SAN DIEGO » As wildfires tore through the county in autumn 2007, Chargers special teams coach Steve Crosby tried to bring some levity to the locker room by claiming that a hippopotamus from the San Diego Wild Animal Park had taken refuge from the flames in his swimming pool.

His tale was an eye-opener. Some people bit hard, including a few at major media outlets. Others rolled their eyes and chuckled.

Three years later, Crosby is dealing with another figurative animal. There’s an elephant in the room, and this big beast isn’t funny at all.

The "special" in special teams play across the NFL this season simply isn’t. San Diego is the flash point, where repeated major meltdowns have overshadowed the high-octane play of Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates.

Seven NFL players have combined for nine kickoff returns for touchdowns through Week 5, putting the league on pace for 30. That would eclipse the record of 25 set in 2007. There’s been at least one kick return for a TD each week, the most to begin a season since the merger in 1970.

The Chargers outdid everybody by allowing Seattle’s Leon Washington to return kickoffs 101 and 99 yards for TDs in the second half of a 27-20 loss on Sept. 26.

There have been three combined blocks returned for TDs — two blocked punts and one blocked field goal.

The Chargers? They managed the rare feat of getting consecutive punts blocked at Oakland last week. The first one bounced through the end zone for a safety and the second was returned for a touchdown.

There have been three punt returns for touchdowns.

The Chargers? Guilty again. On opening night, Kansas City rookie Dexter McCluster returned a punt a team-record 94 yards for a touchdown. San Diego’s punt coverage unit is the worst in the NFL, allowing a whopping 26.9 yards per return.

The Chargers, Miami Dolphins and other teams have been reminded the hard way that punts, kickoffs and field goals are more than just a cue for viewers at home that it’s time to grab another beer from the fridge.

"All you think about is offense and defense," said Chargers fullback Jacob Hester, who’s on the punt and kickoff coverage and return teams. "I think you’ve seen this year special teams is just as big a department in winning and losing games as any. When coaches say, ‘All three phases,’ and people kind of brush that off, it’s true."

Special teams can suffer because of injuries, or when solid performers move into starting roles and coaches don’t want them exposed to more pounding. The Chargers won’t admit it, but a roster overhaul in the offseason clearly hurt. Kassim Osgood, a three-time Pro Bowler as a special teams ace, left for Jacksonville because he wanted to be a wide receiver and the Chargers wouldn’t give him a shot.

Long snapper David Binn, who accurately delivered the ball to Chargers punters and kickers since 1994, hurt a hamstring in the opener and was lost for the season. He played in a team-record 256 of 257 regular-season games and all 12 of San Diego’s playoff games dating to 1994.

Binn’s first two replacements were hurt, the third was cut and the Chargers have turned to rookie Mike Windt, who will make his NFL debut tomorrow at St. Louis.

Norv Turner, 92-101 in three stops as an NFL head coach, said it’s "silly" and "inappropriate" for the media to ask if Crosby is in danger of being fired.

The players also defend Crosby, who’s in his ninth season in San Diego and 33rd in the NFL.

"It ain’t what Coach Cros is doing. His game plan’s good; it’s we’re not executing," Hester said. "It’s a players’ thing. Everything that’s gone wrong with special teams this year, you can go back and be like, ‘If you were where you’re supposed to be, then it wouldn’t be happening.’ It ain’t him, it’s us, and we’ve got to get it fixed."

At least Crosby still has his job. Miami special teams coordinator John Bonamego was fired 12 hours after a prime-time pratfall in a 41-14 loss to the New England Patriots. Tom Brady barely broke a sweat because special teams carried the night. Two blocked kicks led to touchdowns, and New England’s Brandon Tate returned a kickoff 103 yards for another score.

Three weeks earlier, Tate returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score in an opening-day win against the Bengals.

The Dolphins also had a punt blocked a week earlier in a loss to the New York Jets.

Coach Tony Sparano said the Dolphins are paying more attention to special teams, including starting practice with a special teams period.

"We’re all responsible for something like that," he said. "It shook me up. It should shake them up. And I think that it’s not something anybody likes to do, it’s certainly not something I’m proud of, but it’s something that had to happen at that particular time and if I were them I’d pay attention to it."

The Chargers and Dolphins aren’t alone in their gaffes. Kansas City and St. Louis both gambled with onside kicks to open their games last Sunday. Both failed and both teams lost. The Rams also allowed Detroit’s Stefan Logan to return a kickoff 105 yards for a score.

Then there are the Tennessee Titans and Seahawks, who thrive on special teams.

Titans rookie Marc Mariani, a seventh-round draft pick, returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score in a 26-20 loss to Denver in Week 3. His 73-yard return last Sunday set up the winning touchdown at Dallas.

Mariani said special teams players enjoy trying to figure out the opponent’s soft spot.

"Every time we take the field we’re looking to break one and looking to make big plays for the team," he said.

Seattle special teams captain Roy Lewis said the Seahawks accept the challenge of performing well.

"We came in with the mind-set that special teams was going to be a force to reckon with," he said.

Viewing San Diego’s problems from afar, New York Jets special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff said the blocks Oakland ran against the Chargers "are the blocks you’d work on the first day of minicamp. It was just balance. They just blew it. I’m sure their coach was sick. He should be. I mean, that wasn’t anything intricate. That was easy as pie. The guy came really well and he exploded off the ball and they executed very, very well, but it was as fundamental as you get on the very first day."

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Cowboys

Dallas has promoted former reality TV show winner Jesse Holley to the active roster and released offensive lineman Robert Brewster.

Holley, a wide receiver, was the winner of a show hosted by former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin that guaranteed the winner a spot in Cowboys’ training camp in 2009. Holley spent all of last season and the first month of this season on the practice squad. He could be active tomorrow against Minnesota to play on special teams.

Bears

Linebacker Lance Briggs is questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Seahawks because of an injured left ankle.

The Bears would have a big hole to fill if the five-time Pro Bowler is unable to play. Briggs missed practice this week after injuring himself in the second half of Sunday’s 23-6 win at Carolina.

If Briggs is not available, Brian Iwuh likely would start.

Titans

Three injured players who sat out of Thursday’s practice were back on the practice field yesterday.

Running back Chris Johnson, who was given Thursday off to rest his sore thigh, practiced fully for the Titans, as did rookie receiver Damian Williams, who missed Thursday with an injury. Defensive tackle Tony Brown, who has practiced once a week to rest his surgically repaired knee, worked yesterday after sitting out Thursday.

Lions

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is practicing again in a limited role.

Stafford, who hasn’t played since injuring his throwing shoulder in the season opener against Chicago, was upgraded to questionable on the team’s injury report yesterday. Coach Jim Schwartz hasn’t announced a starter for Sunday’s game in New Jersey against the New York Giants, but Schwartz was cautious when asked if Stafford might be activated.

"We’re probably ahead of ourselves there, just talking about it, but we’ll see Sunday," he said.