheimer said Flutie will start the exhibition opener because he was the starter last year, his first with the Chargers. Flutie will probably play the first quarter, followed by Brees, who is then expected to start against Seattle at home on Aug. 16.
Brees said it didn't matter to him who starts the exhibition opener.
Schottenheimer wants to pick the starter for the regular season before the exhibition finale Aug. 28 at San Francisco. The competition was dead-even going into camp, and still is.
``Ultimately, I think the competition will be so close that it's just going to be hard maybe to quantify the distinction between one or the other so we'll just make a choice,'' Schottenheimer said.
Flutie, who turns 40 on Oct. 23, started all 16 games last year, when the Chargers opened 5-2, then lost their last nine to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Brees, the former Purdue star, played just more than one half of one game after Flutie was knocked out with a concussion.
Brees helped erase a 19-0 deficit against Kansas City in a game the Chargers ended up losing 25-20. He was 15-of-27 for 221 yards and one TD, with no interceptions.
Flutie set a career high with 3,464 yards. He threw 15 touchdown passes but was intercepted 18 times.
By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
August 1, 2002
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- For what it's worth, Doug Flutie will start the San Diego Chargers' exhibition opener. ADVERTISEMENT
With the game more than a week away, at home against Arizona on Aug. 10, Flutie wasn't reading much into coach Marty Schottenheimer's decision Thursday.
``Somebody has to go first, and we'll just go from there,'' said Flutie, the incumbent who's battling second-year pro Drew Brees for the starting job. ``All I'm trying to do is play my best.
``Just like the first day of practice, somebody had to go take the first snap,'' Flutie said. ``Somebody gets to jump in and take the first throw. Out of respect, it's usually decided by Drew and I, and Drew says, `Go ahead.'''
Schottenheimer said Flutie will start the exhibition opener because he was the starter last year, his first with the Chargers. Flutie will probably play the first quarter, followed by Brees, who is then expected to start against Seattle at home on Aug. 16.
Brees said it didn't matter to him who starts the exhibition opener.
Schottenheimer wants to pick the starter for the regular season before the exhibition finale Aug. 28 at San Francisco. The competition was dead-even going into camp, and still is.
``Ultimately, I think the competition will be so close that it's just going to be hard maybe to quantify the distinction between one or the other so we'll just make a choice,'' Schottenheimer said.
Flutie, who turns 40 on Oct. 23, started all 16 games last year, when the Chargers opened 5-2, then lost their last nine to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Brees, the former Purdue star, played just more than one half of one game after Flutie was knocked out with a concussion.
Brees helped erase a 19-0 deficit against Kansas City in a game the Chargers ended up losing 25-20. He was 15-of-27 for 221 yards and one TD, with no interceptions.
Flutie set a career high with 3,464 yards. He threw 15 touchdown passes but was intercepted 18 times.
Love to pick on Jaded...
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