1980 San Diego Chargers season
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The 1980 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 11th season in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), and its 21st overall. The team failed to improve on their 12–4 record in
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
and finished 11–5, though they won the AFC West and gained the top seed in the AFC playoffs for the second consecutive season. Their season ended in the AFC Championship game when they lost to their divisional rivals the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. San Diego's
Air Coryell In American football, Air Coryell is the offensive scheme and philosophy developed by former San Diego Chargers coach Don Coryell. The offensive philosophy has been also called the "Coryell offense" or the "vertical offense". With Dan Fouts as qu ...
offense led the league and set new standards in the passing game. Quarterback
Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is an American former football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973-87). After a relatively undistinguished firs ...
passed for 4,715 yards, surpassing his own NFL record. He also set new single-season records for attempts, completions and 300-yard games. Tight end
Kellen Winslow Kellen Boswell Winslow Sr. (born November 5, 1957) is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1995), he is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ...
and wide receivers
John Jefferson John Larry Jefferson (né Washington; born February 3, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Arizona State Sun Devils, h ...
and
Charlie Joiner Charles B. Joiner Jr. (born October 14, 1947) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. He is best known for his career w ...
, each had over 1,000 yards receiving, becoming the first trio of teammates to do so in the same season. The running game was less impactful, despite the mid-season acquisition of running back
Chuck Muncie Harry Vance "Chuck" Muncie (March 17, 1953 − May 13, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL) from 1976 to 1984. He was ...
. On defense, the Chargers led the league with 60 sacks. The majority of these came from their starting defensive linemen,
Fred Dean Frederick Rudolph Dean (February 24, 1952 – October 14, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). A twice first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler, he won two Super ...
, Louie Kelcher, Leroy Jones and
Gary "Big Hands" Johnson Gary Lynn "Big Hands" Johnson (August 31, 1952 – August 4, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was a four-time All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He p ...
, known collectively as the Bruise Brothers. In the divisional playoffs, San Diego trailed the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
14–3 at halftime, but scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to win 20–14. Backup wide receiver Ron Smith scored the winning touchdown in the final minutes. The Chargers were then stopped a game short of the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
by the Raiders, who took a 28–7 lead in the 2nd quarter. The Chargers again ran off 17 unanswered points, but they couldn't complete the comeback and were defeated 34–27.


Offseason


Departures and arrivals

San Diego traded a future 2nd-round draft pick for
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
fullback
John Cappelletti John Cappelletti (born August 9, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles Rams and the San Diego Chargers. Prior to his professional career, he att ...
. A 1974 1st-round pick, Cappelletti had rushed for 15 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards with the Rams; Coryell praised his strength and blocking ability. Cappelletti rushed for over 100 yards in his first game as a Charger, though he was used primarily as a blocker during his four seasons with the Chargers. San Diego traded their own 1st-round pick from 1974, No. 2 overall selection
Bo Matthews William Pierce Matthews (born November 15, 1951) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first round (second overall) of the 1974 NFL Draft. Prior to pla ...
, some months later. Also a fullback, Matthews was unlikely to see much playing time after Cappalletti's signing, and walked out of training camp to try and force a trade, which the Chargers granted him. Matthews had averaged under 250 yards per season over his six years in San Diego. Others departures included
Lydell Mitchell Lydell Douglas Mitchell (born May 30, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) with the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams from 1972 to 1980. ...
, a former
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
running back whose production had decreased as San Diego shifted to a pass-oriented offense, and tight end Bob Klein who was coming off the two most productive pass-catching seasons of his eleven-year career, but who retired after contract negotiations with Chargers owner
Gene Klein Eugene Victor Klein (January 29, 1921March 12, 1990) was an American businessman who was chairman of the board of directors and chief stockholder of National General Corporation, an insurance and entertainment company based in Los Angeles, Calif ...
broke down. On defense, San Diego traded linebacker Don Goode to the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
for a future draft pick. Goode, another Chargers 1st-round pick from 1974, had started 62 games in six seasons, but only a single one in 1979. The Chargers also switched punters, releasing Jeff West, who had ranked 28th in the league in 1979. After trying six other candidates for the position, they signed Rick Partridge from the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. His average in 1979 had been 40.9 yards per kick, compared to 36.5 for West. San Diego also made a significant signing after the season had begun, when they traded their 2nd-round draft pick in
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
for running back
Chuck Muncie Harry Vance "Chuck" Muncie (March 17, 1953 − May 13, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL) from 1976 to 1984. He was ...
. Muncie, the third overall pick in the 1976 draft, was coming off his best season with the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, rushing for 1,198 yards at 5.0 yards per carry and being voted to his first Pro Bowl. He had not started the season well for the Saints, who were 0–4 when the trade took place, with head coach
Dick Nolan Rick Nolan is a Minnesota politician. Richard Nolan may also refer to *Dick Nolan (American football) (1932–2007), American football player, father of Mike Nolan, former head coach of San Francisco 49ers *Dick Nolan (musician) (1939–2005), Cana ...
criticizing his work ethic and commitment to the team. Coryell was unconcerned by Muncie's troubles, describing him as "one of the finest running backs in the game", who would benefit from a fresh start. He contributed 659 rushing yards for the Chargers in 1980 and would make two Pro Bowls during his five seasons in San Diego.


NFL Draft

San Diego had no picks in the first three rounds, due to previous trades for
Willie Buchanon Willie James Buchanon (born November 4, 1950) is an American former football player who was a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He was defensive rookie of the year in 1972 and ...
and Bob Klein, as well as the right to sign head coach
Don Coryell Donald David Coryell (October 17, 1924 – July 1, 2010) was an American football coach, who coached in the National Football League (NFL) first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986. W ...
. Despite having four quarterbacks on their roster already, San Diego added another in the 4th round when they selected
Ed Luther Edward Augustine Luther (born January 2, 1957, in Gardena, California) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round ...
from
San Jose State San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...
. Coryell described Luther as the Chargers' 15th-most desirable player in the draft, given their pass-oriented offense. Luther would spend most of his career backing up
Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is an American former football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973-87). After a relatively undistinguished firs ...
, attempting only 22 passes in his first two seasons before going 2–7 as a starter while Fouts missed time with injuries in
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
and
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
. A second 4th-round pick, safety
Bob Gregor Robert Lee Gregor (born February 10, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington State Coug ...
, missed the 1980 season through injury before going on to start sixteen games in four seasons. Only two others from the Chargers' draft class played in the NFL; running back LaRue Harrington had four carries in his career, while
Chuck Loewen Chuck Loewen (born January 23, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was a tackle and guard for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional Ameri ...
played in 47 games on their offensive line over the next five years, though he only started 3 of them.


Personnel


Staff


Roster


Preseason

San Diego began their preseason in the annual
Pro Football Hall of Fame Game The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is an annual National Football League (NFL) exhibition game in Canton, Ohio, held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies. The game is played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, part ...
in
Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and ...
. They faced the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
in an electrical storm, with wind, rain and lightning. Neither team were able to score before the game was called with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter for player safety, although the Chargers ahd been poised to attempt a field goal with the ball at the Green Bay 25. San Diego's starters played little in a 27–17 loss in
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
; Clarence Williams scored an early 50-yard touchdown run, and Luther led a late 91-yard touchdown drive, capped with a 20-yard pass to John Floyd. Starting quarterback
Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is an American former football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973-87). After a relatively undistinguished firs ...
played the entire first half against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, passing for 177 yards. Most of these went to
John Jefferson John Larry Jefferson (né Washington; born February 3, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Arizona State Sun Devils, h ...
, who had 8 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. Luther threw for 124 yards and a touchdown in the second half, but his pass from the San Francisco 40 was intercepted in the end zone as time expired and the Chargers lost 17–14. The following week, the Chargers played most of their defensive starters into the second half, sacking Atlanta's quarterbacks eight times. Touchdowns from Cappelletti and
Artie Owens Arthur Gene Owens (born January 14, 1953) was an American football running back, return specialist, and receiver that played collegiately for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was also a track runner for the Mountaineers. Owens was primarily kn ...
gave them their only win of the preseason. San Diego concluded their preseason with a 34–17 loss to the Rams. Williams and Cappelletti scored the Charger touchdowns, while
Rolf Benirschke Rolf Joachim Benirschke (born February 7, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Diego Chargers from 1977 until 1986. He is probably most known ...
kicked a 55-yard field goal.


Regular season


Overview

San Diego repeated as AFC West champions. They started out 4–0, with wins over each of their divisional opponents, three of those on the road. They then lost four games out of six, but rebounded to win five of their final six and finish 11–5, beating the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
to the divisional title on tiebreakers. The Chargers finished at the top in the league in total offensive yardage and total passing yardage, while coming fourth in scoring.
Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is an American former football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973-87). After a relatively undistinguished firs ...
broke his own record with 4,715 yards passing, and threw 30 touchdowns. His average of 294.7 yards per game also broke Joe Namath's record, and he threw for 583 more yards than his nearest rival, Cleveland's
Brian Sipe Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word meani ...
. His marks for attempts (589), completions (348) and 300-yard games (8) were also NFL records. Second-year tight end
Kellen Winslow Kellen Boswell Winslow Sr. (born November 5, 1957) is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1995), he is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ...
had a breakout year; he, together with established wideouts
John Jefferson John Larry Jefferson (né Washington; born February 3, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Arizona State Sun Devils, h ...
and
Charlie Joiner Charles B. Joiner Jr. (born October 14, 1947) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. He is best known for his career w ...
, dominated the NFL's receiving stats. Jefferson had 1,340 yards, Winslow 1,290 and Joiner 1,132 – they ranked 1st, 2nd and 4th in the league, and were the first trio of teammates to post 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Winslow was the league leader in receptions (89); Jefferson was top in receiving touchdowns (13). The running game was less successful, ranking 16th out of 28 teams for yardage, but was bolstered when Muncie was acquired in a trade after four games. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry, and led the team with 659 yards. Six different players contributed to San Diego's total of 18 rushing touchdowns (joint-eighth in the NFL); Cappelletti's total of 5 led the team. The Charger offense struggled with turnovers; they threw 26 interceptions, lost 22 fumbles and led the league with 48 total giveaways, including 7 in three separate games. While San Diego ranked only 18th in the NFL for points conceded, the defensive unit finished sixth in total yards and led the league with 60 sacks. Leading the team was
Gary "Big Hands" Johnson Gary Lynn "Big Hands" Johnson (August 31, 1952 – August 4, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was a four-time All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He p ...
with , an unofficial club record , and the joint-most in the league. Johnson and fellow lineman Louie Kelcher and
Fred Dean Frederick Rudolph Dean (February 24, 1952 – October 14, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). A twice first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler, he won two Super ...
were all named starters in that season's Pro Bowl, a rarity for three defensive lineman from the same team. The Chargers' defensive line, which also featured Leroy Jones (second in the team with 12 sacks), was nicknamed the Bruise Brothers, coined from a popular act at the time,
The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respective ...
. Glen Edwards led the team with 5 interceptions of their 20 interceptions. Kicker
Rolf Benirschke Rolf Joachim Benirschke (born February 7, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Diego Chargers from 1977 until 1986. He is probably most known ...
returned from his illness of the previous season but had the lowest field goal conversion percentage of his career to that point, making 24 of 36 and finishing joint-11th in the NFL with 67%. The newly-signed Partridge ranked only 23rd among punters with 39.1 yards per kick.


Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.


Game summaries

''All game reports except Weeks 7, 9 and 14 use the Pro Football Researchers' gamebook archive as a source.''


Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks

Chargers debutant Cappelletti set up his team's first field goal with a 46-yard run. The score was 3–3 early in the 2nd quarter when Seattle tried to punt from their own 28 yard line; Lowe blocked the kick, enabling his offense to start at the Seattle 5. Fouts found McCrary for the opening touchdown on 3rd and goal. On their next possession, Winslow had a 35-yard catch on 3rd and 5 and Joiner a 16-yarder on 3rd and 4; Joiner's touchdown followed on the next play. They soon made it three touchdowns in three possessions, with Jefferson's first touchdown coming on a 3rd down play; the lead was 24–3 at halftime. Seattle pulled three points closer with a field goal on their first drive of the second half, then forced a punt.
Jim Zorn James Arthur Zorn (born May 10, 1953) is a former American football player and coach. Zorn was a left-handed quarterback, and is best known as the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks for their first eight seasons. He was the quarterback ...
was intercepted by Shaw on the next play, soon leading to another Jefferson touchdown, again coming on 3rd down. Mike Williams also got an interception soon afterwards, and San Diego saw out the final quarter without difficulty. Cappelletti's 112 yards represented his only 100-yard game with the Chargers (he had previously managed three with the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
). He helped the Chargers to a 197–47 advantage in total rushing yardage. They converted 12 of 20 3rd down attempts, while Seattle converted only 2 of 13.


Week 2: vs. Oakland Raiders

Oakland attempted field goals on their first three possessions, but
Chris Bahr Christopher Kurt Bahr (born February 3, 1953) is a former professional American football and soccer player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) and played midfielder in the North American Soccer League. High school Atte ...
only converted one of them, while Rolf Benirschke made a club-record 52-yarder; it was 3–3 midway through the 2nd quarter. Clarence Williams then lost a fumble in his own territory, but Horn recovered a mishandled
snap Snap or SNAP may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Snap'', the original release title for the 2013 film ''Enter the Dangerous Mind'' *''Snap'' (TV series), a CITV programme * ''The Stanly News and Press'', a newspaper in Albemarle, North Carol ...
a play later to win possession back. Following an exchange of punts, San Diego reached a 2nd and goal from the Oakland 4, and Jefferson made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch with 48 seconds left in the half. That proved to be enough time for the Raiders, who moved from their own 18 to the Charger 48, from where
Dan Pastorini Dante Anthony Pastorini (born May 26, 1949) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Santa Clara University and wa ...
found
Cliff Branch Clifford Branch Jr. (August 1, 1948 – August 3, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders during his entire 14-year National Football League (NFL) career. He won three NF ...
for a game-tying touchdown with 6 seconds on the clock. Fouts committed turnovers on five of the Chargers' seventeen 3rd-quarter plays. He lost a fumble that was run back for a Raider touchdown and threw four interceptions, three in Oakland territory to end scoring chances and a fourth which set up a field goal try for Bahr. Bahr's kick was no good from 53 yards, and Clarence Williams gained 35 yards on the next four plays, setting up Winslow's touchdown. Oakland responded quickly, reaching a 1st and 10 at the Charger 19 before Glen Edwards intercepted Pastorini. San Diego then drove 80 yards in 12 plays, including a 22-yard completion from Fouts to Winslow and a 4-yard touchdown run from Williams with 2:00 on the clock. Trailing 24–17, Oakland reached a 1st and 10 from the San Diego 16, from where Pastorini threw two incompletions before Gary Johnson sacked him for a loss of 7 and temporarily knocked him out of the game. Backup
Jim Plunkett James William Plunkett (born December 5, 1947) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. He achieved his greatest professional success during his final eight seasons with the ...
was then sacked by Johnson on 4th down, but the apparent game-clinching play was ruled out by penalty, and Plunkett threw the game-tying touchdown a play later. With 33 seconds on the clock, there was still time for Fouts to connect on three straight passes, giving Benirschke a chance to win the game from 51 yards out. The kick missed short and right, sending the game into overtime. Oakland won the toss. Pastorini returned, but was intercepted again by Edwards on the first play of the extra period. On the following play, Fouts threw his fifth interception of the game, giving the Raiders the ball at the San Diego 46. They drove as far as the 32, from where Bahr badly missed a 50-yard potential game-winner. Fouts connected with Joiner for 28 yards on the next drive, and the Chargers reached a 3rd and 11 at the Raider 24. Fouts then lofted a high pass to Jefferson just short of the end. While Okaldn defensive back
Lester Hayes Lester Craig Hayes (born January 22, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Hayes was commonly referred to as "the Judge" an ...
lost the ball in the sun, Jefferson leapt to make the catch, fell at the one-yard line and rolled over the goal line untouched for the winner, 8:09 into overtime. Fouts had an eventful day, completing 29 of 44 for a club-record 387 yards, 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. San Diego had two 100-yard receivers: Winslow (9 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown) and Jefferson (9 for 110 yards and two touchdowns). San Diego won despite committing seven of the game's eleven turnovers. To date, this is the last win by a Chargers team over an eventual Super Bowl champion.


Week 3: at Denver Broncos

On the opening possession, Benirschke broke the Charger record for longest field goal for the second consecutive week, this time converting from 53 yards out. After Denver tied the score, a 41-yard connection between Fouts and Winslow had San Diego back in Broncos territory, but Fouts was intercepted. Fred Dean won possession back when he recovered a fumbled snap. Cappelletti converted a 3rd and 5 with an 11-yard catch early in the ensuing drive, which he ended with his first Charger touchdown. Another Fouts interception led to a Denver field goal, and the Chargers then went three-and-out. On the next play, Woodrow Lowe intercepted Matt Robinson, and ran the ball back 28 yards to the Denver 22. Fouts found Joiner in the end zone on the very next play. Denver then reached the Charger 45, but a Johnson sack pushed them back 9 yards, and Edwards intercepted a Robinson pass two plays later, returning it 68 yards for a touchdown. Benirschke added another field goal before halftime, pushing the lead to 27–6. Fouts was intercepted early in the second half, but Robinson was also intercepted three plays later, with Edwards' 20-yard return setting up a field goal. Denver scored a touchdown on their next possession, and drove inside the Charger three times in the final quarter. Each of these scoring chances ended with a Charger interception, and Denver came no closer. San Diego won in Denver for the first time since
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...
(they had tied there in
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
). Edwards had two of the Chargers' total of six interceptions; they had seven takeaways to the Broncos' three. Johnson had four sacks in the first half alone, and the team finished with six.


Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs

After five punts to start the game, Kelcher recovered a fumble at the Kansas City 3, and Cappelletti scored on the next play. The Chiefs responded by converting three 3rd downs and tying the score. Winslow scored twice in quick succession late in the half. His first touchdown was set up by Laslavic's forced fumble and Stringert's recovery and 26-yard return; after a Kansas City three-and-out, his second was set up by Jefferson's 42-yard reception. Benirschke completed the scoring early in the 3rd quarter, following a Kelcher interception. The Chiefs didn't cross midfield on their next four drive; when they did reach the Charger 30 late in the game, Horn recovered a fumble to end the threat. Dean had three of the Chargers' five sacks. After completing a sweep of their divisional rivals, the Chargers led the AFC West by two games.


Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills

In battle of unbeaten teams, Buffalo led 3–0 in the opening quarter when Lowe forced Bills' running back Joe Cribbs to fumble and Buchanon recovered at the Buffalo 44. Jefferson had 22- and 12-yard catches on the next two plays, and Winslow's touchdown followed on 3rd and goal. A minute later, Buchanon pressured Buffalo's punter, forcing him to run; he was stopped well short of a first down, and San Diego took over at the Buffalo 29. Jefferson's touchdown followed, again on 3rd and goal. The Bills responded with a field goal after Shaw and Edwards collided in the end zone while trying to make an interception. Buffalo later blocked a Partridge punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. Muncie converted a 3rd and 5 with a 12-yard run early in the following drive, which ended with a Benirschke field goal and a 17–13 lead at the break. Mike Williams blocked a punt at the start of the second half, but Benirschke missed wide right from 30 yards out. Young sacked
Joe Ferguson Joseph Carlton Ferguson Jr. (born April 23, 1950) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Arkansas. Early year ...
on 3rd down, forcing Buffalo to punt from their own 11, and San Diego took over on the Buffalo 39. They scored on the ensuing drive; Clarence Williams converted a 3rd and 2 with a 12-yard catch, and scored from the 3 two plays later. Buffalo went for it on 4th and 1 from the Charger 10 early in the 4th quarter, but Cribbs was stuffed for no gain. However, there was another failed punt soon afterwards, Partridge struggling to field a high snap and getting tackled well behind the line. That set up a Bills touchdown on 4th and 3 from the 9. On the next play from scrimmage, Fouts was intercepted, and Cribbs scored the winner five plays later. These two Buffalo scores came 3:15 apart, after drives covering 16 and 21 yards. San Diego looked to respond quickly, but Winslow fumbled after what would have been a first down reception at the Bill 25. Television replays indicated that Winslow was down before he lost possession of the ball. After the turnover, Buffalo picked up three first downs to run the final 4:38 off the clock.


Week 6: at Oakland Raiders

Kenny King Kenneth, Ken or Kenny King may refer to: Ken King * Ken King (born 1971), American politician and businessman * Ken King (ice hockey) (1952–2020), Canadian sports executive Kenneth King * Kenneth George King or Jonathan King (born 1944), Englis ...
rushed 31 yards for a touchdown on the Raiders' opening possession. San Diego tied the score when Jefferson had a 34-yard reception and Cappelletti scored one play later. Fouts lost a fumble after leading his team to the Oakland 21, and the teams exchanged 2nd-quarter field goals. The Chargers later had a first down at their own 45 but were pushed back 21 yards by a mix of penalties and negative plays; Partridge's punt covered only 32 yards, and a 43-yard connection from Plunkett to Branch put Oakland up 17–10; that remained the score at halftime after Benirschke missed a 43-yard field goal. An
unnecessary roughness In gridiron football, a penalty is a sanction assessed against a team for a violation of the rules, called a foul. Officials initially signal penalties by tossing a bright yellow colored penalty flag onto the field toward or at the spot of a fou ...
penalty by Lowe prolonged the first drive of the second half, which took half the 3rd quarter and ended with a Mark van Eeghen touchdown. Jefferson began the next drive with a 28-yard catch and finished it with a 25-yarder for the touchdown. Stringert recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but Cappelletti fumbled the ball back four plays later. San Diego were soon threatening again after Oakland went three-and-out; they eventually went for it on 4th and goal from the 1, and Dan Fouts sneaked across the goal line to tie the score at 24–24. Oakland then rebuilt their lead with 14 points in the next 34 seconds. On the next play from scrimmage, King broke off
left tackle Tackle is a playing position in gridiron football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, o ...
and went 89 yards for a touchdown, shrugging off a tackle by Pete Shaw at the Charger 40.
Chuck Muncie Harry Vance "Chuck" Muncie (March 17, 1953 − May 13, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL) from 1976 to 1984. He was ...
mishandled the ensuing kickoff, and Oakland recovered in the end zone. Fourteen minutes still remained in the 4th quarter, and the Chargers penetrated Raider territory on each of their three remaining possessions, but were foiled by a fumble, a turnover on downs and an interception. With 388 passing yards, Fouts beat his own Charger single-game record by a yard. He was sacked seven times for the loss of 43 yards. The Chargers again had two 100-yard receivers: Joiner had 8 receptions for 135 yards, while Jefferson contributed 5 for 114 and a touchdown.


Week 7: vs. New York Giants

With New York offering little on offense, the Chargers could afford to turn the ball over twice in the first half and still lead 21–0, with Cappelletti, Jefferson and Joiner all scoring. Jefferson was left unmarked for his touchdown due to a mix-up in the defensive backfield, while Joiner's touchdown was set up by Edwards' interception and 34-yard return. New York's lone touchdown was set up by a special teams error, Partridge mishandling a snap near his goal line, but Cappelletti found the end zone again four plays into the Chargers' response. New York threatened a response, but
Phil Simms Phillip Martin Simms (born November 3, 1955) is an American former football quarterback who spent his entire 15-year professional career playing for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently a television sport ...
fumbled inside the Charger 10. Facing a 2nd and 35 from his own 31 soon afterwards, Fouts converted with a 14-yard pass to Muncie and a 24-yarder to Jefferson. John Floyd scored three plays later when two would-be tacklers collided. Muncie's first Charger touchdown was set up by Laslavic's interception at the New York 21. The first four Charger touchdown drive featured a combined 251 passing yards and only 24 rushing yards. Fouts' 444 yards broke the franchise record for passing yards for the third time that season, and the second week in a row. This new record would be tied in
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
by Fouts but not surpassed until
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, by
Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...
. San Diego also boasted three 100-yard receivers for the first time: Joiner, 10 for 107 yards and a touchdown; Jefferson, 5 for 107 yards and a touchdown; Winslow, 6 for 102 yards. The Chargers outgained New York 567–206.


Week 8: at Dallas Cowboys

San Diego led 3–0 after Benirschke made a field goal and Rafael Septien missed one. The Chargers had the ball in Dallas territory when Fouts threw his first interception, leading to a touchdown three plays later.
Danny White Wilford Daniel White (born February 9, 1952) is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys and an American football coach in the Arena Football League. He has been the color commentator for Cowboys games on Compass Media Networks' ...
, a quarterback and punter for the Cowboys, converted a 4th and 1 when he ran 19 yards with a
fake punt A fake punt is a trick play in gridiron football. It involves a running or passing play run out of a punt formation.Examples include: A fake punt can take a number of different forms. The punter may simply take the snap and look to throw a f ...
, though the drive ended with another miss from Septien. San Diego retook the lead on a fluke play, a pass deflecting from Joiner straight to Jefferson who went in untouched for a 58-yard touchdown. Only three plays later, Lowe intercepted White and ran it back 16 yards for another score. Dallas scored a touchdown on their next possession, but the Chargers came straight back with a 33-yard catch by Joiner coming one play before a Winslow touchdown. Benirschke missed a 45-yard field goal as time expired, but San Diego led 24–14 at the break. Dallas scored on their first possession of the second half, then forced a Charger three-and-out. On the next drive, White again ran for a first down from a punt formation, this time gaining 12 yards on 4th and 11; that drive ended with another Dallas touchdown and a 28–24 lead. Muncie lost fumbles on the next two Charger possessions, the first of which led to another Dallas touchdown. Winslow had a 65-yard catch early in the final quarter, but he also lost a fumble. Fouts was intercepted on the next three Charger drives, giving the Chargers six turnovers in as many possessions. Dallas scored their fourth unanswered touchdown after the first interception, and there was only 1:41 left on the clock when Winslow scored his second. The Chargers again had multiple 100-yard receivers. Jefferson had 8 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown, his third 100-yard game in a row, while Winslow caught 5 passes for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. They outgained Dallas by 449 yards to 425, but turned the ball over seven times to the Cowboys' two. With three losses in four games, the Chargers dropped into a tie with Oakland atop the AFC West.


Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

Lowe blocked a punt on Cincinnati's first possession, and San Diego only had to go 13 yards for the game's opening touchdown. After Benirschke added a field goal, Winslow opened the Chargers' second touchdown drive with a 21-yard catch and finished it with an 11-yard touchdown. Cincinnati managed a touchdown shortly before halftime, but Jefferson added a pair of touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. The first of these was a one-handed catch set up by Winslow's 47-yard gain; the second came after a Shaw interception, and was aided by a Bengals' miscommunication that left him completely unmarked at the line of scrimmage. Shaw added two more interceptions in the final quarter. San Diego didn't turn the ball over at all; they had committed 20 turnovers in the previous four games. Shaw became the eighth Charger to make three interceptions in a single game.


Week 10: vs. Denver Broncos

San Diego's first trip into Raider territory ended with a Joiner fumble at the 29 yard line. Winslow converted a pair of 3rd downs on their next drive, which ended in a Benirschke field goal. Their following drive produced another field goal after Muncie was lost a yard on 3rd and 1 from the 15. Denver had gained only one first down from four offensive series up to that point, but scored only three plays after a 53-yard kickoff return had set them up at the Charger 43. Benirschke missed a 38-yard kick late in the half, leaving Denver 7–6 ahead. The first three Charger drives after halftime ended with a Fouts fumble, a Benirschke miss and a Fouts interception. Denver answered with points each time, extending their lead to 20–6 with thirteen minutes to play. Fouts ran for 2 yards on 4th and 1 as the Chargers advanced to the Denver 19, but the drive ended there when he threw incomplete on 4th and 2; he was again incomplete on a 4th and 7 from the Denver 35 with four minutes left. Finally, Fouts completed 4 of 5 passes for 76 yards and a late touchdown to Jefferson, but Denver recovered an onside kick and ran the clock out. San Diego dropped a game behind Oakland with the defeat. Fouts was sacked six times for a loss of 39 yards. San Diego gained more than double the offensive yardage of Denver (459–219) and more than double the first downs (26–11), but gave up all three of the game's turnovers.


Week 11: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Benirschke missed a 43-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter. Later, a 30-yard punt by Partridge set Kansas City up at the Charger 46, and they scored five plays later. On the following drive Benirschke missed again, this time from 35 yards out. Soon afterwards, Chiefs quarterback Steve Fuller was sacked by Lowe, forcing a fumble that Johnson recovered at the Kansas City 21.
Mike Thomas (running back) Malcolm "Mike" Thomas (July 17, 1953 – August 23, 2019) was an American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the ...
scored five plays later, though a failed extra point kept the team behind. San Diego reached a 3rd and 9 at the Chiefs 23 later in the half, but Fouts was intercepted in the end zone. Kansas City also crossed midfield, but were stopped by Johnson's 3rd-down sack and led 7–6 at halftime. Fouts completed 5 of 6 passes for 64 yards on the first Charger drive of the second half, leading to Thomas' second touchdown. The next two Kansas City drives ended in fumbles, forced by Jones and Shaw and recovered by Young and Buchanon. Benirschke failed on field goal attempts after both turnovers (one miss and one block), giving him six consecutive failures over the past two games. After forcing a punt, San Diego ran eight times on a 10-play drive, with Clarence Williams scoring an insurance touchdown 6:21 from time. Kansas City never crossed the Charger 45 after their early scoring drive; San Diego picked up 30 first downs to 10 by the Chiefs. The Charger defense sacked Fuller five times (Jones had two of them), and forced six fumbles, three of which the Chargers recovered.


Week 12: at Miami Dolphins

Terry Robiskie Terrance Joseph Robiskie (born November 12, 1954) is a former American football coach and player. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Washington R ...
put Miami ahead on the game's opening drive, but San Diego responded in kind, Fouts converting 3rd downs with completions to Joiner and Williams, the later for a touchdown. The Dolphins threatened to score again on their next possession, but Jones forced
David Woodley David Eugene Woodley (October 25, 1958 – May 4, 2003) was an American football player, a quarterback in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins (1980–1983), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1984–1985). He played college football at ...
to fumble in Charger territory, and Johnson recovered. Woodley was intercepted by Willie Buchanon on the next Miami drive, and Benirschke kicked San Diego ahead.
Tony Nathan Tony Curtis Nathan (born December 14, 1956) is a former American football running back. Nathan played college football at the University of Alabama and was selected in the third round (61st overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, ...
took a Woodley pass 61 yards on 3rd and 9; the pair combined for a 7-yard touchdown on 3rd and goal to finish the drive. Muncie broke off a 53-yard run late in the half and Joiner scored five plays later. Woodley's 39-yard pass positioned Miami for
Uwe von Schamann Uwe Detlef Walter von Schamann (born April 23, 1956) is a former professional American football placekicker. He played for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, from 1979 to 1984. Early life Von Schamann was born in Berlin, West ...
's field goal with 3 seconds left in the half, tying the score at 17–17. Muncie lost a fumble near midfield on the second play of the 3rd quarter. Following an exchange of punts, Miami crossed midfield, but von Schamann was short on a 52-yard attempt. On the next drive, Muncie had receptions of 11 and 17 yards before Jefferson's touchdown on 3rd and 4 from the 6. The Dolphins responded by driving from their 37 to the Chargers' 1-yard line, where Louie Kelcher stuffed Robiskie on 4th and goal. However, the Dolphins converted two 4th downs on their next drive and tied the score with 1:21 to play. San Diego reached the Miami 41 in response, but Fouts threw four incompletions; Miami drove to midfield, but Woodley was sacked by Charles DeJurnett as time expired. San Diego won the toss in overtime, but their opening drive stalled at the Dolphin 42, and Partridge's punt went into the end zone for a touchback. Woodley led Miami to a 3rd and 5 at their own 37, from where his pass was intercepted by Lowe and run back 28 yards to the 12. Benirschke hit the winner four plays later. Jones had two sacks for the second week in a row. Three days later, Oakland's six-game winning streak came to an end in Philadelphia, leaving both the Raiders and Chargers at 8–4.


Week 13: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia entered the game with a league-best 11–1 record and an eight-game winning streak, but Fouts found Jefferson along the right sideline for 50 yards on the game's first play, and Winslow scored a 14-yard touchdown two plays later. They also scored on their second drive, five more completions from Fouts accounting for 58 out of 64 yards before Benirschke made a field goal. The Eagles wasted two drives into Charger territory: Tony Franklin missed a 49-yard field goal and
Ron Jaworski Partner owner , highlights= * Pro Bowl (1980) * Bert Bell Award (1980) * Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame ;NFL record * Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied) , statlabel1= TD– INT , statvalue1=179–164 , statlabel2=Yards , statvalue2=28,19 ...
mishandled a snap that Kelcher recovered. Midway through the 2nd quarter Fouts hit Joiner for 51 yards along the left sideline. Aa before, Winslow capitalised two plays later, this time from 17 yards out. Franklin missed two further field goal, Benirschke made one, and it was 19–0 at the break. On the first possession of the 3rd quarter, Philadelphia fooled the Chargers with a fake punt, and ultimately drove 80 yards in 15 plays for a touchdown. San Diego reached the red zone in response, but Mike Thomas threw an interception on a trick play. However, they did add another field goal on their next drive, and then forced a punt, leaving them with both possession of the ball and a 15-point lead with 11:13 to play. Muncie fumbled on the next play, and Jaworski threw a touchdown the play after that. San Diego then went three-and-out, and the Eagles finished a six-minute drive with another Jaworski touchdown pass. Taking over at their own 7 with 2:41 to play, San Diego had only to gain a single first down with a Fouts-to-Winslow completion, and could then run the clock out. Johnson had three sacks of the Chargers' six sacks. The Eagles' came into the game with the league's top-ranked pass defense giving up 172.6 yards per game; Fouts passed for 342 yards, while being sacked twice for the loss of 12 yards.


Week 14: at Washington Redskins

On the first San Diego possession,
Joe Lavender Joseph Lavender (born February 10, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college foot ...
cut in front of Winslow to make the first of his three interceptions on the day; Lavender ran the ball back 51 yards for the touchdown that put Washington ahead to stay. It was soon 14–0, but Greg McCrary caught a 28-yard touchdown reception in response, and the Chargers trailed by a manageable 20–10 at halftime. On the opening possession of the second half, San Diego drove from their 10 to the Washington 4-yard line, with Winslow catching a 42-yard pass. However, Fouts threw his fourth interception of the game and the chance was wasted. Washington added two more field goals before Hank Bauer scored his only touchdown of the season, making it 26–17 with over fourteen minutes to play. The Charger defense then appeared to have made a red zone stop, but Young jumped offside on a field goal attempt, and Washington scored the crucial touchdown a play later. Muncie fumbled the ensuing kickoff to set up the game's final touchdown. San Diego committed seven of the game's ten turnovers. Despite the surprising loss to a 3–10 team, San Diego remained tied atop the AFC West, as Oakland lost to Dallas later in the day.


Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Point differential was significant coming into this game – if San Diego and Oakland both won their remaining two games, divisional net points would decide the division winner. There, the Chargers had a 19-point advantage, and both teams would play their final divisional games in Week 15. Fouts completed his first five passes as San Diego drove from their own 23 to the Seattle 6, but his sixth attempt was intercepted in the end zone. They scored on their next drive, which featured a 29-yard catch from Joiner and Muncie's touchdown on 3rd and goal from the 1. Johnson recovered a fumble at the Seattle 38 soon afterwards, but Muncie fumbled himself after the Chargers had driven inside the 10. Seattle went three-and-out on their next two drives, and San Diego increased their lead with further touchdowns for Muncie and Jefferson. Overall, San Diego gained 18 first downs to Seattle's 5 in the first half, while building a 21–0 lead. The Chargers were less effective in the 3rd quarter, gaining only a single first down in three possessions, and allowing Seattle to convert a 4th and 4 during a long touchdown drive. The Seahawks went three-and-out on their next two possessions; after the second of these, San Diego made sure of the win with a 15-play, 86-yard drive that took nine minutes off the clock and ended with Benirschke missing from 23 yards out with 1:09 to play. Seattle added a second touchdown as time expired. DeJurnett had of the Chargers 3 sacks. The reduced margin of victory proved not to matter, as Oakland could only beat Denver by three points the following day, leaving San Diego top of the AFC West on the tiebreakers.


Week 16: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

This was the final
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
game of the season, so the Chargers knew the stakes beforehand – a win would make them AFC West champions and the No. 1 seed in the conference, but a loss would see them miss the playoffs entirely. San Diego gained substantial yardage in the first half; they had three drives, covering 66, 81 and 74 yards. However, they broke down in the red zone each time, settling for three Benirschke field goals and a 9–3 halftime lead. On the opening play of the second half, Fouts found Winslow open along the left sideline for a 59-yard gain. Jefferson converted a 3rd and 6 with a 14-yard catch before Muncie was ruled just short of the end zone on 3rd and goal from the 1. The Chargers opted to go for it, and Fouts comfortably scored the game's opening touchdown with a quarterback sneak. The Steelers needed barely three minutes to respond with
Sidney Thornton Sidney Thornton (September 2, 1954 – January 29, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2nd round (48th overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'11", . running back fr ...
's touchdown, before San Diego converted three 3rd downs but failed on a fourth, leading to another field goal. The defense then made a stop when
Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1994, he has been a television sports analyst an ...
threw incomplete on 4th and 3 from the Charger 20, with Lowe on the coverage. After an exchange of punts, San Diego drove for the clinching touchdown, Muncie converting one 3rd and 4 with a 6-yard catch and another with his 10-yard touchdown run around left end. Muncie's 115 rushing yards were a season high; he also had 27 receiving yards. While the Chargers had committed a league-high 48 turnovers, and having forced 38 through their defense, this game was turnover-free.


Standings


Postseason


Game summaries


AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. Buffalo Bills

The first two drives of the game ended with field goal attempts: Buffalo kicker
Nick Mike-Mayer Nicholas Mike-Mayer (MICK-uh-myur) (born March 1, 1950) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League from 1973– 1982 for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Buffalo Bills. He made the Pro Bowl ...
struck the upright from 44 yards, while Benirschke was successful from 22. The Bills then converted three 3rd downs while driving 72 yards to take the lead. Benirschke missed from 43 yards out, and the teams exchanged punts for the next five drives. On the first play after the
two-minute warning In most levels of professional American football, the two-minute warning is a suspension of play that occurs when two minutes remain on the game clock in each half of a game, i.e., near the end of the second and fourth quarters, and overtime. It ...
, Joiner fumbled and Buffalo recovered at the San Diego 33. Four plays later, Ferguson's touchdown pass gave Buffalo a 14–3 halftime lead. Muncie ran up the middle for 18 yards on the first play of the second half, and Fouts followed with a
play action A play-action pass (also known as a play fake or simply "play-action") is an American football play. The play action starts with what appears to be a running play, but turns out to be a pass play; in this way, it can be considered the opposite of ...
fake to Muncie and a 45-yard completion to Joiner. After Muncie lost two yards, Fouts and Joiner connected for the Chargers' first touchdown of the day. Partridge had a punt blocked soon afterwards, setting the Bills up at the Charger 38. They reached a 3rd and 7 at the 24 before Ferguson was intercepted by Edwards. On the next Buffalo possession, Dean sacked Ferguson at his own 16, leading to a punt that Fuller returned to the Buffalo 49. San Diego progressed to a 2nd and goal from the 1, but were pushed back 5 yards by an illegal motion penalty on Muncie and settled for a field goal. Fuller intercepted Ferguson with eleven minutes to play, returning the ball to the Charger 49. A 24-yard Jefferson catch moved San Diego into Buffalo territory, but Fouts was intercepted after his overthrown pass glanced off Ron Smith fingertips inside the 10. Jones sacked Ferguson on the ensuing drive, leading to a punt that Fuller fumbled and Buffalo recovered at the Charger 38. The San Diego defense was able to stop
Joe Cribbs Joe Stanier Cribbs (born January 5, 1958) is a retired National Football League and United States Football League football running back. He played collegiately at Auburn University along with future NFL backs William Andrews and James Brook ...
for the loss of a yard on 3rd and 1, and Mike-Mayer was short on a 49-yard field goal attempt. San Diego reached a 3rd and 10 at midfield, from where Fouts found Smith in stride over the middle at the Buffalo 25, en route to a 50-yard game-winning touchdown with 2:08 to play. The Bills reached their own 48 before Edwards intercepted Ferguson and San Diego ran the clock out. Smith had caught 4 pass for 48 yards and no touchdowns during the regular season; he had three postseason touchdowns and only one regular season touchdown at this point in his career. Muncie had 80 rushing yards and 53 receiving yards on the day. It was the Chargers' first playoff win since the
1963 AFL Championship Game The 1963 AFL Championship Game was the fourth American Football League (AFL) title game. The Western Division champion San Diego Chargers won 51–10 over the Eastern Division champion Boston Patriots. The Chargers' Keith Lincoln was named the ga ...
.


AFC Conference Championship: vs. Oakland Raiders

On the game's third play,
Jim Plunkett James William Plunkett (born December 5, 1947) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. He achieved his greatest professional success during his final eight seasons with the ...
's 3rd-down pass deflected off his intended receiver
Kenny King Kenneth, Ken or Kenny King may refer to: Ken King * Ken King (born 1971), American politician and businessman * Ken King (ice hockey) (1952–2020), Canadian sports executive Kenneth King * Kenneth George King or Jonathan King (born 1944), Englis ...
and was caught instead by
Raymond Chester Raymond Tucker Chester (born June 28, 1948) is a former American Football tight end. After graduating from Douglass High School in Baltimore, Maryland, Chester played college football at the historically Black University, Morgan State. He was a ...
, who broke away to complete a 65-yard touchdown. On the Chargers' first play from scrimmage, Fouts found Smith up the right sideline for 55 yards. He followed up with a 14-yard completion to Jefferson on 3rd and 13, but was intercepted two plays later. San Diego's defense quickly forced a punt when Johnson sacked Plunkett on 3rd down. The offense tied the score three plays later; from the Raider 48, Fouts threw to Joiner in the end zone, who made the catch despite being double covered. Oakland scored touchdowns on their next two possessions either side of a Charger three-and-out. Fouts completed a passes of 20 yards Joiner and Winslow threw 28 yards to Jefferson on a
trick play A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or trickeration, is a play in gridiron football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or ...
as San Diego moved inside the Raider 20, but Fouts was intercepted again when Jefferson couldn't hold on to his pass inside the 10. Thomas fumbled the next time San Diego had the ball, with Oakland recovering at the Charger 29, leading to the fourth Raider touchdown. Thomas fumbled again on the next drive, but
Doug Wilkerson Douglas Wilkerson (March 27, 1947 – February 21, 2021) was an was an American professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and San Diego Chargers. Named to the Pro Bowl three times ...
recovered. On the next play, Thomas converted a 3rd and 9 with a 24 yard catch to the Oakland 7. Two plays lost one yard, then Joiner caught Fouts' pass at the 5 and dove over the goal line for a touchdown, reducing the halftime deficit to 28–14. Joiner's 25-yard catch on 3rd and 18 kept San Diego's first drive of the second half going. They reached 1st and goal from the 8, before Fouts threw incomplete for Jefferson on three consecutive plays, the second of which was an end zone drop where Jefferson had both hands on the ball. The Chargers took a field goal, then a Jones sack on 3rd down forced a punt that Fuller returned 28 yards to the Raider 41. From there, Fouts completed 3 of 3 passes for 35 yards, and Muncie scored from the 6. Oakland extended their lead with a field goal, then forced a three-and-out. They drove to a 3rd and goal from the 3 before Lowe sacked Plunkett and forced the Raiders to settle for another field goal. Joiner and Winslow had 3rd down conversions as San Diego answered with a field goal and reduced the deficit to seven points with 6:43 still to play. Oakland ran all of that time off, converting three 3rd downs on a 14-play drive. Five different Chargers combined for 6 sacks of Plunkett. San Diego outgained the Raiders by 434 yards to 362, but committed all three of the game's turnovers.


Awards

Eight Chargers were named to the 1981 Pro Bowl, and eight were named
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
s by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, including five on the 1st team. Also, Fouts received 3 of the 80 available votes as
NFL MVP The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (NFL MVP) is an award given by various entities to the American football player who is considered the most valuable in the National Football League (NFL) during the regular season. Organizati ...
; in the
Offensive Player of the Year The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. Or ...
voting, Fouts and Jefferson received 7 and 6 votes respectively.


Notes


References


External links


1980 San Diego Chargers
at pro-football-reference.com {{DEFAULTSORT:1980 San Diego Chargers Season
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
San Diego Chargers seasons AFC West championship seasons San Diego Chargers f