1986 San Diego Chargers season

1986 San Diego Chargers season
Owner	Alex Spanos
General manager	Johnny Sanders
Head coach	Don Coryell (fired October 29, 1-7 record) Al Saunders (interim, 3-5 record)
Home stadium	Jack Murphy Stadium
Results
Record	4–12
Division place	5th AFC West
Playoffs	Did not qualify
All-Pros	None
Pro Bowlers	1 RB Gary Anderson
←  1985 Chargers seasons 1987  →

The 1986 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 27th overall. the team failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 1985. Following a stagnant 1–7 start, Head Coach Don Coryell was fired and Al Saunders was named interim Head Coach. After the season, Saunders was named the permanent Head Coach and would hold the position through the end of the 1988 season. Leslie O'Neal was named Defensive Rookie of the Year.

NFL draft

Main article: 1986 NFL draft

1986 San Diego Chargers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	8	Leslie O'Neal *	DE	Oklahoma State
1	13	James FitzPatrick	OT	USC
3	66	Terry Unrein	DE	Colorado State
3	70	Jeff Walker	T	Memphis State
4	95	Ty Allert	LB	Texas
4	97	Tommy Taylor	LB	UCLA
5	118	Doug Landry	LB	Louisiana Tech
5	129	Donald Brown	DB	Maryland
5	133	Matt Johnson	DB	USC
6	155	Curt Pardridge	WR	Northern Illinois
7	182	Fred Smalls	LB	West Virginia
8	209	Mike Perrino	T	Notre Dame
9	235	Mike Zordich	DB	Penn State
11	293	Chuck Sanders	RB	Slippery Rock
11	298	Drew Smetana	T	Oregon
12	320	Jeff Sprowls	DB	Brigham Young
12	333	Mike Travis	DB	Georgia Tech
Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster

1986 San Diego Chargers roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 12 Tom Flick 14 Dan Fouts  9 Mark Herrmann Running backs (RB) 42 Curtis Adams 40 Gary Anderson 43 Tim Spencer Wide receivers (WR) 89 Wes Chandler 83 Trumaine Johnson 18 Charlie Joiner 81 Timmie Ware Tight ends (TE) 88 Pete Holohan 80 Kellen Winslow

Offensive linemen (OL) 77 Sam Claphan G 61 Ken Dallafior T/G 75 Curt DiGiacomo G 68 Gary Kowalski T 74 Jim Lachey T 63 Jim Leonard G/C 62 Don Macek C 60 Dennis McKnight G 72 Jeff Walker T/G Defensive linemen (DL) 92 Dee Hardison DE 90 Mack Moore DE 98 Terry Unrein NT 99 Lee Williams DE 93 Earl Wilson DE 96 Blaise Winter NT

Linebackers (LB) 56 Ty Allert ILB 57 Thomas Benson ILB 59 Andy Hawkins OLB 51 Woodrow Lowe OLB 55 Derrie Nelson ILB 50 Gary Plummer ILB 54 Billy Ray Smith OLB 52 Angelo Snipes OLB Defensive backs (DB) 22 Gill Byrd FS/CB 37 Jeffery Dale SS 20 Wayne Davis CB 25 Vencie Glenn FS 27 Daniel Hunter CB 33 John Sullivan SS 24 Ken Taylor CB 30 Kevin Wyatt CB Special teams (ST)  2 Ralf Mojsiejenko P  6 Rolf Benirschke K

Reserve 78 Chuck Ehin NT (IR) 52 Mark Fellows LB (IR) 70 James FitzPatrick T (IR) 29 John Hendy S (IR) 26 Lionel James RB (IR) 21 Buford McGee RB (IR) 87 Malcolm Moore TE (IR) 91 Leslie O'Neal DE (IR) 85 Eric Sievers TE (IR) 97 Tony Simmons DE (IR) 23 Danny Walters CB (IR) Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	August 9	Dallas Cowboys	W 20–0	1–0	Jack Murphy Stadium
2	August 16	Philadelphia Eagles	W 45–38	2–0	Jack Murphy Stadium
3	August 23	at Los Angeles Rams	L 17–20	2–1	Anaheim Stadium
4	August 29	St. Louis Cardinals	W 24–17	3–1	Jack Murphy Stadium

^[1]

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 7	Miami Dolphins	W 50–28	1–0	Jack Murphy Stadium	57,726	Recap
2	September 14	at New York Giants	L 7–20	1–1	Giants Stadium	74,921	Recap
3	September 21	Washington Redskins	L 27–30	1–2	Jack Murphy Stadium	57,853	Recap
4	September 28	at Los Angeles Raiders	L 13–17	1–3	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	63,153	Recap
5	October 6	at Seattle Seahawks	L 7–33	1–4	Kingdome	63,207	Recap
6	October 12	Denver Broncos	L 14–31	1–5	Jack Murphy Stadium	55,662	Recap
7	October 19	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 41–42	1–6	Arrowhead Stadium	55,767	Recap
8	October 26	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 7–23	1–7	Veterans Stadium	41,469	Recap
9	November 2	Kansas City Chiefs	L 23–24	1–8	Jack Murphy Stadium	48,518	Recap
10	November 9	at Denver Broncos	W 9–3	2–8	Mile High Stadium	75,012	Recap
11	November 16	Dallas Cowboys	L 21–24	2–9	Jack Murphy Stadium	55,622	Recap
12	November 20	Los Angeles Raiders	L 31–37 (OT)	2–10	Jack Murphy Stadium	56,031	Recap
13	November 30	at Indianapolis Colts	W 17–3	3–10	Hoosier Dome	47,950	Recap
14	December 7	Houston Oilers	W 27–0	4–10	Jack Murphy Stadium	40,103	Recap
15	December 14	Seattle Seahawks	L 24–34	4–11	Jack Murphy Stadium	47,096	Recap
16	December 21	at Cleveland Browns	L 17–47	4–12	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	68,505	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

All game reports use the Pro Football Researchers' gamebook archive as a source. ^[2]

Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week One: Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	14	7	7	28
Chargers	17	9	14	10	50

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), relative humidity 82%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
• Game attendance: 57,726
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Jimmy Cefalo
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Gary Anderson 18-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:52. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 2:07. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 26-yard field goal, 2:17. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:17. SDG – Tim Spencer 17-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:24. Chargers 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 0:53. Second quarter MIA – Mark Clayton 22-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 12:00. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:24. SDG – Buford McGee 4-yard run (kick blocked), 4:02. Chargers 23–7. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:59. MIA – Mark Clayton 49-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 2:19. Chargers 23–14. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:43. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 36-yard field goal, 0:28. Chargers 26–14. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 1:51. Third quarter SDG – Wes Chandler 7-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 9:22. Chargers 33–14. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:21. MIA – Nat Moore 6-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 6:47. Chargers 33–21. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 2:35. SDG – Pete Holohan 17-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:21. Chargers 40–21. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 6:26. Fourth quarter SDG – Buford McGee 4-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 14:15. Chargers 47–21. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:59. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 36-yard field goal, 5:48. Chargers 50–21. Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 4:25. MIA – Nat Moore 17-yard pass from Don Strock (Fuad Reveiz kick), 0:58. Chargers 50–28. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 0:46. Top passers MIA – Dan Marino – 23/36, 290 yards, 3 TD SDG – Dan Fouts – 23/35, 293 yards, 3 TD Top rushers MIA – Lorenzo Hampton – 6 rushes, 26 yards SDG – Lionel James – 10 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers MIA – Mark Clayton – 5 receptions, 143 yards, 2 TD SDG – Wes Chandler – 6 receptions, 78 yards, TD

^[3]

Week 2: at New York Giants

Week Two: San Diego Chargers at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	7	0	0	7
Giants	3	7	0	10	20

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), relative humidity 52%, wind 17 miles per hour (27 km/h; 15 kn)
• Game attendance: 74,921
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
• Box score

Game information

First quarter NYG – Joe Cooper 21-yard field goal, 6:10. Giants 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:49. Second quarter NYG – Joe Morris 1-yard run (Joe Cooper kick), 13:16. Giants 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:35. SDG – Gary Anderson 29-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:24. Giants 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:22. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter NYG – Lionel Manuel 12-yard pass from Phil Simms (Joe Cooper kick), 7:14. Giants 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:14. NYG – Joe Cooper 20-yard field goal, 3:12. Giants 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:32. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 19/43, 224 yards, TD, 5 INT NYG – Phil Simms – 18/37, 300 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Buford McGee – 5 rushes, 19 yards NYG – Joe Morris – 30 rushes, 83 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Wes Chandler – 4 receptions, 58 yards NYG – Mark Bavaro – 5 receptions, 89 yards

^[4]

Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins

Week Three: Washington Redskins at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	3	7	13	7	30
Chargers	14	7	3	3	27

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 21
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 64 °F (17.8 °C), relative humidity 72%, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
• Game attendance: 57,853
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Terry Bradshaw
• Box score

Game information

First quarter WAS – Mark Moseley 29-yard field goal, 10:06. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 3:43. SDG – Gary Anderson 13-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:17. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:49. SDG – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:47. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:10. Second quarter SDG – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 8:02. Chargers 21–3. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:11. WAS – George Rogers 2-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 4:08. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:54. Third quarter WAS – Mark Moseley 24-yard field goal, 10:48. Chargers 21–13. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:12. WAS – Mark Moseley 26-yard field goal, 4:19. Chargers 21–16. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:24. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 50-yard field goal, 2:03. Chargers 24–16. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 2:16. WAS – George Rogers 10-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 0:13. Chargers 24–23. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:50. Fourth quarter SDG – Rolf Benirschke 31-yard field goal, 9:07. Chargers 27–23. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:21. WAS – Gary Clark 14-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Mark Moseley kick), 1:16. Redskins 30–27. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 0:44. Top passers WAS – Jay Schroeder – 16/36, 341 yards, TD SDG – Dan Fouts – 22/36, 235 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers WAS – George Rogers – 23 rushes, 87 yards, 2 TD SDG – Lionel James – 9 rushes, 67 yards Top receivers WAS – Art Monk – 7 receptions, 174 yards SDG – Kellen Winslow – 4 receptions, 42 yards SDG – Charlie Joiner – 3 receptions, 42 yards

^[5] With the loss, the Chargers dropped to 1-2 on the season. This would be the Chargers last loss at home to Washington until 2025.

Week 4: at Los Angeles Raiders

Week Four: San Diego Chargers at Los Angeles Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	6	7	0	0	13
Raiders	0	7	7	3	17

at Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 62 °F (16.7 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
• Game attendance: 57,726
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Kellen Winslow 9-yard pass from Dan Fouts (kick failed), 8:38. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:26. Second quarter SDG – Trumaine Johnson 9-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:34. Chargers 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:56. RAI – Dokie Williams 12-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Chris Bahr kick), 0:16. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 0:43. Third quarter RAI – Jessie Hester 40-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Chris Bahr kick), 14:35. Raiders 14–13. Drive: 1 play, 40 yards, 0:07. Fourth quarter RAI – Chris Bahr 18-yard field goal, 1:41. Raiders 17–13. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 5:32. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 20/45, 208 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT RAI – Marc Wilson – 19/28, 314 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SDG – Lionel James – 13 rushes, 41 yards RAI – Napoleon McCallum – 14 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers SDG – Lionel James – 8 receptions, 77 yards RAI – Dokie Williams – 8 receptions, 143 yards, TD

^[6]

Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Five: San Diego Chargers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	0	0	0	7
Seahawks	0	6	17	10	33

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

• Date: October 6
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
• Game attendance: 63,207
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford and O. J. Simpson
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 7:32. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:34. Second quarter SEA – Norm Johnson 29-yard field goal, 13:49. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 5:54. SEA – Norm Johnson 30-yard field goal, 0:08. Chargers 7–6. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 3:15. Third quarter SEA – Norm Johnson 54-yard field goal, 10:36. Seahawks 9–7. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:24. SEA – Byron Franklin 46-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 9:04. Seahawks 16–7. Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 0:15. SEA – Steve Largent 15-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 8:51. Seahawks 23–7. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:03. Fourth quarter SEA – Eric Lane 2-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 12:39. Seahawks 30–7. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 5:43. SEA – Norm Johnson 20-yard field goal, 7:12. Seahawks 33–7. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:45. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 20/31, 231 yards, 3 INT SEA – Dave Krieg – 21/35, 284 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SDG – Lionel James – 10 rushes, 27 yards SEA – Curt Warner – 28 rushes, 142 yards Top receivers SDG – Wes Chandler – 3 receptions, 61 yards SEA – Byron Franklin – 5 receptions, 118 yards, TD

^[7]

Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos

Week Six: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	3	7	14	31
Chargers	7	0	0	7	14

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: October 12
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 66 °F (18.9 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
• Game attendance: 55,662
• Referee: Gene Barth
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Gary Anderson 7-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 11:09. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 47 yards, 0:33. DEN – Sammy Winder 1-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 6:37. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:32. Second quarter DEN – Rich Karlis 21-yard field goal, 0:26. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:19. Third quarter DEN – Gerald Willhite 3-yard pass from John Elway (Rich Karlis kick), 5:48. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 5:47. Fourth quarter DEN – Gerald Willhite 1-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 8:01. Broncos 24–7. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 10:11. DEN – Mike Harden 41-yard punt return (Rich Karlis kick), 7:06. Broncos 31–7. SDG – Buford McGee 4-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:29. Broncos 31–14. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 2:18. Top passers DEN – John Elway – 20/34, 242 yards, TD, INT SDG – Dan Fouts – 26/40, 352 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Sammy Winder – 17 rushes, 74 yards, TD SDG – Lionel James – 5 rushes, 27 yards Top receivers DEN – Steve Watson – 4 receptions, 92 yards SDG – Gary Anderson – 6 receptions, 95 yards, TD

^[8]

Week 7: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Seven: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	17	7	10	41
Chiefs	7	21	7	7	42

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: October 19
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
• Game attendance: 55,767
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KAN – Stephone Paige 45-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 9:38. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 45 yards, 0:06. SDG – Gary Anderson 7-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:41. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:57. Second quarter KAN – Lloyd Burruss 56-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 9:53. Chiefs 14–7. KAN – Kevin Ross 21-yard fumble return (Nick Lowery kick), 9:41. Chiefs 21–7. SDG – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:41. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:00. KAN – Lloyd Burruss 47-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 2:42. Chiefs 28–14. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 30-yard field goal, 1:06. Chiefs 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 1:36. SDG – Leslie O'Neal 5-yard interception return (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:56. Chiefs 28–24. Third quarter KAN – Stephone Paige 16-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 12:57. Chiefs 35–24. Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:44. SDG – Gary Anderson 2-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:46. Chiefs 35–31. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:11. Fourth quarter SDG – Rolf Benirschke 21-yard field goal, 14:06. Chiefs 35–34. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 5:38. KAN – Boyce Green 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 10:18. Chiefs 42–34. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:48. SDG – Gary Anderson 12-yard pass from Mark Herrmann (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:42. Chiefs 42–41. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 0:56. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 19/33, 200 yards, TD, 3 INT KAN – Bill Kenney – 6/9, 97 yards, TD Top rushers SDG – Tim Spencer – 10 rushes, 57 yards KAN – Mike Pruitt – 10 rushes, 35 yards Top receivers SDG – Gary Anderson – 11 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD KAN – Stephone Paige – 3 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TD

^[9]

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Eight: San Diego Chargers at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	0	7	7
Eagles	3	3	3	14	23

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 26
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 56 °F (13.3 °C), relative humidity 92%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
• Game attendance: 41,469
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers (NBC): Kevin Slaten and Dave Rowe
• Box score

Game information

First quarter PHI – Paul McFadden 33-yard field goal, 6:28. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 3:37. Second quarter PHI – Paul McFadden 34-yard field goal, 2:00. Eagles 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 3:18. Third quarter PHI – Paul McFadden 36-yard field goal, 4:58. Eagles 9–0. Drive: 15 plays, 55 yards, 5:21. Fourth quarter PHI – Mike Quick 10-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Paul McFadden kick), 10:02. Eagles 16–0. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:27. SDG – Charlie Joiner 20-yard pass from Tom Flick (Rolf Benirschke kick), 7:49. Eagles 16–7. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:13. PHI – Keith Byars 2-yard run (Paul McFadden kick), 1:12. Eagles 23–7. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 2:24. Top passers SDG – Mark Herrmann – 11/29, 122 yards, INT PHI – Ron Jaworski – 12/23, 98 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Gary Anderson – 12 rushes, 60 yards PHI – Michael Haddix – 14 rushes, 48 yards Top receivers SDG – Trumaine Johnson – 7 receptions, 85 yards PHI – John Spagnola – 7 receptions, 72 yards

^[10]

Week 9: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Nine: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	0	7	17	24
Chargers	2	14	0	7	23

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 2
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), relative humidity 59%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
• Game attendance: 48,518
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers (NBC): Fred Roggin and Dave Rowe
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Safety, ball snapped out of end zone, 12:11. Chargers 2–0. Second quarter SDG – Wes Chandler 7-yard pass from Tom Flick (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:31. Chargers 9–0. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 4:34. SDG – Tim Spencer 4-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:42. Chargers 16–0. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:24. Third quarter KAN – Jeff Smith 1-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 4:08. Chargers 16–7. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 4:26. Fourth quarter KAN – Emile Harry 5-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 7:43. Chargers 16–14. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:01. KAN – Mike Pruitt 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 1:46. Chiefs 21–16. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 1:52. SDG – Tom Flick 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:02. Chargers 23–21. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 0:44. KAN – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 0:07. Chiefs 24–23. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 0:55. Top passers KAN – Bill Kenney – 21/32, 287 yards, 2 TD SDG – Tom Flick – 4/17, 42 yards, TD, 4 INT Top rushers KAN – Jeff Smith – 10 rushes, 41 yards SDG – Gary Anderson – 25 rushes, 100 yards Top receivers KAN – Henry Marshall – 7 receptions, 90 yards KAN – Carlos Carson – 4 receptions, 90 yards SDG – Wes Chandler – 3 receptions, 40 yards, TD

^[11]

Week 10: at Denver Broncos

Week Ten: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	3	0	3	9
Broncos	0	3	0	0	3

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 9
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 31 °F (−0.6 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn), wind chill 24 °F (−4.4 °C)
• Game attendance: 75,012
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Rolf Benirschke 25-yard field goal, 5:37. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 78 yards, 9:23. Second quarter DEN – Rich Karlis 44-yard field goal, 14:40. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:57. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 48-yard field goal, 7:27. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 7:13. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – Rolf Benirschke 21-yard field goal, 7:18. Chargers 9–3. Drive: 16 plays, 48 yards, 8:45. Top passers SDG – Tom Flick – 16/22, 130 yards, INT DEN – John Elway – 13/31, 196 yards, 3 INT Top rushers SDG – Curtis Adams – 16 rushes, 38 yards DEN – Sammy Winder – 9 rushes, 24 yards Top receivers SDG – Kellen Winslow – 7 receptions, 54 yards DEN – Mark Jackson – 2 receptions, 76 yards

^[12]

Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Eleven: Dallas Cowboys at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	10	0	0	14	24
Chargers	0	7	7	7	21

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), relative humidity 65%, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
• Game attendance: 55,622
• Referee: Tom Dooley
• TV announcers (CBS): Jack Buck and Joe Theismann
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Rafael Septien 33-yard field goal, 7:02. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 2:58. DAL – Mike Sherrard 68-yard pass from Steve Pelluer (Rafael Septien kick), 3:24. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:39. Second quarter SDG – Tim Spencer 7-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:17. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:40. Third quarter SDG – Kellen Winslow 28-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:39. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 5:14. Fourth quarter SDG – Kellen Winslow 4-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 14:02. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:36. DAL – Herschel Walker 1-yard run (Rafael Septien kick), 7:26. Chargers 21–17. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 0:56. DAL – Steve Pelluer 2-yard run (Rafael Septien kick), 1:37. Cowboys 24–21. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 0:32. Top passers DAL – Steve Pelluer – 18/33, 246 yards, TD SDG – Dan Fouts – 22/41, 275 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DAL – Tony Dorsett – 14 rushes, 76 yards SDG – Curtis Adams – 9 rushes, 33 yards Top receivers DAL – Mike Sherrard – 4 receptions, 115 yards, TD SDG – Gary Anderson – 8 receptions, 85 yards

^[13]

Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Raiders

Week Twelve: Los Angeles Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Raiders	14	7	10	0	6	37
Chargers	0	10	7	14	0	31

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 20
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), relative humidity 88%, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
• Game attendance: 56,031
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels and Frank Gifford
• Box score

Game information

First quarter RAI – Jerry Robinson 2-yard blocked punt return (Chris Bahr kick), 11:41. Raiders 7–0. RAI – Todd Christensen 11-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 6:29. Raiders 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:58. Second quarter SDG – Rolf Benirschke 47-yard field goal, 9:12. Raiders 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:22. SDG – Curtis Adams 19-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 2:26. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:16. RAI – Dokie Williams 10-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 0:24. Raiders 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 2:02. Third quarter RAI – Chris Bahr 52-yard field goal, 12:31. Raiders 24–10. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:53. RAI – Lester Hayes 39-yard fumble return (Chris Bahr kick), 12:04. Raiders 31–10. SDG – Curtis Adams 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:37. Raiders 31–17. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:32. Fourth quarter SDG – Curtis Adams 13-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 12:11. Raiders 31–24. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:38. SDG – Charlie Joiner 16-yard pass from Mark Herrmann (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:01. Tied 31–31. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 2:22. Overtime RAI – Marcus Allen 28-yard run, 6:27. Raiders 37–31. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:02. Top passers RAI – Jim Plunkett – 23/40, 348 yards, 2 TD, INT SDG – Mark Herrmann – 13/23, 198 yards, TD Top rushers RAI – Marcus Allen – 21 rushes, 88 yards, TD SDG – Curtis Adams – 26 rushes, 93 yards, 3 TD Top receivers RAI – Todd Christensen – 11 receptions, 173 yards, TD SDG – Gary Anderson – 7 receptions, 113 yards

^[14]

Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts

Week Thirteen: San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	10	0	0	7	17
Colts	0	0	3	0	3

at Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: November 30
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
• Game attendance: 47,950
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Dave Rowe
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Rolf Benirschke 19-yard field goal, 4:26. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 18 plays, 82 yards, 10:34. SDG – Wes Chandler 30-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:43. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 42 yards, 0:12. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter IND – Dean Biasucci 27-yard field goal, 9:27. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:33. Fourth quarter SDG – Curtis Adams 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:42. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:45. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 24/31, 290 yards, TD, 2 INT IND – Jack Trudeau – 15/28, 130 yards, INT Top rushers SDG – Curtis Adams – 21 rushes, 68 yards, TD IND – Albert Bentley – 8 rushes, 33 yards Top receivers SDG – Wes Chandler – 5 receptions, 110 yards, TD IND – Bill Brooks – 7 receptions, 76 yards

^[15]

Week 14: vs. Houston Oilers

Week Fourteen: Houston Oilers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	0	0	0	0
Chargers	0	17	3	7	27

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), relative humidity 81%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
• Game attendance: 40,103
• Referee: Jerry Seeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – Tim Spencer 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:21. Raiders 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 0:59. SDG – Gary Anderson 31-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:01. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:07. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 20-yard field goal, 0:48. Raiders 31–17. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 4:10. Third quarter SDG – Rolf Benirschke 35-yard field goal, 10:45. Raiders 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:15. Fourth quarter SDG – Kellen Winslow 4-yard pass from Gary Anderson (Rolf Benirschke kick), 8:24. Raiders 31–24. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 4:05. Top passers HOU – Oliver Luck – 10/26, 110 yards, 2 INT SDG – Dan Fouts – 21/30, 250 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – Ray Wallace – 9 rushes, 45 yards SDG – Curtis Adams – 17 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers HOU – Ernest Givins – 4 receptions, 50 yards HOU – Allen Pinkett – 4 receptions, 50 yards SDG – Wes Chandler – 7 receptions, 75 yards

^[16]

Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Fifteen: Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	10	7	3	14	34
Chargers	0	17	0	7	24

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 57 °F (13.9 °C), relative humidity 71%, wind 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h; 5.2 kn)
• Game attendance: 47,096
• Referee: Chuck Heberling
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Dave Rowe
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SEA – Norm Johnson 29-yard field goal, 9:29. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 4:06. SEA – Steve Largent 6-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 3:44. Seahawks 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:31. Second quarter SDG – Tim Spencer 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:38. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:06. SEA – Daryl Turner 72-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 13:19. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:19. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 23-yard field goal, 4:14. Seahawks 17–10. Drive: 16 plays, 76 yards, 9:05. SDG – Kellen Winslow 14-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:10. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 0:58. Third quarter SEA – Norm Johnson 25-yard field goal, 9:01. Seahawks 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:59. Fourth quarter SEA – Steve Largent 23-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 13:40. Seahawks 27–17. Drive: 14 plays, 96 yards, 7:42. SDG – Tim Spencer 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:56. Seahawks 27–24. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:44. SEA – Ray Butler 14-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 2:23. Seahawks 34–24. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:33. Top passers SEA – Dave Krieg – 15/21, 305 yards, 4 TD SDG – Dan Fouts – 21/38, 237 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SEA – Curt Warner – 28 rushes, 93 yards SDG – Curtis Adams – 18 rushes, 66 yards Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent – 6 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD SDG – Kellen Winslow – 8 receptions, 105 yards, TD

^[17]

Week 16: at Cleveland Browns

Week Sixteen: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	10	7	0	17
Browns	7	13	17	10	47

at Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: December 21
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 34 °F (1.1 °C), relative humidity 67%, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn), wind chill 28 °F (−2.2 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,505
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Jon Morris
• Box score

Game information

First quarter CLE – Webster Slaughter 46-yard pass from Herman Fontenot (Mark Moseley kick), 4:15. Browns 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:22. Second quarter CLE – Kevin Mack 2-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 11:25. Browns 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 5:50. SDG – Wes Chandler 19-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 8:20. Browns 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:05. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 40-yard field goal, 1:01. Browns 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 0:55. CLE – Brian Brennan 57-yard pass from Bernie Kosar (kick failed), 0:06. Browns 20–10. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 0:55. Third quarter CLE – Harry Holt 1-yard pass from Bernie Kosar (Mark Moseley kick), 13:12. Browns 27–10. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:33. CLE – Herman Fontenot 9-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 10:00. Browns 34–10. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 0:54. CLE – Mark Moseley 37-yard field goal, 6:36. Browns 37–10. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:14. SDG – Gary Anderson 65-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick, 4:49. Browns 37–17. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 1:47. Fourth quarter CLE – Curtis Dickey 2-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 13:54. Browns 44–17. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:46. CLE – Mark Moseley 32-yard field goal, 3:19. Browns 47–17. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:49. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 15/27, 236 yards, 2 TD CLE – Bernie Kosar – 21/28, 258 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SDG – Tim Spencer – 5 rushes, 22 yards CLE – Major Everett – 10 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers SDG – Wes Chandler – 6 receptions, 113 yards, TD CLE – Brian Brennan – 7 receptions, 176 yards, TD

^[18]

Standings

AFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Denver Broncos (2)	11	5	0	.688	5–3	8–4	378	327	L1
Kansas City Chiefs (5)	10	6	0	.625	5–3	9–5	358	326	W3
Seattle Seahawks	10	6	0	.625	5–3	7–5	366	293	W5
Los Angeles Raiders	8	8	0	.500	4–4	7–5	323	346	L4
San Diego Chargers	4	12	0	.250	1–7	4–8	335	396	L2

Awards

Gary Anderson was the only Charger named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad, making the team as a kick returner. ^[19] None were named first or second team All-Pro by the Associated Press. ^[20] Leslie O'Neal won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award with 34 votes; no other play received more than 20. ^[21]

References

1. "2021 Los Angeles Chargers Media Guide". chargers.com.
2. "Members area" . profootballresearchers.com.
3. "1986 week 1 gamebook, Dolphins at Chargers" . September 7, 1986.
4. "1986 week 2 gamebook, Chargers at Giants" . September 14, 1986.
5. "1986 week 3 gamebook, Redskins at Chargers" . September 21, 1986.
6. "1986 week 4 gamebook, Chargers at Raiders" . September 28, 1986.
7. "1986 week 5 gamebook, Chargers at Seahawks" . October 6, 1986.
8. "1986 week 6 gamebook, Broncos at Chargers" . October 12, 1986.
9. "1986 week 7 gamebook, Chargers at Chiefs" . October 19, 1986.
10. "1986 week 8 gamebook, Chargers at Eagles" . October 26, 1986.
11. "1986 week 9 gamebook, Chiefs at Chargers" . November 2, 1986.
12. "1986 week 10 gamebook, Chargers at Broncos" . November 9, 1986.
13. "1986 week 11 gamebook, Cowboys at Chargers" . November 16, 1986.
14. "1986 week 12 gamebook, Raiders at Chargers" . November 20, 1986.
15. "1986 week 13 gamebook, Chargers at Colts" . November 30, 1986.
16. "1986 week 14 gamebook, Oilers at Chargers" . December 7, 1986.
17. "1986 week 15 gamebook, Seahawks at Chargers" . December 14, 1986.
18. "1986 week 16 gamebook, Chargers at Browns" . December 21, 1986.
19. "1986 NFL Pro Bowlers". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
20. "1986 NFL All-Pros". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
21. "1986 awards voting". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 21, 2025.