1996 San Diego Chargers season

1996 San Diego Chargers season
Owner	Alex Spanos
General manager	Bobby Beathard
Head coach	Bobby Ross
Home field	Jack Murphy Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	3rd AFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	2 [1] WR Tony Martin LB Junior Seau
AP All-Pros	2 [2] WR Tony Martin (2nd team) LB Junior Seau (1st team)
←  1995 Chargers seasons 1997  →

The 1996 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 37th, its 27th in the National Football League (NFL), and its 34th in San Diego.

The season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 1995. The Chargers fell back by one game and missed the playoffs by that margin. It was Bobby Ross's final season as the team's head coach, as he left due to "philosophical differences" with general manager Bobby Beathard. ^[3] He had posted a 47–33 record over five seasons, going 3–3 in the playoffs.

Natrone Means had been let go following his injury the previous season. In his place, San Diego tried a running-back-by-committee approach featuring Leonard Russell, Aaron Hayden and Terrell Fletcher. This yielded 186 rushing yards in week one, but only four further 100-yard games throughout the season. Hayden was seldom used as the year went on — Russell managed 713 yards and 7 touchdowns, but the Chargers' average of 3.2 yards per rush was the league's worst. Changes on the offensive line may have contributed: veteran tackle Stan Brock retired during the offseason, and center Courtney Hall suffered a career-ending injury mid-season.

Tony Martin continued to be the star receiver, catching 85 passes for 1171 yards. He managed 14 touchdowns, joint-most in the NFL, and tying Lance Alworth's club record. Ronnie Harmon was replaced as a pass-catching back by Terrell Fletcher, who caught only two fewer passes (61), but for 197 fewer yards (476). Stan Humphries was again the starting quarterback, but continued to sustain frequent injuries and missed three games.

With six time Pro Bowl defensive end Leslie O'Neal having left after a decade with the club, Junior Seau stepped up to be the club leader in both sacks and tackles (7.0 and 138 respectively). He also contributed two interceptions, forced one fumble and recovered three. Rodney Harrison continued to improve, leading the team with five interceptions and coming second to Seau with 125 tackles. Darren Bennett averaged 45.6 yards per punt, third best in the league.

For the second consecutive year, the Chargers suffered an offseason tragedy. Running back Rodney Culver was among the 110 victims of ValuJet Flight 592. ^[4]

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1996 NFL draft

1996 San Diego Chargers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2	41	Bryan Still	Wide receiver	Virginia Tech
2	50	Patrick Sapp	Linebacker	Clemson
3	81	Brian Roche	Tight end	San Jose State
4	114	Charlie Jones	Wide receiver	Fresno State
5	155	Junior Soli	Defensive tackle	Arkansas
6	190	Jim Mills	Guard	Idaho
6	192	Bryan Stoltenberg	Center	Colorado
7	231	Freddie Bradley	Running back	Sonoma State
Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel

Staff

1996 San Diego Chargers staff

Front office chairman of the board – Alex Spanos President and vice-chairman – Dean Spanos general manager – Bobby Beathard Director of player personnel – Billy Devaney Director of pro personnel – Rudy Feldman Coordinator of football operations – Marty Hurney Head coaches Head coach – Bobby Ross Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Ralph Friedgen Quarterbacks – Dwain Painter Offensive backs – Sylvester Croom Wide receivers – Jerry Sullivan Tight ends/h-backs – Frank Falks Offensive line – Jack Henry Offense assistant – Stan Kwan Quality control – John Misciagna

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dave Adolph Defensive line – Brian Baker Linebackers – Dale Lindsey Secondary – Greg Brown Defense and special teams assistant – Dennis Murphy Special teams coaches Special teams – Chuck Priefer Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – John Dunn Strength and conditioning assistant – John Hastings

Roster

1996 San Diego Chargers final roster

	Quarterbacks 12 Stan Humphries  8 Sean Salisbury  5 Craig Whelihan Running backs 33 Kevin Bouie 35 Freddie Bradley 41 Terrell Fletcher 24 Aaron Hayden 42 Leonard Russell Wide receivers 83 Andre Coleman KR 84 'Omar Ellison 17 Charlie Jones 81 Tony Martin 80 Bryan Still Tight ends 88 Deems May 89 Shannon Mitchell 46 Walter Reeves 87 Brian Roche		Offensive linemen 75 Tony Berti T 63 Joe Cocozzo G 73 Isaac Davis G 60 Greg Engel C 66 Jim Mills T 77 Eric Moten G 70 Vaughn Parker T 64 Bryan Stoltenberg C 72 Harry Swayne T Defensive linemen 90 Marco Coleman DE 93 Reuben Davis DT 95 Vernon Edwards DE 99 Raylee Johnson DE 98 Shawn Lee DT 94 Chris Mims DE 97 John Parrella DT 96 Don Sasa DT		Linebackers 57 Arnold Ale OLB 58 Lewis Bush OLB 51 Joe Cummings MLB 52 Dwayne Gordon MLB 54 Kurt Gouveia MLB 56 Patrick Sapp OLB 55 Junior Seau OLB Defensive backs 44 Eric Castle FS 31 Willie Clark CB 21 Darrien Gordon CB/PR 28 Dwayne Harper CB 37 Rodney Harrison SS 38 David Hendrix SS 40 Mark Montreuil CB 36 Kevin Ross FS 29 Terrance Shaw CB Special teams  2 Darren Bennett P 50 David Binn LS  3 John Carney K		Reserve lists 53 Courtney Hall C (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 46 Maurice Harrell TE (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 85 Jimmy Oliver WR (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 86 Alfred Pupunu TE (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 65 Troy Sienkiewicz G/T (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 59 Glen Young LB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 79 Pat Ivey DE 27 Michael Swift CB 53 active, 6 inactive, 2 practice squad Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 1	Seattle Seahawks	W 29–7	1–0	Jack Murphy Stadium	58,780
2	September 8	Cincinnati Bengals	W 27–14	2–0	Jack Murphy Stadium	55,880
3	September 15	at Green Bay Packers	L 10–42	2–1	Lambeau Field	60,584
4	September 22	at Oakland Raiders	W 40–34	3–1	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	49,097
5	September 29	Kansas City Chiefs	W 22–19	4–1	Jack Murphy Stadium	59,384
6	October 6	at Denver Broncos	L 17–28	4–2	Mile High Stadium	75,058
7	Bye
8	October 21	Oakland Raiders	L 14–23	4–3	Jack Murphy Stadium	62,530
9	October 27	at Seattle Seahawks	L 13–32	4–4	Kingdome	38,143
10	November 4	at Indianapolis Colts	W 26–19	5–4	RCA Dome	58,484
11	November 11	Detroit Lions	W 27–21	6–4	Jack Murphy Stadium	60,425
12	November 17	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 17–25	6–5	Jack Murphy Stadium	57,526
13	November 24	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 28–14	7–5	Arrowhead Stadium	69,472
14	December 1	New England Patriots	L 7–45	7–6	Jack Murphy Stadium	59,209
15	December 8	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 3–16	7–7	Three Rivers Stadium	56,368
16	December 14	at Chicago Bears	L 14–27	7–8	Soldier Field	49,763
17	December 22	Denver Broncos	W 16–10	8–8	Mile High Stadium	46,801
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Seattle Seahawks

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	7	0	0	7
Chargers	7	6	3	13	29

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 74 °F (23.3 °C), relative humidity 80%, wind 7 mph
• Game attendance: 58,780
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Jim Lampley and Bob Golic
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Tony Martin 2-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 2:15. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:28. Second quarter SEA – Rick Mirer 6-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 12:01. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:14. SDG – John Carney 35-yard field goal, 1:26. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 13 plays, 53 yards, 4:55. SDG – John Carney 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 0:22. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 22-yard field goal, 2:34. Chargers 16–7. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:47. Fourth quarter SDG – John Carney 50-yard field goal, 13:34. Chargers 19–7. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 1:48. SDG – Leonard Russell 6-yard run (John Carney kick), 11:39. Chargers 26–7. Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, 1:46. SDG – John Carney 31-yard field goal, 10:28. Chargers 29–7. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:54. Top passers SEA – Rick Mirer – 24/41, 251 yards, 2 INT SDG – Stan Humphries – 20/38, 195 yards, TD Top rushers SEA – Chris Warren – 13 rushes, 50 yards SDG – Aaron Hayden – 11 rushes, 59 yards Top receivers SEA – Joey Galloway – 4 receptions, 89 yards SDG – Tony Martin – 7 receptions, 66 yards, TD

Touchdowns by Tony Martin and Leonard Russell, plus five field goals by John Carney saw the Chargers to an easy win on opening day. The running attack gave what was to prove its strongest showing, with Leonard Russell, Aaron Hayden and Terrell Fletcher splitting the carries, and each contributing to a team total of 186 yards (the Chargers would gain 100+ yards on the ground only four more times all year). When the Seahawks tried to play catch-up in the second half, San Diego's defense capitalised with four turnovers.

Week 2: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Two: Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	0	7	0	7	14
Chargers	7	7	3	10	27

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 74 °F (23.3 °C), relative humidity 76%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 55,880
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• TV announcers (NBC): Jim Lampley and Bob Golic
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Leonard Russell 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 2:11. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 6:01. Second quarter SDG – Tony Martin 21-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 10:52. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:07. CIN – Carl Pickens 27-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Doug Pelfrey kick), 1:53. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 93 yards, 3:31. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 47-yard field goal, 10:39. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 4:21. Fourth quarter SDG – John Carney 23-yard field goal, 13:13. Chargers 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:17. SDG – Leonard Russell 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 11:51. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 3 plays, 3 yards, 1:04. CIN – Tony McGee 12-yard pass from Erik Wilhelm (Doug Pelfrey kick), 2:01. Chargers 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 3:56. Top passers CIN – Jeff Blake – 14/33, 163 yards, TD, INT SDG – Stan Humphries – 27/41, 275 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CIN – Erik Wilhelm – 2 rushes, 22 yards SDG – Leonard Russell – 16 rushes, 62 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CIN – Carl Pickens – 4 receptions, 63 yards, TD SDG – Tony Martin – 9 receptions, 96 yards, TD

The Chargers started strongly, going 76 and 71 yards on consecutive drives capped by touchdowns for Russell and Martin. However, the Bengals came back into it before halftime when Carl Pickens scored; Humphries then threw an interception with San Diego poised to respond. Up 17-7 through three-quarters, the Chargers then got two big plays to put the game away. Firstly, Darrien Gordon's 64-yard punt return set up a short field goal; on the Bengals' next play from scrimmage Kurt Gouveia intercepted Jeff Blake, and Russell soon punched it in from the one.

Week 3: at Green Bay Packers

Week Three: San Diego Chargers at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	0	0	7	10
Packers	7	14	7	14	42

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: September 15
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 55 °F (12.8 °C), relative humidity 80%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 60,584
• Referee: Howard Roe
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Randy Cross
• Box score

Game information

First quarter GB – Edgar Bennett 10-yard run (Chris Jacke kick), 9:51. Packers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:31. SDG – John Carney 43-yard field goal, 1:05. Packers 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:06. Second quarter GB – Antonio Freeman 19-yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick), 12:52. Packers 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:13. GB – William Henderson 8-yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick), 1:13. Packers 21–3. Drive: 17 plays, 88 yards, 9:24. Third quarter GB – Keith Jackson 7-yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick), 1:52. Packers 28–3. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:27. Fourth quarter SDG – Tony Martin 9-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 8:16. Packers 28–10. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:18. GB – LeRoy Butler 90-yard interception return (Chris Jacke kick), 6:31. Packers 35–10. GB – Desmond Howard 65-yard punt return (Chris Jacke kick), 4:59. Packers 42–10. Top passers SDG – Stan Humphries – 16/31, 130 yards, TD, 2 INT GB – Brett Favre – 22/33, 231 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Leonard Russell – 9 rushes, 27 yards GB – Edgar Bennett – 13 rushes, 65 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Tony Martin – 3 receptions, 38 yards, TD GB – Robert Brooks – 8 receptions, 108 yards

The Chargers were brought back down to Earth, as the eventual Super Bowl champions dominated in all phases of the game. Edgar Bennett scored on the Packers' opening drive, and Brett Favre followed up with 3 touchdown passes as Green Bay built a 28–3 lead through three-quarters. San Diego then had a brief revival, with Willie Clark recovering a Favre fumble to set up a Humphries-to-Martin TD pass, and Lewis Bush recovering a Bennett fumble in Packers' territory on the next play. However, LeRoy Butler ended the threat with an interception and 90-yard touchdown return, and there was still time for Desmond Howard to add a special teams touchdown on a 65-yard punt return.

This was San Diego's heaviest loss since a 48-10 reverse against San Francisco eight seasons earlier.

Week 4: at Oakland Raiders

Week Four: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	21	6	0	13	40
Raiders	0	14	7	13	34

at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: September 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 62 °F (16.7 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 11 mph
• Game attendance: 49,097
• Referee: Bernie Kukar
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Randy Cross
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Terrell Fletcher 6-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 4:03. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:04. SDG – Tony Martin 7-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 3:05. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:40. SDG – Tony Martin 41-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 0:58. Chargers 21–0. Drive: 1 play, 41 yards, 0:06. Second quarter OAK – Derrick Fenner 4-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Cole Ford kick), 14:11. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:47. SDG – John Carney 28-yard field goal, 9:21. Chargers 24–7. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:50. OAK – Rickey Dudley 6-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Cole Ford kick), 7:11. Chargers 24–14. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:10. SDG – John Carney 39-yard field goal, 1:04. Chargers 27–14. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 1:17. Third quarter OAK – Tim Brown 6-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Cole Ford kick), 5:41. Chargers 27–21. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 5:39. Fourth quarter SDG – Tony Martin 19-yard pass from Stan Humphries (run failed), 8:04. Chargers 33–21. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:56. SDG – Willie Clark 83-yard interception return (John Carney kick), 3:40. Chargers 40–21. OAK – Tim Brown 11-yard pass from Billy Joe Hobert (passed failed), 1:29. Chargers 40–27. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 2:11. OAK – Kenny Shedd 28-yard pass from Billy Joe Hobert (Cole Ford kick), 0:12. Chargers 40–34. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 1:17. Top passers SDG – Stan Humphries – 18/25, 226 yards, 4 TD OAK – Jeff Hostetler – 26/44, 293 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SDG – Leonard Russell – 19 rushes, 63 yards OAK – Napoleon Kaufman – 7 rushes, 116 yards Top receivers SDG – Tony Martin – 10 receptions, 138 yards, 3 TD OAK – Tim Brown – 11 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD

San Diego bounced back with victory in a back-and-forth shootout. The Chargers broke the game open late in the 1st quarter when Stan Humphries threw touchdown on three consecutive pass attempts. Firstly, a 35-yard punt return by Darrien Gordon set up a 27-yard scoring drive, with Humphries finding Terrell Fletcher to open the scoring. Kurt Gouveia intercepted Jeff Hostetler's next pass, leading to an even shorter drive, with Martin scoring the Chargers' second touchdown. Shortly afterwards, Rodney Harrison's fumble recovery was followed immediately by another Humphries-to-Martin score, from 41 yards out. The three touchdowns came within a span of only 3:05.

Hostetler then led a Raider comeback, throwing three touchdowns during the 2nd and 3rd quarters, while the Chargers could only manage a pair of Carney kicks. Down only 27–21, Oakland drive inside the San Diego 10, but the drive stalled and Cole Ford missed a 25-yard field goal as the 3rd quarter ended.

The Chargers then drove 80 yards the other way, Humphries finding Martin for another touchdown. Hostetler quickly drove back into scoring position, but Willie Clark intercepted his 4th down pass and ran it back 83 yards for a 40–21 lead with 3:40 to play. Oakland managed two quick touchdowns either side of an onside kick recovery, before Alfred Pupunu recovered a further onside attempt to clinch the win.

Humphries completed 18 of 25 passes for 226 yards, with a career-high four touchdowns and no interceptions. Martin had 10 receptions for 138 yards and three scores. San Diego set a club record for most yardage conceded in a win with 553; they managed only 321 themselves but won the turnover battle 3–0.

Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	9	7	3	19
Chargers	6	0	10	6	22

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 66 °F (18.9 °C), relative humidity 86%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 59,384
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Sam Wyche
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – John Carney 33-yard field goal, 7:44. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:03. SDG – John Carney 38-yard field goal, 0:46. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 2:23. Second quarter KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 44-yard field goal, 12:17. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:46. KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 26-yard field goal, 2:48. Tied 6–6. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:53. KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 26-yard field goal, 0:23. Chiefs 9–6. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 1:01. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 44-yard field goal, 10:13. Tied 9–9. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 4:47. SDG – Darrien Gordon 81-yard punt return (John Carney kick), 7:14. Chargers 16–9. KAN – Reggie Johnson 3-yard pass from Steve Bono (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:07. Tied 16–16. Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 1:07. Fourth quarter SDG – John Carney 39-yard field goal, 12:06. Chargers 19–16. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:17. KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 32-yard field goal, 9:50. Tied 19–19. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:16. SDG – John Carney 33-yard field goal, 3:17. Chargers 22–19. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 2:33. Top passers KAN – Steve Bono – 25/53, 280 yards, TD, 2 INT SDG – Stan Humphries – 19/41, 238 yards Top rushers KAN – Marcus Allen – 9 rushes, 35 yards SDG – Leonard Russell – 14 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers KAN – Marcus Allen – 6 receptions, 88 yards SDG – Alfred Pupunu – 5 receptions, 83 yards

A pair of Junior Seau interceptions helped the Chargers past the previously undefeated Chiefs. In a battle of field goals, Seau's first pick led to Carney's second, and a 6–0 lead. However, a fumbled punt return by Darrien Gordon set up the first of three successes by Pete Stoyanovich in the 2nd quarter.

After Carney tied the game at 9–9 in the 3rd quarter, Gordon atoned for his earlier error with an 81-yard punt return touchdown. However, Marcus Allen's 59-yard reception on the next play from scrimmage set an immediate Chiefs' response. Following a further exchange of field goals, Seau intercepted Steve Bono for the second time, and Carney kicked the winner from 33 yards out with 3:17 to play. A Seau sack was then instrumental in forcing Kansas City to turn the ball over on downs, but Russell fumbled on the next play. Given a bonus chance, Bono led his team into field goal range, but Chris Mims blocked the game-tying attempt.

The nine successful field goals were a record (since surpassed). ^[5] Following this result, Denver, San Diego and Kansas City were tied atop the AFC West with 4-1 records.

Week 6: at Denver Broncos

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	14	0	0	17
Broncos	0	7	14	7	28

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

• Date: October 6
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 60 °F (15.6 °C), relative humidity 44%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 75,058
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire and Phil Simms
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – John Carney 27-yard field goal, 6:40. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:27. Second quarter SDG – Terrell Fletcher 5-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 6:54. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:58. SDG – Tony Martin 6-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 2:51. Chargers 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:16. DEN – Shannon Sharpe 20-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 1:19. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:32. Third quarter DEN – Shannon Sharpe 20-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 8:35. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 2:51. DEN – Shannon Sharpe 3-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 3:03. Broncos 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:07. Fourth quarter DEN – Ed McCaffrey 9-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 8:22. Broncos 28–17. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:29. Top passers SDG – Stan Humphries – 23/35, 237 yards, 2 TD DEN – John Elway – 32/41, 323 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Leonard Russell – 11 rushes, 24 yards DEN – Terrell Davis – 7 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers SDG – Alfred Pupunu – 5 receptions, 81 yards DEN – Shannon Sharpe – 13 receptions, 153 yards, 3 TD

A collapse from 17-0 ahead cost San Diego victory in a pivotal game. Up 3–0 in the second quarter, Rodney Harrison's first interception of the season set up a short touchdown pass from Humphries to Terrell Fletcher; Humphries found Martin for another score shortly afterwards. John Elway responded immediately, leading his team 80 yards in just five plays, the last 20 coming on a 20-yard strike to Shannon Sharpe shortly before halftime.

In the 3rd quarter, the same pairing hooked up twice more, putting Denver four points ahead. San Diego tried to respond, but Humphries threw incomplete on 4th and 7 at the Broncos' 38, and Elway soon put the game away with his fourth touchdown pass, this time to Ed McCaffrey. This result put Denver alone atop the AFC West, and they wouldn't lose again until after they'd clinched home field advantage through the playoffs.

Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Eight: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	7	3	10	3	23
Chargers	7	0	0	7	14

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: October 21
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 66 °F (18.9 °C), relative humidity 54%, wind 7 mph
• Game attendance: 62,350
• Referee: Ron Blum
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
• Box score

Game information

First quarter OAK – Napoleon Kaufman 12 yard-run (Cole Ford kick), 11:59. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 2:26. SDG – Tony Martin 11-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (John Carney kick), 0:03. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:30. Second quarter OAK – Cole Ford 36-yard field goal, 11:27. Raiders 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:36. Third quarter OAK – Derrick Fenner 17-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Cole Ford kick), 8:02. Raiders 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 5:01. OAK – Cole Ford 32-yard field goal, 3:12. Raiders 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 3 yards, 3:52. Fourth quarter SDG – Tony Martin 12-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (John Carney kick), 13:05. Raiders 20–14. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 5:07. OAK – Cole Ford 34-yard field goal, 2:11. Raiders 23–14. Drive: 5 plays, 3 yards, 1:42. Top passers OAK – Jeff Hostetler – 20/33, 191 yards, TD, INT SDG – Sean Salisbury – 22/35, 252 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers OAK – Napoleon Kaufman – 3 rushes, 56 yards, TD SDG – Leonard Russell – 13 rushes, 19 yards Top receivers OAK – Tim Brown – 5 receptions, 68 yards, 2 TD SDG – Tony Martin – 5 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD

San Diego lost both the game and their starting QB on Monday Night Football. With his side down 7–0 in the 1st quarter, Humphries was hit by Chester McGlockton at the end of a 5-yard scramble and dislocated his left shoulder; backup Sean Salisbury came in and finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Martin. Salisbury later fumbled while being sacked by McGlockton in Raider territory, and Oakland kicked a field goal for a 20–7 lead; San Diego bounced back quickly, with Salisbury and Martin hooking up from 12 yards out to pull it back to 20–14. However, Darrien Gordon muffed a punt in the final four minutes, and Oakland hit the clinching field goal.

Salisbury finished 22 of 35, for 235 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Week 9: at Seattle Seahawks

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	3	0	7	13
Seahawks	3	17	3	9	32

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

• Date: October 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Dome
• Game attendance: 38,143
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (NBC): Jim Lampley and Bob Golic
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SEA – Todd Peterson 33-yard field goal, 11:15. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:45. SDG – John Carney 41-yard field goal, 7:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:15. Second quarter SDG – John Carney 43-yard field goal, 13:30. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:05. SEA – Todd Peterson 44-yard field goal, 11:00. Tied 6–6. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:30. SEA – Lamar Smith 10-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 6:42. Seahawks 13–6. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 2:08. SEA – Darryl Williams 79-yard interception return (Todd Peterson kick), 2:39. Seahawks 20–6. Third quarter SEA – Todd Peterson 47-yard field goal, 4:17. Seahawks 23–6. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 2:50. Fourth quarter SEA – Todd Peterson 27-yard field goal, 13:45. Seahawks 26–6. Drive: 5 plays, 5 yards, 2:07. SDG – Charlie Jones 27-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (John Carney kick), 12:36. Seahawks 26–13. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:09. SEA – Chris Warren 37-yard run (run failed), 4:48. Seahawks 32–13. Drive: 2 plays, 41 yards, 0:50. Top passers SDG – Sean Salisbury – 21/43, 291 yards, TD, 4 INT SEA – John Friesz – 16/33, 206 yards Top rushers SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 8 rushes, 36 yards SEA – Chris Warren – 19 rushes, 146 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Charlie Jones – 7 receptions, 79 yards, TD SEA – Brian Blades – 4 receptions, 66 yards

San Diego's five-game winning streak against the Seahawks came to an end in a one-sided encounter. The Chargers were missing their leaders on both sides of the ball, with Seau and Humphries out injured. Seattle running back Chris Warren took advantage of the former's absence with 146 yards and a touchdown, while Salisbury struggled in his first start, throwing four interceptions (one of those a pick six), against a single touchdown.

Week 10: at Indianapolis Colts

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	9	3	7	26
Colts	0	6	6	7	19

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: November 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Dome
• Game attendance: 58,484
• Referee: Howard Roe
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond, Bob Trumpy and Sam Wyche
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Charlie Jones 41-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (John Carney kick), 1:12. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:09. Second quarter SDG – John Carney 28-yard field goal, 14:55. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, -7 yards, 1:15. SDG – John Carney 30-yard field goal, 10:43. Chargers 13–0. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:05. IND – Cary Blanchard 47-yard field goal, 5:08. Chargers 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 5:35. IND – Cary Blanchard 39-yard field goal, 1:03. Chargers 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 2:23. SDG – John Carney 47-yard field goal, 0:12. Chargers 16–6. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 0:51. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 22-yard field goal, 9:27. Chargers 19–6. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 5:33. IND – Cary Blanchard 33-yard field goal, 5:37. Chargers 19–9. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:50. IND – Cary Blanchard 20-yard field goal, 2:46. Chargers 19–12. Drive: 6 plays, 4 yards, 0:58. Fourth quarter SDG – Tony Martin 22-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (John Carney kick), 12:43. Chargers 26–12. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:09. IND – Marvin Harrison 9-yard pass from Jim Harbaugh (Cary Blanchard kick), 3:20. Chargers 26–19. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:02. Top passers SDG – Sean Salisbury – 19/31, 237 yards, 2 TD IND – Jim Harbaugh – 18/44, 203 yards, TD, 4 INT Top rushers SDG – Leonard Russell – 17 rushes, 53 yards IND – Jim Harbaugh – 6 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers SDG – Tony Martin – 6 receptions, 128 yards, TD IND – Sean Dawkins – 5 receptions, 63 yards

Five turnovers helped San Diego to a much-needed win. Colts' QB Jim Harbaugh was intercepted by four different players in the first half — he had thrown only two all season coming in — and the Chargers converted the errors into a Charlie Jones touchdown reception and a pair of field goals. These were the first in a sequence of eight fields, four by each team, culminating in a Colts 20-yarder that made it 19–12; Indianapolis almost had a touchdown before that last kick, but punter Darren Bennett brought down Ray Buchanan at the nine after an 82-yard return.

Indianapolis were driving at the start of the 4th quarter, but Junior Seau sacked Harbaugh, causing a fumble which Chris Mims recovered. Tony Martin doubled the lead six plays later. The Colts then embarked on a 17 play drive, but turned the ball over on downs after having 1st and goal at the one. They did score on their next drive, but San Diego then picked up a pair of 1st downs to kill all but five seconds of the clock.

Sean Salisbury was much improved, going 19 of 31 for 237 yards and two touchdowns. Martin had 128 yards on just 6 receptions. San Diego committed 15 penalties (a club record at the time) for 135 yards.

Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Eleven: Detroit Lions at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	7	0	7	21
Chargers	7	10	7	3	27

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 11
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 67 °F (19.4 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 4 mph
• Game attendance: 60,425
• Referee: Dale Hamer
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Tony Martin 32-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 5:00. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:49. DET – Barry Sanders 2-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 1:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:13. Second quarter DET – Barry Sanders 11-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 13:40. Lions 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:03. SDG – John Carney 29-yard field goal, 6:27. Lions 14–10. Drive: 14 plays, 65 yards, 7:13. SDG – Andre Coleman 46-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 0:00. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:21. Third quarter SDG – Alfred Pupunu 9-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 8:44. Chargers 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:30. Fourth quarter SDG – John Carney 20-yard field goal, 12:24. Chargers 27–14. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 8:08. DET – Brett Perriman 1-yard pass from Don Majkowski (Jason Hanson kick), 1:52. Chargers 27–21. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 2:44. Top passers DET – Don Majkowski – 10/18, 110 yards, TD SDG – Stan Humphries – 24/32, 311 yards, 3 TD Top rushers DET – Barry Sanders – 16 rushes, 51 yards, 2 TD SDG – Leonard Russell – 20 rushes, 80 yards Top receivers DET – Brett Perriman – 7 receptions, 70 yards, TD SDG – Tony Martin – 8 receptions, 113 yards, TD

Stan Humphries had a successful return to the starting lineup, and San Diego overcame another slew of penalties to win their second straight. After Humphries found Martin for a 32-yard touchdown on 2nd and 24, Barry Sanders scored touchdowns on consecutive drives to put Detroit ahead. The Lions led 14–10 on the stroke of halftime, but Humphries lofted a high pass into the end zone as the clock ran out, which eluded several Detroit defenders and nestled in the arms of Andre Coleman for a 46-yard touchdown. It was the second time Humphries had completed a Hail Mary pass on Monday Night Football, having done the same against Miami three seasons earlier.

San Diego carried their momentum on into the second half, where Alfred Pupunu caught a touchdown on their first drive, and Carney kick a field goal on their second. Carney had the chance to make the game almost safe with 5 minutes to play, but missed a 49 yarder, and Don Majkowski led Detroit the other way for a touchdown. An onside kick recovery by Junior Seau allowed San Diego to run out all but 9 seconds of the clock.

Humphries went 24 of 32 for 311 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Martin had 8 grabs for 113 yards and a score. Leonard Russell had his most productive day as a Charger, with 80 yards on the ground and a further 33 through the air. San Diego outgained Detroit 406–222, but were flagged for 129 yards on 11 penalties; on the three Lions touchdown drives, penalties outcounted for 35, 30 and 24 yards respectively.

Week 12: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Twelve: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	3	10	0	12	25
Chargers	14	0	3	0	17

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), relative humidity 78%, wind 7 mph
• Game attendance: 57,526
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (FOX): Thom Brennaman and Ron Pitts
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Charlie Jones 63-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 13:35. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:25. SDG – Leonard Russell 14-yard run (John Carney kick), 4:12. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 1 plays, 14 yards, 0:02. TB – Michael Husted 33-yard field goal, 0:44. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:28. Second quarter TB – Mike Alstott 4-yard run (Michael Husted kick), 7:15. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 6:20. TB – Michael Husted 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 1:27. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 42-yard field goal, 7:17. Chargers 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:22. Fourth quarter TB – Michael Husted 27-yard field goal, 8:32. Chargers 17–16. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:36. TB – Errict Rhett 1-yard run (pass failed), 6:02. Buccaneers 22–17. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 2:05. TB – Michael Husted 19-yard field goal, 1:11. Buccaneers 25–17. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 3:47. Top passers TB – Trent Dilfer – 30/40, 327 yards, INT SDG – Stan Humphries – 15/33, 203 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers TB – Mike Alstott – 9 rushes, 39 yards, 2 TD SDG – Leonard Russell – 14 rushes, 76 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Courtney Hawkins – 7 receptions, 94 yards SDG – Charlie Jones – 1 reception, 63 yards, TD

San Diego suffered a shock defeat against the Buccaneers, who were 2-8 coming in, had lost ten consecutive road games, and had zero wins against the Chargers from six previous attempts.

The game started well for San Diego, with Charlie Jones turning a short crossing pattern into a 63-yard touchdown only three plays in. After Tampa Bay missed a short field goal, the Chargers recovered a muffed punt and scored via Russell a play later. The Buccaneers pulled it back to 14–10 over their next two drives, then began to miss numerous chances: Trent Dilfer was stuffed attempting a QB sneak on 4th and 1 from the San Diego 30; Alvin Harper dropped a pass in the end zone, forcing his team to settle for a field goal as the first half ended; following a Humphries interception, Dilfer was sacked by Chris Mims on 1st and 10 from the Charger 17, and Reuben Davis recovered; following a San Diego field goal, the Buccaneers executed a fake punt and reached 1st and 5 from the Charger 20, but Dilfer threw it straight to Rodney Harrison in the end zone.

In the 4th quarter, Tampa Bay finally turned their superiority into points, with two more Humphries interceptions leading to 9 points. A further field goal made it 25–17 with 2:11 to play. San Diego made it as far as the Tampa 30 in response, but Humphries threw three incompletions as time expired.

Week 13: at Kansas City Chiefs

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	14	7	0	28
Chiefs	0	0	0	14	14

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 24
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 27 °F (−2.8 °C), relative humidity 91%, wind 16 mph, wind chill 15
• Game attendance: 69,472
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Beasley Reece
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Tony Martin 20-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 6:24. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 28 yards, 1:23. Second quarter SDG – Leonard Russell 4-yard run (John Carney kick), 11:07. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 97 yards, 5:20. SDG – Tony Martin 10-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 3:37. Chargers 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:42. Third quarter SDG – Leonard Russell 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 7:34. Chargers 28–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:15. Fourth quarter KAN – Chris Penn 17-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 8:54. Chargers 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 2:58. KAN – Todd McNair 10-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 2:54. Chargers 28–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 2:50. Top passers SDG – Stan Humphries – 13/26, 252 yards, 2 TD KAN – Rich Gannon – 22/31, 226 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SDG – Leonard Russell – 32 rushes, 88 yards, 2 TD KAN – Greg Hill – 6 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers SDG – Tony Martin – 5 receptions, 148 yards, 2 TD KAN – Chris Penn – 6 receptions, 90 yards, TD

A surprising road win balanced out the home upset from a week earlier. Kansas City were 8-3 coming in, but San Diego completed the sweep with more ease than the final scoreline suggested. After Martin had opened the scoring, Kansas City reached a 3rd and 5 at the Charger 20, but Harrison intercepted Steve Bono, and San Diego drove 97 yards the other way to a Russell touchdown. Another TD reception by Martin made it 21–0 at halftime.

There was a repeat performance in the 3rd quarter; Harrison again intercepted Bono, and the Chargers again converted the turnover into a Russell score. Rich Gannon replaced Bono late in the 3rd quarter and led his team on a pair of touchdown drives, but they came too late to seriously threaten a comeback.

Martin caught five passes in the game: they covered 29, 20, 34, 10 and 55 yards respectively, the two shortest receptions being touchdowns. With a 7–5 record, San Diego were positioned as the 3rd wild card in the playoff race.

Week 14: vs. New England Patriots

Week Fourteen: New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	14	17	14	0	45
Chargers	7	0	0	0	7

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 1
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 55 °F (12.8 °C), relative humidity 66%, wind 5 mph
• Game attendance: 59,209
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann
• Box score

Game information

First quarter NE – Terry Glenn 8-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:13. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:47. NE – Keith Byars 19-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:28. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:29. SDG – Tony Martin 46-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 2:58. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:30. Second quarter NE – Sam Gash 7-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:20. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:40. NE – Willie McGinest defensive fumble recovery in end zone (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:32. Patriots 28–7. NE – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 7:17. Patriots 31–7. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 1:07. Third quarter NE – Shawn Jefferson 11-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:46. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 1:26. NE – Corwin Brown 42-yard fumble return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:23. Patriots 45–7. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers NE – Drew Bledsoe – 19/29, 232 yards, 4 TD SDG – Stan Humphries – 16/35, 204 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers NE – Curtis Martin – 19 rushes, 63 yards SDG – Leonard Russell – 10 rushes, 35 yards Top receivers NE – Ben Coates – 6 receptions, 71 yards SDG – Tony Martin – 5 receptions, 84 yards, TD

A home thrashing derailed the Chargers' playoff push. The Patriots scored touchdowns on their first two drives, before Stan Humphries found Tony Martin from 46 yards out to halve the deficit. Little went right for the Chargers thereafter, with six turnovers, including a pair of fumbles that were returned for touchdowns. Patriots' QB Drew Bledsoe threw four touchdowns, the last of these to former Charger Shawn Jefferson, and Humphries was knocked out of the game in the 3rd quarter with a concussion.

Tony Martin's score was the lone bright spot for San Diego. It was his 14th of the season, tying Lance Alworth's club record. ^[6] However, Martin failed to score in the remaining three games, so the record remained unbroken. Taken together with their Week 3 loss in Green Bay, San Diego were outscored 87-17 by the eventual participants of Super Bowl XXXI.

Week 15: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Fifteen: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	3	0	3
Steelers	6	7	0	3	16

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: December 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 34 °F (1.1 °C), relative humidity 73%, wind 12 mph, wind chill 25
• Game attendance: 56,368
• Referee: Gerald Austin
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Bob Trumpy
• Box score

Game information

First quarter PIT – Norm Johnson 49-yard field goal, 10:09. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:09. PIT – Norm Johnson 39-yard field goal, 3:29. Steelers 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 3:23. Second quarter PIT – Andre Hastings 11-yard pass from Mike Tomczak (Norm Johnson kick), 1:03. Steelers 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:12. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 25-yard field goal, 3:56. Steelers 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 2:25. Fourth quarter PIT – Norm Johnson 21-yard field goal, 14:12. Steelers 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:16. Top passers SDG – Sean Salisbury – 10/29, 125 yards, INT PIT – Mike Tomczak – 15/31, 153 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers SDG – Leonard Russell – 16 rushes, 35 yards PIT – Erric Pegram – 17 rushes, 83 yards Top receivers SDG – Andre Coleman – 1 reception, 50 yards PIT – Charles Johnson – 4 receptions, 67 yards

An anemic offensive performance saw the Chargers lose a scrappy game, in which both teams committed four turnovers. Two of these occurred on the same play: Darrien Gordon intercepted a tipped ball, but was hit by teammate Terrence Shaw and fumbled. The Steelers converted that error into a field goal, and led 13–0 at the break.

The Chargers offense, which once again had Salisbury in as starting QB, had mustered few threats to that point, but managed to get inside the Pittsburgh 10 before settling for a field goal. However, Salisbury fumbled while being sacked on the next possession, and the Steelers responded in kind. A 50-yard catch by Andre Coleman helped San Diego reach 3rd and 2 at the five yard line on their next possession, but Russell fumbled the chance away. A 55-yard interception return by Gordon set up one more chance, but Salisbury was sacked twice and the Chargers turned it over on downs.

Week 16: at Chicago Bears

Week Sixteen: San Diego Chargers at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	7	0	0	14
Bears	14	0	3	10	27

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: December 14
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 37 °F (2.8 °C), relative humidity 85%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 49,763
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Randy Cross
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Andre Coleman 20-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 12:38. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:22. CHI – Bobby Engram 7-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Jeff Jaeger kick), 8:27. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 4:11. CHI – Curtis Conway 7-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Jeff Jaeger kick), 1:37. Bears 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:02. Second quarter SDG – Leonard Russell 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 12:27. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:10. Third quarter CHI – Jeff Jaeger 45-yard field goal, 6:05. Bears 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:36. Fourth quarter CHI – Ryan Wetnight 8-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Jeff Jaeger kick), 14:53. Bears 24–14. Drive: 13 plays, 51 yards, 5:06. CHI – Jeff Jaeger 40-yard field goal, 1:04. Bears 27–14. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:03. Top passers SDG – Stan Humphries – 23/38, 217 yards, TD, INT CHI – Dave Krieg – 24/38, 217 yards, 3 TD Top rushers SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 17 rushes, 37 yards CHI – Raymont Harris – 21 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers SDG – Tony Martin – 9 receptions, 74 yards CHI – Bobby Engram – 5 receptions, 61 yards, TD

The Chargers suffered a third straight loss, and were soon eliminated from the playoff race. They started brightly, Humphries finding Russell for 35 yards on the game's opening play, and Coleman for a touchdown four plays later. After a pair of Bears touchdowns, Russell tied the scores from a yard out. On the next San Diego drive, Carney missed a 48-yard field goal, and the teams were still level at halftime. Carney also hit the upright from only 26 yards out in the second half, as the Bears pulled away.

Seau twice sacked Dave Kreig, bring his season tally to 7.0, which matched his career high. San Diego were officially eliminated from playoff contention the next day, when Indianapolis won at Kansas City.

Week 17: vs. Denver Broncos

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	10	0	0	0	10
Chargers	7	3	6	0	16

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 22
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 59 °F (15.0 °C), relative humidity 81%, wind 13 mph
• Game attendance: 46,801
• Referee: Tom White
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Jason Elam 51-yard field goal, 13:49. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 1:03. DEN – Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 8:20. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 3:00. SDG – Charlie Jones 9-yard pass from Stan Humphries (John Carney kick), 1:46. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:21. Second quarter SDG – John Carney 50-yard field goal, 8:31. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:22. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 21-yard field goal, 9:24. Chargers 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:12. SDG – John Carney 22-yard field goal, 0:33. Chargers 16–10. Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 6:13. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers DEN – Bill Musgrave – 11/18, 69 yards, INT SDG – Stan Humphries – 17/36, 170 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers DEN – Jeff Lewis – 3 rushes, 35 yards SDG – Freddie Bradley – 19 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers DEN – Aaron Craver – 6 receptions, 32 yards SDG – Tony Martin – 4 receptions, 50 yards

San Diego won a low-key final game to finish at 8-8. With Denver assured of the #1 seed, neither side had much to play for. John Elway started the game, and had his side up 10-0 before losing a fumble which Seau recovered, setting up a Humphries-to-Jones touchdown pass. After Elway was pulled, Seau recovered another fumble to set up the first of thee Carney field goals. With Terrell Davis soon joining his quarterback on the sidelines, the Denver offense was led by backups, and could generate no further points; Rodney Harrison foiled their best chance with an end zone interception.

The result meant that Bobby Ross left San Diego as the first Charger head coach to post no losing records during his tenure.

Standings

AFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
(1) Denver Broncos	13	3	0	.813	391	275	L1
Kansas City Chiefs	9	7	0	.563	297	300	L3
San Diego Chargers	8	8	0	.500	310	376	W1
Oakland Raiders	7	9	0	.438	340	293	L2
Seattle Seahawks	7	9	0	.438	317	376	W1

References

1. "1996 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
2. "1996 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
3. Stevenson, Samantha (January 4, 1997). "Chargers' Ross Quits as Coach, Reluctantly". The New York Times.
4. "The Tragic Death of Former Notre Dame and San Diego Chargers RB Rodney Culver". June 26, 2020.
5. "Jets, Dolphins combine for NFL-record 10 made FGS".
6. "Game of the Week: Patriots 45, Chargers 7". Chicago Tribune .

External links

• 1996 San Diego Chargers at Pro-Football-Reference.com