The 2010 season was the San Diego Chargers' 41st in the National Football League and their 51st overall. The team failed to improve on their 13–3 record the previous season, finishing with a 9–7 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

. The 2010 Chargers are noted for having both the No. 1-ranked offense and defense, the first team to do so since the 1996 Green Bay Packers. However, a struggling special teams unit would help cause the Chargers to lose five of their first seven games, each of which was by a one-possession margin. The ''

San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

'' wrote " team even came close to having all those special teams foibles in one season."

Football Outsiders Football Outsiders (FO) is a website started in July 2003 which focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. The site is run by a staff of regular writers, who produce a series of weekly columns using both the site's in-house statistics a ...

calculated that the Chargers had the worst special teams in the league in 2010 and the fifth-worst from 1993 to 2010. Although the Chargers won seven of their nine remaining matchups, they were unable to overcome the slow start and missed the postseason by one game. An additional victory would have allowed the Chargers to win the

AFC West The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las V ...

on a tiebreaker, but they instead finished a game behind the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...

. In addition to their statistical performance, the Chargers used an NFL-record tying 74 players during the season due to injuries. The 2010 season also saw the Chargers have their first home blackouts since

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and was their first since 2000 to not have future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson on the roster.

Offseason

On February 22, 2010, LaDainian Tomlinson requested his release after nine seasons with the team, and went to the New York Jets.

2010 NFL Draft

After finishing the season with the best record among teams exiting the playoffs in the divisional round, the Chargers picked 28th in the draft. They traded their sixth round pick in a trade that sent defensive tackle Travis Johnson to the Chargers.

Draft notes

Coaching staff

Final roster

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Standings

Regular season results

Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

The Chargers began their season at

Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is an American football stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium has been officially named GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stad ...

for a division rivalry match against the

. In the first quarter the Chargers took the early lead as QB

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 sel ...

completed a 3-yard TD pass to TE

Antonio Gates Antonio Ethan Gates Sr. (born June 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers during his entire career in the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro ...

. The Chiefs replied when RB Jamaal Charles made a 56-yard TD run. In the 2nd quarter the Chargers fell behind when QB

Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots an ...

completed a 2-yard TD pass to TE

Tony Moeaki Anthony Moeaki (born June 8, 1987) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Iowa. He was selected in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, and also played for the Buffalo Bills, Seattle S ...

. This was followed by WR

Dexter McCluster Dexter Marquise McCluster (born August 25, 1988) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Mississippi. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and also ...

returning a punt 94 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. In the third quarter the Chargers cut the lead when QB

threw a 59-yard TD pass to WR

Legedu Naanee Legedu A. Naanee (pronounced LEG-a-doo Nah-NAY, born September 16, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Boise S ...

. In the 4th quarter the Chiefs defense prevented any more scoring from the Chargers. With the loss, San Diego began at 0–1.

Week 2: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Chiefs, the Chargers returned home for an AFC duel with the Jaguars. In the 1st quarter, San Diego took the early lead as FB

Mike Tolbert William Michael Tolbert (born November 23, 1985) is a former American football fullback. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football for Coastal Carolina University. He has also been a ...

made a 2-yard TD run. The Jaguars replied with kicker Josh Scobee hitting a 44-yard field goal. The Chargers increased their lead as QB

completed a 9-yard TD pass to TE

. The Jaguars tried to cut the lead with Scobee nailing a 48-yard field goal. The Chargers continued to score with Rivers making a 4-yard TD pass to Gates; followed in the 3rd quarter by kicker

Nate Kaeding Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and retired after the ...

getting a 41-yard field goal. In the 4th quarter the Chargers continued to dominate with FB

getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Rivers completing a 54-yard TD pass to WR Malcolm Floyd. The lead was slightly narrowed when QB

David Garrard David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and w ...

made a 3-yard TD pass to WR

Mike Sims-Walker Michael Anthony Sims-Walker (born Michael Anthony Walker on November 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He most recently played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonvill ...

. With the win, the Chargers improved to 1–1.

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks

Coming off their win over the Jaguars the Chargers flew to

Qwest Field Lumen Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. Located in the city's SoDo neighborhood, it is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL, t ...

where they played their former division rival, the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West, which they rejoined ...

. In the second quarter San Diego trailed early when kicker

Olindo Mare Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse. Mare, who was sel ...

made a 23-yard field goal. Then QB

Matt Hasselbeck Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth r ...

completed a 9-yard TD pass to TE John Carlson. This was followed in the third quarter by RB

Leon Washington Leon Dewitt Washington Sr. (born August 29, 1982) is a former American football running back and return specialist. He currently serves as a coach for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Dra ...

returning a kickoff 101 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Chargers cut the lead with QB

getting a 3-yard TD pass to WR Malcolm Floyd, followed by Hasselbeck getting sacked by ILB

Brandon Siler Brandon T. Siler (born December 5, 1985) is an American former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football for the University of Florida, where ...

in the endzone for a safety. Then kicker

made a 29-yard field goal. The Seahawks increased their lead when Mare made a 23-yard field goal, but the Chargers replied and tied the game when Rivers found TE

on a 12-yard TD pass. (With a successful 2-point conversion as Rivers found WR

). Before the clock struck zero Seattle took the winning score as RB

returned his second kickoff of the game into the endzone running 99 yards for a touchdown, giving the Chargers the loss. With the loss, San Diego fell to 1–2.

Week 4: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Seahawks the Chargers played on home ground for an inter-conference duel with the Cardinals. In the 1st quarter the Chargers took the early lead as QB

completed a 33-yard TD pass to TE

, but had a problem maintaining this lead in the 2nd quarter when FS

Kerry Rhodes Kerry Rhodes (born August 2, 1982) is an American actor and former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and most recently played for the Arizona ...

recovered a fumble and ran 2 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. After that, the Chargers went on a scoring rally with FB

making a 5-yard TD run, followed by Rivers making a 26-yard TD pass to TE

. Then OLB

Shaun Phillips Shaun Jamal Phillips (born May 13, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for Purdue and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Phillips has also been a member of the ...

successfully caught an interception and ran 31 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. This was followed in the 3rd quarter by kicker

making a 48-yard field goal. Then RB Ryan Mathews got a 15-yard TD run. This was followed in the 4th quarter by Kaeding nailing a 47-yard field goal. The Cardinals tried to cut the lead, but only came away with kicker

Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for seve ...

's 53-yard field goal. With the win, San Diego improved to 2–2.

Week 5: at Oakland Raiders

Coming off their win over the Cardinals the Chargers flew to

Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home ba ...

for an AFC West division rivalry match against the Raiders. In the first quarter the Chargers' offense had problems when after a three-and-out Mike Scifres' punt was blocked by RB

Rock Cartwright Roderick Rashaun Cartwright (born December 3, 1979) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was named Offensive Quality Control coach of the Cleveland Browns in February 2016. He was drafted by the W ...

out of bounds in the end zone for a safety. Then kicker

Sebastian Janikowski Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Florida State ...

made a 50-yard field goal. Then Scifres' punt was blocked again and returned by FS Hiram Eugene 5 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Chargers then fought back and took the lead with QB

completing a 19-yard TD pass to TE

. Then RB

got a 4-yard TD run. Then the Chargers trailed with Janikowski making a 30-yard field goal. But they responded and got the lead back with kicker

making a 43-yard field goal, followed in the third quarter by Rivers making a 41-yard TD pass to WR Malcolm Floyd. The Raiders replied with QB

Jason Campbell Jason S. Campbell (born December 31, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college footbal ...

completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE

Zach Miller Zach Miller may refer to: *Zach Miller (tight end, born 1984) Zachary Scott Miller (born October 4, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played quarterback and tight end in college at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He was dr ...

. Followed in the 4th quarter by Kaeding making a 34-yard field goal. The Chargers fell behind when RB

Michael Bush Michael Warren Bush, Jr. (born June 16, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville. In addition to the Raiders, Bu ...

got a 3-yard touchdown run (with a failed 2-point conversion), followed by SS

Tyvon Branch Tyvon A. Branch (born December 11, 1986) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round (100th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft and has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals. H ...

recovering a fumble and running 64 yards to the endzone for a touchdown to give the Chargers a loss, for the first time against the Raiders since 2003. With the loss, San Diego fell to 2–3 for the 4th straight season.

Week 6: at St. Louis Rams

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Raiders the Chargers flew to

Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and the Edward Jones Dom ...

for an Interconference duel with the Rams. In the first quarter San Diego trailed early as kicker Josh Brown made a 39-yard field goal, followed by QB

Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the ...

completing a 38-yard TD pass to WR

Danario Alexander Danario Alexander (born August 7, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Missouri. Early years Alexander earned honorable mention All-State and First-team All-District honors as a senior wide receiver f ...

. The Chargers struggled further in the 2nd quarter when RB

Steven Jackson Steven Rashad Jackson (born July 22, 1983) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He played college football at Oregon State and was ...

got a 7-yard TD run. The Chargers replied with kicker

nailing a 41-yard field goal, followed in the third quarter by FB

getting a 1-yard TD run. In the 4th quarter the Rams' lead increased when Josh Brown hit a 48-yard field goal, but was cut when QB

made a 5-yard TD pass to WR Buster Davis. With the loss, San Diego fell to 2–4 and surpassed their 2009 loss total.

Week 7: vs. New England Patriots

Hoping to break their current losing streak the Chargers played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Patriots. In the 1st quarter the Chargers took the lead as kicker

Kris Brown Kristopher Clayton Brown (born December 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons in the late 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Nebr ...

made a 32-yard field goal, but they fell behind with QB Tom Brady making a 1-yard TD pass to TE

Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played h ...

; followed in the second quarter by kicker

Stephen Gostkowski Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots. He was selected in the fourth round of the ...

getting a 40 and a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter the Chargers continued to struggle with RB

BenJarvus Green-Ellis BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis (born July 2, 1985) is a former American football running back who played for the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. Green-Ellis was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played col ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter the Chargers replied with Brown making a 28-yard field goal, but the Patriots continued to score with a 35-yard field goal from Gostkowski. The Chargers tried to cut the lead with QB

making a 4-yard TD pass to TE

, and with FB

making a 1-yard TD run, but the Chargers got called for false start which turned a 45yd FG into a 50yd, and Kris Brown missed on the final play. With the loss, San Diego fell to 2–5.

Week 8: vs. Tennessee Titans

Hoping to break their current losing streak the Chargers played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Titans. In the first quarter the Chargers trailed early when the Chargers' punt was blocked by Nick Schommer out of bounds for a safety. The Chargers replied with FB

getting a 1-yard TD run. The Chargers fell behind with kicker

Rob Bironas James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...

nailing a 21-yard field goal, followed in the second quarter by QB

Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...

completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Craig Stevens. The Chargers struggled further with RB Chris Johnson getting a 29-yard TD run. The Chargers then went on a scoring rally with RB Ryan Mathews making a 7-yard TD run, followed in the third quarter by kicker

making a 34-yard field goal. Then QB

completed a 48-yard TD pass to TE

, and then Brown made a 36-yard field goal. The lead was narrowed with Young finding WR

Nate Washington Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...

on a 71-yard TD pass (with a failed 2-point conversion), but couldn't do anything after Rivers got a 13-yard TD pass to RB

Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American football executive and former running back and return specialist who is a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football ...

(PAT aborted). With the win, the Chargers improve to 3–5.

Week 9: at Houston Texans

Hoping to increase their winning streak the Chargers moved to Reliant Stadium for an AFC duel with the Texans. In the first quarter the Chargers trailed early as RB

Arian Foster Arian Isa Foster (born August 24, 1986) is a former American football running back and current musical artist under the name Bobby Feeno. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and was signed by the Houston Texans of the Nati ...

got an 8-yard TD run. They soon replied with QB

making a 55-yard TD pass to WR

Seyi Ajirotutu Oluseyi Ajirotutu (born June 12, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver and special teamer. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Fresno State. He is of Nigerian ori ...

. They trailed again with kicker

Neil Rackers Neil William Rackers (born August 16, 1976) is a former American football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He played college football for the University of Illinois. Rackers was drafted by ...

nailed a 27-yard field goal, but took the lead after Rivers got an 11-yard TD pass to TE Randy McMichael. They fell behind again in the second quarter as Foster made a 2-yard TD run, followed by Rackers hitting a 21 and a 25-yard field goal. The Chargers eventually pulled themselves in front again, with Rivers finding McMichael again on a 12-yard TD pass. This was followed in the 4th quarter by Rivers' 28-yard TD pass to Ajirotutu (With a successful 2-point conversion as FB

ran to the endzone). With the win, the Chargers went into their bye week at 4–5.

Week 11: Denver Broncos

Coming off their bye week, the Chargers went home for a Week 11 AFC West duel with the Denver Broncos on Monday night. San Diego trailed early in the first quarter as Broncos running back

Knowshon Moreno Knowshon Rockwell Moreno (born July 16, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Georgia and was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He also pl ...

got a 4-yard touchdown run. The Chargers answered with quarterback

finding wide receiver Malcolm Floyd on a 6-yard touchdown pass. San Diego took the lead in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from fullback

, followed by Rivers finding wide receiver Patrick Crayton on a 40-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers added onto their lead in the third quarter as Rivers connected with running back

on a 57-yard touchdown pass. San Diego continued its dominating night with Rivers' 3-yard touchdown pass to fullback

Jacob Hester Jacob Troy Hester (born May 8, 1985) is a former American football fullback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college foo ...

. Denver would close out the game with quarterback

Kyle Orton Kyle Raymond Orton (born November 14, 1982) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL D ...

completing a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Brandon Lloyd Brandon Matthew Lloyd (born July 5, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Illinois, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth roun ...

. With the win, the Chargers improved to 5–5.

Week 12: at Indianapolis Colts

The Chargers' eleventh game was an AFC duel against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. They trailed early in the first quarter after QB Peyton Manning made a 4-yard TD pass to TE

Jacob Tamme Jacob Francis Tamme ( ; born March 15, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Kentucky and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Tamme also played for the Denver ...

. They eventually pulled ahead after kicker

made a 28-yard field goal, followed by ILB

Kevin Burnett Kevin Bradley Burnett (born December 24, 1982) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders. He played college football at the University o ...

returning an interception 29 yards for a touchdown, and then with Kaeding hitting a 33 and a 50-yard field goal. Their lead was narrowed when Manning made a 6-yard TD pass to WR Blair White, but the Chargers controlled the second half with Kaeding getting a 30-yard field goal, which was shortly followed by FS

Eric Weddle Eric Steven Weddle (born January 4, 1985) is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he was a consensus All-American, and was selected by ...

returning an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, then with FB

getting a 3-yard TD run, and Kaeding making a 20-yard field goal, settling both teams records to 6–5.

Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders

Coming off their win over the Colts the Chargers played on home ground for a rematch against the Raiders. The Chargers trailed early as QB

scrambled 9 yards for a touchdown, followed by his 4-yard TD pass to WR

Jacoby Ford Jacoby Ford (born July 27, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was also an accomplished track and field athlete. He play ...

. They replied in the second quarter as kicker

nailed a 39-yard field goal, but trailed further with RB

getting a 7-yard TD run. The Chargers cut the lead with Kaeding hitting a 33-yard field goal, followed by QB

completing a 4-yard TD pass to TE

. The Raiders would finish off with

Darren McFadden Darren McFadden (born August 27, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round with the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NFL Dra ...

making a 7-yard TD run. With the loss, San Diego fell to 6–6 and were swept by the Raiders for the first time since 2001.

Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Raiders the Chargers played on home ground for an AFC West rivalry rematch against the Chiefs. The Chargers took control of the game with QB

throwing a 17-yard TD pass to WR Malcolm Floyd, followed by FB

getting an 8-yard TD run. The lead was increased with Rivers finding Floyd again on a 9-yard TD pass. This was followed in the fourth quarter by kicker

nailing a 48-yard field goal, and then by RB Ryan Mathews getting a 15-yard TD run. With the shutout win over Kansas City, San Diego improved to 7–6.

Week 15: vs. San Francisco 49ers

The Chargers' fourteenth game was an interconference duel with the 49ers which was played on Thursday Night. The Chargers took a quick lead with QB

throwing a 58-yard TD pass to WR

Vincent Jackson Vincent Terrell Jackson (January 14, 1983 – February 15, 2021) was an American professional football player who played as a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northern Colorado, ...

. The lead was extended in the second quarter by kicker

nailing a 25-yard field goal, followed by Rivers finding Jackson on an 11-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers continued to dominate with FB

getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Rivers connecting to Jackson on a 48-yard TD pass, then with Kaeding hitting a 39-yard field goal. The 49ers made their only score of the game with RB

Brian Westbrook Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. This game was also a blowout and San Diego improved to 8–6.

Week 16: at Cincinnati Bengals

Hoping to make it three straight the Chargers flew to Paul Brown Stadium for an AFC duel with the Bengals. In the first quarter the Chargers trailed early with QB

Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football ...

throwing a 3-yard TD pass to TE

Jermaine Gresham Jermaine Gresham (born June 16, 1988) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he received All-American honors. ...

. Then Palmer found WR

Jerome Simpson Jerome Louis Simpson (born February 4, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers. ...

on a 10-yard TD pass (PAT failed, wide left). The Chargers got on the board with kicker

hitting a 20-yard field goal, followed by RB Ryan Mathews getting a 23-yard TD run, but went into more trouble as Palmer completed a 3-yard TD pass to WR

Jordan Shipley Jordan Shipley (born December 23, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. Shipley played college football for the University of Texas, and received consensus All-American recognition. He was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the t ...

. The Chargers cut the lead with Kaeding making a 28-yard field goal, but struggled to hold on after Palmer connected to Simpson on a 59-yard TD pass, followed by RB Bernard Scott getting a 10-yard TD run. The Chargers tried to come back after QB

made a 5-yard TD pass to WR Kelley Washington, but the Bengals defense prevented any more scoring chances. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 8–7. With Kansas City winning earlier in the day, the loss prevented the Chargers from making their sixth playoff appearance in seven years.

Week 17: at Denver Broncos

The Chargers' final game was a division rivalry rematch against the Broncos. In the first quarter the Chargers trailed early as QB Tim Tebow threw a 14-yard TD pass to WR

. They eventually overcame this deficit with RB Ryan Mathews getting a 27-yard TD run, followed by kicker

nailing a 42, 45 and 47-yard field goal to put the Chargers up 16–7. They extended their lead in the third quarter with Mathews getting a 12-yard TD run, followed by Kaeding hitting a 37-yard field goal. The lead was narrowed with QB Tim Tebow completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR

Eric Decker Eric Thomas Decker (born March 15, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Minnesota, and was dra ...

, but the Chargers increased their lead with Mathews getting a 31-yard TD run. The lead was narrowed further with

Cassius Vaughn Cassius M. Vaughn (born November 3, 1987) is a former Canadian football defensive back. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Ole Miss. In the NFL, Vaughn has also played for the I ...

returning the kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, followed by Tebow scrambling 6 yards for a touchdown, but the Chargers still managed to hold on for the win. The Chargers finished the 2010–11 NFL season as the only team ever to rank first in overall offense (396 yds/g) and overall defense (272 yds/g), in terms of total yards gained and allowed, and not make the playoffs the same year. Since 1970 the previous four NFL teams to accomplish that statistical feat all qualified for the post-season in those respective years. With the win against the Broncos, San Diego finished with a 9–7 record.

Legacy

In 2019 SB Nation deemed the 2010 Chargers to be one of the greatest NFL teams of all time, despite missing the playoffs, if the special teams unit was excluded.

Notes and references

External links

2011 San Diego Chargers Media Guide

Team schedule on NFL.com

Chargers 2010 Draft selections on NFL.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:2010 San Diego Chargers Season San Diego San Diego Chargers seasons San Diego