Analysis: Chargers Undo Mistake

There is no sugarcoating what happened three weeks ago. Chargers cornerback Antoine Cason was overmatched in the red zone against 6-foot-5 wide receiver Plaxico Burress of the New York Jets. He gave up three touchdowns inside the 10-yard line. He also missed an open-field tackle early in the game on a screen catch. No sugarcoating his struggles. And no sense to how they were handled. On Thursday, Cason will return to a role he never should have been forced to vacate, starting opposite Quentin Jammer when the Chargers host the Oakland Raiders in hopes of breaking a three-way tie atop the AFC West. After a day to forget in East Rutherford, N.J., the third-year veteran and former first-round draft pick was demoted in favor of rookie Marcus Gilchrist, a no-doubt bright prospect, for two games. Maybe defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was trying to be proactive, but this was premature. Of course, Cason, whose interview maturity would make a Harvard professor look like a frat boy on a Fri...