Chambers' trade brings added value

Sunday, Oct 28, 2007
By Tom Shanahan, Chargers.com

The Chargers' trade with the Miami Dolphins for Chris Chambers wasn't the only swap that brought the veteran wide receiver to San Diego.

Until the deal was made two weeks ago, Chambers was holding plane tickets for his mother to attend the Dolphins' game against the New York Giants Sunday in London.

But Chambers turned in her London tickets for a flight to San Diego, and Linda Chambers was among the fans at Qualcomm Stadium for his first game with the Chargers, a day that included Chambers' 14-yard touchdown catch in the Bolts' 35-10 win over the Houston Texans.

It's more than a cliché when he says his mother wouldn't have missed a trip to San Diego for the world.

"I had my mom come out here and support me, and it really feels good to be able to give her a ball from the game," Chambers said. "She really wanted to be here for my first game. My mom wouldn't have missed this game for the world."

The seventh-year veteran's addition to the Chargers may not mean a new world for what was already a prolific offense, but he does open new avenues.

Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates scored on a 49-yard touchdown pass, the third longest of his career, in the first quarter for an early 7-0 lead.

Gates finished the game with three catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, scoring in the second-quarter on a 31-yard catch-and-run for a 21-3 lead. He averaged 30.7 yards per catch.

Chambers caught two passes for 35 yards, with his first reception a 21-yarder that was followed three plays later by Gates' 49-yard score.

Gates was so wide open on his first score, he said Chambers' presence on the field contributed to the breakdown in coverage that allowed him to be left alone.

"Absolutely," he said. "You have a guy like Chris Chambers, a proven receiver in this league that can make big plays, and it's going to take pressure off the running game and take pressure off of anybody on the field. He would take pressure off on any team he went to. He's a great player, and I'm glad he came to San Diego. He's been in the league a lot longer than me, and I can learn a lot from him."

On Chambers' touchdown catch, a third-and-12 from the Texans' 14-yard line, the Chargers' employed LaDainian Tomlinson as a lone back with four receivers -- Chambers, Gates, Vincent Jackson and Legedu Naanee.

Gates lined up on the right side and Chambers on the left. Chambers ran a crossing pattern, was open in the middle of the field near the 5-yard line for the pass from quarterback Philip Rivers and he followed blocks to score across the right side of the goal line.

"You got a guy (Gates) that dominates his position the way he does, and he really clears the field," Chambers said. "V Jack (Vincent Jackson) didn't get an opportunity to make plays today, but he's an up-and-coming great receiver. We've got a lot of guys to lean on. A team has to defend a lot of guys."

It was not only the 5-foot-11, 210-pounder's first touchdown catch as a Charger, it was his first of the season after suffering through seven losses with the winless Dolphins.

Chambers and Rivers also nearly hooked up on a 65-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, but Rivers' throw was beyond the open Chambers' reach.

"It was pretty close," Chambers said. "Philip said he overthrew it, and I told him I wasn't running fast enough. It was between us, and it will take some time."

Another reason Chambers and his mother were so happy to be in San Diego was the final score. The Dolphins dropped to 0-8 with their loss to the New York Giants, while the Chargers improved to 4-3 and moved into a tie for first place in the AFC West with the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I was on a nine-game losing streak," Chambers said, dating himself back to the Dolphins' most recent win at the end of the 2006 season. "I was hoping for bucket of Gatorade to be dumped over my head. It really feels good, and it will hit me later on."

Whenever it hits him, he'll be more comfortable than on a flight home across the Atlantic Ocean.