2003 San Diego Chargers season

2003 San Diego Chargers season
Owner	Alex Spanos
General manager	A. J. Smith
Head coach	Marty Schottenheimer
Home field	Qualcomm Stadium
Results
Record	4–12
Division place	4th AFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None [1]
All-Pros	1 [2] RB LaDainian Tomlinson (2nd team)
←  2002 Chargers seasons 2004  →

The 2003 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 34th season in the National Football League (NFL), its 44th overall and the second under head coach Marty Schottenheimer. They finished the campaign last in their division with only four wins and earned the #1 pick in the 2004 NFL draft. They played one “home” game during the season, against the Miami Dolphins, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona where the Arizona Cardinals played, due to the Cedar Fire. The team declined from the previous season, as the Chargers won four games and surrendered the second most points per game (27.6), trailing only the Arizona Cardinals during the season. It was the worst season of Schottenheimer's career, and also his fourth consecutive non-winning season in the NFL, but also his final losing season as a coach.

On April 11, 2003, general manager John Butler died from lymphoma and A. J. Smith, a former assistant to Butler, took over the position for the next 10 seasons; during the season the Chargers wore a patch on their jerseys with the initials "JB" to commemorate John Butler.

For the first time since 1989, Junior Seau was not on the opening day roster.

NFL draft

2003 San Diego Chargers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	30	Sammy Davis	CB	Texas A&M	Pick from PHI
2	46	Drayton Florence	CB	Tuskegee
2	62	Terrence Kiel	S	Texas A&M	Pick from GB
3	80	Courtney Van Buren	OT	Arkansas–Pine Bluff
4	112	Matt Wilhelm	LB	Ohio St
5	149	Mike Scifres	P	Western Illinois
6	188	Hanik Milligan  *	S	Houston
7	229	Andrew Pinnock	FB	South Carolina
Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel

Staff

2003 San Diego Chargers staff

Front office Owner – Alex Spanos President/chief executive officer – Dean Spanos Executive vice president – Michael Spanos Executive vice president/general manager – A. J. Smith Assistant general manager/director of player personnel – Buddy Nix Vice president of football operations – Ed McGuire Director of college scouting – Jimmy Raye Director of pro scouting – Fran Foley Head coaches Head coach – Marty Schottenheimer Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Cam Cameron Quarterbacks – Brian Schottenheimer Running backs – Clarence Shelmon Wide receivers – James Lofton Tight ends – Tim Brewster Offensive line – Hudson Houck Offensive assistant/quality control – Pete Carmichael, Jr.

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dale Lindsey Defensive line – Wayne Nunnely Linebackers – Greg Manusky Defensive backs – Jerry Holmes Defensive assistant/quality control – John Pagano Special teams coaches Special teams – Steve Crosby Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Dave Redding Assistant strength and conditioning – Matt Schiotz

^[3]

Roster

2003 San Diego Chargers roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  9 Drew Brees  7 Doug Flutie Running backs (RB) 24 Jesse Chatman 35 Leon Johnson KR/PR 41 Lorenzo Neal FB 30 Andrew Pinnock FB 21 LaDainian Tomlinson Wide receivers (WR) 89 David Boston 82 Reche Caldwell 10 Dondre Gilliam 86 Grant Mattos 81 Kassim Osgood 11 Micah Ross Tight ends (TE) 85 Antonio Gates 83 Josh Norman 84 Justin Peelle

Offensive linemen (OL) 60 Jason Ball C 64 Phil Bogle G/T 65 David Brandt C/G 68 Kris Dielman G 69 Ed Ellis T 63 Kelvin Garmon G 61 Michael Keathley G 77 Damion McIntosh T 79 Solomon Page G/T 66 Cory Raymer C Defensive linemen (DL) 74 Jacques Cesaire DE/DT 90 Adrian Dingle DE 92 Jason Fisk DT 91 Omari Hand DE 93 Otis Leverette DE 95 Joe Salave'a DT 78 DeQuincy Scott DT 75 Marcellus Wiley DE 76 Jamal Williams DT

Linebackers (LB) 54 Stephen Cooper MLB 59 Donnie Edwards OLB 51 Ben Leber OLB 57 Zeke Moreno MLB 52 Carlos Polk OLB 56 Matt Wilhelm OLB Defensive backs (DB) 22 Sammy Davis CB 29 Drayton Florence CB 36 Vernon Fox SS 32 Kevin House CB 23 Quentin Jammer CB 48 Terrence Kiel SS 34 Tony Okanlawon FS 20 Jerry Wilson FS Special teams  2 Darren Bennett P 50 David Binn LS  8 Steve Christie K  5 Mike Scifres P

Rookies in italics 53 active, 12 reserve, 4 practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

In addition to their regular games with AFC West rivals, the Chargers played teams from the AFC North and NFC North as per the schedule rotation, and also played intraconference games against the Jaguars and the Dolphins based on divisional positions from 2002.

Oddly, this season marked the first time that the Chargers played the Jaguars, despite that team existing since 1995. This occurred due to old NFL scheduling formulas in place prior to 2002, whereby teams had no rotating schedule opposing members of other divisions within their own conference, but played interdivisional conference games according to position within a season’s table. ^[4] The Chargers played the Tennessee Titans only once during this period ^[5] (in 1998) but played the Bengals five times ^[6] during these years.

In preceding years, even longer gaps between two teams playing each other had occurred. For instance the Jets never opposed the Cardinals between 1979 and 1995 inclusive. ^[7]

The Week 8 home game against the Miami Dolphins was relocated to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona due to a massive wildfire that turned Qualcomm Stadium into an evacuation site. ^[8]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 7	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 14–27	0–1	Arrowhead Stadium	78,048	Recap
2	September 14	Denver Broncos	L 13–37	0–2	Qualcomm Stadium	65,445	Recap
3	September 21	Baltimore Ravens	L 10–24	0–3	Qualcomm Stadium	52,028	Recap
4	September 28	at Oakland Raiders	L 31–34 (OT)	0–4	Network Associates Coliseum	54,078	Recap
5	October 5	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 21–27	0–5	Alltel Stadium	48,954	Recap
6	Bye
7	October 19	at Cleveland Browns	W 26–20	1–5	Cleveland Browns Stadium	73,238	Recap
8	October 27	Miami Dolphins	L 10–26	1–6	Sun Devil Stadium	73,014	Recap
9	November 2	at Chicago Bears	L 7–20	1–7	Soldier Field	61,500	Recap
10	November 9	Minnesota Vikings	W 42–28	2–7	Qualcomm Stadium	64,738	Recap
11	November 16	at Denver Broncos	L 8–37	2–8	Invesco Field	75,217	Recap
12	November 23	Cincinnati Bengals	L 27–34	2–9	Qualcomm Stadium	52,069	Recap
13	November 30	Kansas City Chiefs	L 24–28	2–10	Qualcomm Stadium	57,671	Recap
14	December 7	at Detroit Lions	W 14–7	3–10	Ford Field	61,544	Recap
15	December 14	Green Bay Packers	L 21–38	3–11	Qualcomm Stadium	64,978	Recap
16	December 21	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 24–40	3–12	Heinz Field	52,527	Recap
17	December 28	Oakland Raiders	W 21–14	4–12	Qualcomm Stadium	62,222	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 1: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	7	7	14
Chiefs	14	10	3	0	27

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), relative humidity 36%, wind 6 mph
• Game attendance: 78,048
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KAN – Priest Holmes 24-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 11:37. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 3:23. KAN – Priest Holmes 5-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 1:21. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:04. Second quarter KAN – Johnnie Morton 20-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 10:08. Chiefs 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:47. KAN – Morten Andersen 42-yard field goal, 4:25. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:17. Third quarter SDG – Josh Norman 21-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 8:16. Chiefs 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:16. Fourth quarter KAN – Morten Andersen 46-yard field goal, 2:22. Chiefs 27–7. Drive: 10 plays, 37 yards, 5:54. SDG – Eric Parker 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 4:32. Chiefs 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:31. Top passers SDG – Drew Brees – 18/33, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT KAN – Trent Green – 21/32, 282 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 13 rushes, 34 yards KAN – Priest Holmes – 18 rushes, 85 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Josh Norman – 4 receptions, 64 yards, TD KAN – Priest Holmes – 7 receptions, 98 yards

Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 2: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	14	10	10	3	37
Chargers	3	7	3	0	13

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), relative humidity 69%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 65,445
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson, Brent Jones, Scott Kaplan
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Reuben Droughns 12-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 12:18. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 2:42. SDG – Steve Christie 19-yard field goal, 6:21. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:57. DEN – Shannon Sharpe 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 1:36. Broncos 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 4:45. Second quarter DEN – Cooper Carlisle 6-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 6:58. Broncos 21–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 6:01. SDG – Eric Parker 23-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 1:05. Broncos 21–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:53. DEN – Jason Elam 30-yard field goal, 0:05. Broncos 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:00. Third quarter SDG – Steve Christie 25-yard field goal, 9:31. Broncos 24–13. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:29. DEN – Mike Anderson 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 4:48. Broncos 31–13. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 4:43. DEN – Jason Elam 45-yard field goal, 1:05. Broncos 34–13. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:16. Fourth quarter DEN – Jason Elam 34-yard field goal, 14:21. Broncos 37–13. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:26. Top passers DEN – Steve Beuerlein – 7/16, 98 yards SDG – Drew Brees – 20/41, 182 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DEN – Clinton Portis – 12 rushes, 129 yards SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 93 yards Top receivers DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 71 yards SDG – Eric Parker – 5 receptions, 59 yards, TD

Week 3: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week 3: Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers

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

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 21
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), relative humidity 77%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 52,028
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Steve Christie 24-yard field goal, 2:44. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 8:36. BAL – Alan Ricard 50-yard offensive fumble return (Matt Stover kick), 1:31. Ravens 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 1:13. Second quarter BAL – Matt Stover 49-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 0:46. Third quarter BAL – Todd Heap 25-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 3:00. Ravens 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:02. BAL – Jamal Lewis 7-yard run (Matt Stover kick), 1:18. Ravens 24–3. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:25. Fourth quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 9:06. Ravens 24–10. Drive: 15 plays, 77 yards, 7:12. Top passers BAL – Kyle Boller – 12/21, 98 yards, TD, INT SDG – Drew Brees – 28/45, 270 yards, 3 INT Top rushers BAL – Jamal Lewis – 23 rushes, 132 yards, TD SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 23 rushes, 105 yards, TD Top receivers BAL – Todd Heap – 5 receptions, 50 yards, TD SDG – David Boston – 6 receptions, 91 yards

Week 4: at Oakland Raiders

Week 4: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Chargers	7	14	3	7	0	31
Raiders	7	7	0	17	3	34

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 14 mph
• Game attendance: 54,078
• Referee: Peter Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
• Box score

Game information

First quarter OAK – Tim Brown 36-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 11:26. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:34. SDG – Drew Brees 21-yard pass from LaDainian Tomlinson (Steve Christie kick), 6:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:40. Second quarter SDG – Justin Peelle 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 13:19. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:29. OAK – Doug Jolley 2-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 8:14. Tied 14–14. Drive: 11 plays, 92 yards, 5:05. SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 55-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 6:44. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:30. Third quarter SDG – Steve Christie 32-yard field goal, 10:41. Chargers 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 4:19. Fourth quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 23-yard field goal, 9:29. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 7:05. SDG – Lorenzo Neal 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 5:59. Chargers 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:30. OAK – Alvis Whitted 36-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:38. Chargers 31–24. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 1:21. OAK – Charlie Garner 24-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:24. Tied 31–31. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 1:27. Overtime OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 46-yard field goal, 5:01. Raiders 34–31. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:44. Top passers SDG – Drew Brees – 21/31, 187 yards, TD, INT OAK – Rich Gannon – 26/43, 348 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 28 rushes, 187 yards, TD OAK – Charlie Garner – 12 rushes, 70 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Dondre Gilliam – 4 receptions, 67 yards OAK – Jerry Rice – 7 receptions, 126 yards

Week 5: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 5: San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	7	0	14	21
Jaguars	7	3	10	7	27

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 1:05 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), relative humidity 47%, wind 5 mph
• Game attendance: 48,954
• Referee: Tom White
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
• Box score

Game information

First quarter JAC – Fred Taylor 1-yard run (Seth Marler kick), 5:43. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 5:46. Second quarter SDG – David Boston 46-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 9:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 2:00. JAC – Seth Marler 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Jaguars 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:12. Third quarter JAC – Troy Edwards 18-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Seth Marler kick), 6:39. Jaguars 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:44. JAC – Seth Marler 27-yard field goal, 2:38. Jaguars 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:49. Fourth quarter SDG – Eric Parker 33-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 4:19. Jaguars 20–14. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:51. JAC – Fred Taylor 60-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Seth Marler kick), 1:47. Jaguars 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 2:32. SDG – David Boston 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 0:20. Jaguars 27–21. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 1:27. Top passers SDG – Drew Brees – 24/41, 296 yards, 3 TD JAC – Byron Leftwich – 19/28, 336 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 10 rushes, 38 yards JAC – Fred Taylor – 27 rushes, 87 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – David Boston – 14 receptions, 181 yards, 2 TD JAC – Jimmy Smith – 8 receptions, 137 yards

Week 7: at Cleveland Browns

Week 7: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	6	7	10	3	26
Browns	0	3	3	14	20

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: October 19
• Game time: 1:02 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), relative humidity 50%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 73,238
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Steve Christie 44-yard field goal, 7:18. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:39. SDG – Steve Christie 50-yard field goal, 2:57. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:31. Second quarter SDG – Kwamie Lassiter 38-yard interception return (Steve Christie kick), 5:27. Chargers 13–0. CLE – Phil Dawson 46-yard field goal, 0:35. Chargers 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 39 yards, 4:52. Third quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 42-yard field goal, 12:44. Chargers 13–6. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:02. SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 70-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 12:27. Chargers 20–6. Drive: 1 play, 70 yards, 0:17. SDG – Steve Christie 42-yard field goal, 2:57. Chargers 23–6. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:37. Fourth quarter CLE – Dennis Northcutt 6-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 14:52. Chargers 23–13. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:05. CLE – Darnell Sanders 1-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 11:40. Chargers 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:04. SDG – Steve Christie 32-yard field goal, 3:44. Chargers 26–20. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 7:56. Top passers SDG – Drew Brees – 9/18, 74 yards, INT CLE – Tim Couch – 13/24, 102 yards, 2 INT Top rushers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 26 rushes, 200 yards, TD CLE – William Green – 14 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers SDG – Eric Parker – 2 receptions, 22 yards CLE – Dennis Northcutt – 5 receptions, 54 yards, TD

Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 8: Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	10	14	0	2	26
Chargers	3	0	0	7	10

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: October 27
• Game time: 7:09 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), relative humidity 12%, wind 3 mph
• Game attendance: 73,014
• Referee: Ron Blum
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Lisa Guerrero
• Box score

Game information

First quarter MIA – Chris Chambers 5-yard pass from Brian Griese (Olindo Mare kick), 12:58. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:45. MIA – Olindo Mare 44-yard field goal, 8:34. Dolphins 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 1:51. SDG – Steve Christie 51-yard field goal, 3:17. Dolphins 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 5:17. Second quarter MIA – James McKnight 2-yard pass from Brian Griese (Olindo Mare kick), 13:28. Dolphins 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:49. MIA – Randy McMichael 7-yard pass from Brian Griese (Olindo Mare kick), 1:55. Dolphins 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:04. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 12:27. Dolphins 24–10. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:48. MIA – Safety, Jason Taylor tackled Damion McIntosh in end zone, 8:06. Dolphins 26–10. Top passers MIA – Brian Griese – 20/29, 192 yards, 3 TD SDG – Drew Brees – 19/30, 190 yards, 3 INT Top rushers MIA – Ricky Williams – 23 rushes, 69 yards SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 24 rushes, 62 yards, TD Top receivers MIA – Chris Chambers – 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD SDG – David Boston – 5 receptions, 82 yards

Week 9: at Chicago Bears

Week 9: San Diego Chargers at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	0	7	7
Bears	3	7	3	7	20

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: November 2
• Game time: 12:05 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), relative humidity 96%, no wind
• Game attendance: 61,500
• Referee: Ron Winter
• TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
• Box score

Game information

First quarter CHI – Paul Edinger 38-yard field goal, 8:33. Bears 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:37. Second quarter CHI – Anthony Thomas 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 9:27. Bears 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 7:48. Third quarter CHI – Paul Edinger 22-yard field goal, 4:27. Bears 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:21. Fourth quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 9:13. Bears 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:04. CHI – Anthony Thomas 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 0:21. Bears 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:47. Top passers SDG – Doug Flutie – 8/11, 70 yards CHI – Chris Chandler – 21/30, 224 yards, INT Top rushers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 61 yards, TD CHI – Anthony Thomas – 31 rushes, 111 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – David Boston – 4 receptions, 29 yards CHI – Dez White – 7 receptions, 58 yards

Week 10: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	7	0	14	28
Chargers	14	14	7	7	42

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 9
• Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), relative humidity 57%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 64,738
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (FOX): Kenny Albert and Brian Baldinger
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – David Boston 3-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 11:47. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:13. SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 73-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 7:51. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 1:59. MIN – Randy Moss 4-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 2:09. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:42. Second quarter SDG – Doug Flutie 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 11:36. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 5:33. MIN – Nate Burleson 19-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 4:42. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 6:54. SDG – Antonio Gates 4-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 0:25. Chargers 28–14. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:17. Third quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 1:36. Chargers 35–14. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:09. Fourth quarter MIN – Moe Williams 31-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 14:48. Chargers 35–21. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:48. SDG – Doug Flutie 13-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 8:11. Chargers 42–21. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 2:56. MIN – Moe Williams 2-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 4:20. Chargers 42–28. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 3:51. Top passers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 32/44, 370 yards, 4 TD, INT SDG – Doug Flutie – 21/29, 248 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Moe Williams – 12 rushes, 45 yards SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 162 yards, 2 TD Top receivers MIN – Moe Williams – 11 receptions, 126 yards, 2 TD SDG – David Boston – 7 receptions, 82 yards, TD

Week 11: at Denver Broncos

Week 11: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	0	8	8
Broncos	10	17	7	3	37

at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 16
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), relative humidity 25%, wind 6 mph
• Game attendance: 75,217
• Referee: Larry Nemmers
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Shannon Sharpe 11-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 13:06. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:11. DEN – Jason Elam 42-yard field goal, 6:14. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 31 yards, 5:07. Second quarter DEN – Jason Elam 22-yard field goal, 9:46. Broncos 13–0. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 8:13. DEN – Rod Smith 65-yard punt return (Jason Elam kick), 8:25. Broncos 20–0. DEN – Shannon Sharpe 26-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 0:32. Broncos 27–0. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 0:50. Third quarter DEN – Shannon Sharpe 26-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 1:28. Broncos 34–0. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:44. Fourth quarter DEN – Micah Knorr 27-yard field goal, 13:11. Broncos 37–0. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:49. SDG – Kassim Osgood 19-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Stephen Alexander pass from Doug Flutie), 10:12. Broncos 37–8. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:59. Top passers SDG – Doug Flutie – 9/25, 70 yards, TD, INT DEN – Jake Plummer – 23/34, 253 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 8 rushes, 29 yards DEN – Clinton Portis – 25 rushes, 106 yards Top receivers SDG – Kassim Osgood – 1 reception, 19 yards, TD DEN – Shannon Sharpe – 7 receptions, 101 yards, 3 TD

Week 12: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 12: Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	14	14	3	3	34
Chargers	7	6	0	14	27

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 23
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), relative humidity 49%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 52,069
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee, Beasley Reece and Scott Kaplan
• Box score

Game information

First quarter CIN – Chad Johnson 5-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 10:15. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:45. CIN – Chad Johnson 4-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 3:35. Bengals 14–0. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 4:59. SDG – David Boston 37-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 0:11. Bengals 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:24. Second quarter SDG – Steve Christie 48-yard field goal, 9:36. Bengals 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:08. SDG – Steve Christie 26-yard field goal, 4:05. Bengals 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 2:34. CIN – Chad Johnson 12-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 1:25. Bengals 21–13. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:40. CIN – Kelley Washington 4-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 0:11. Bengals 28–13. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 0:43. Third quarter CIN – Shayne Graham 37-yard field goal, 2:23. Bengals 31–13. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 7:31. Fourth quarter SDG – David Boston 26-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 14:54. Bengals 31–20. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:29. CIN – Shayne Graham 47-yard field goal, 5:26. Bengals 34–20. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 3:07. SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 6-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 3:04. Bengals 34–27. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:22. Top passers CIN – Jon Kitna – 24/38, 243 yards, 4 TD SDG – Doug Flutie – 15/33, 210 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CIN – Corey Dillon – 18 rushes, 108 yards SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 95 yards, TD Top receivers CIN – Chad Johnson – 10 receptions, 107 yards, 3 TD SDG – David Boston – 9 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD

Week 13: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	14	0	7	28
Chargers	0	7	10	7	24

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 30
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 57,671
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KAN – Priest Holmes 7-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:09. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:20. Second quarter KAN – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 12:41. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:49. SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 6-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 6:23. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:54. KAN – Tony Gonzalez 7-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 1:54. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:59. Third quarter SDG – Steve Christie 21-yard field goal, 8:59. Chiefs 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:01. SDG – David Boston 20-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 2:56. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:07. Fourth quarter KAN – Tony Gonzalez 3-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 6:28. Chiefs 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:05. SDG – Antonio Gates 18-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 0:00. Chiefs 28–24. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 1:08. Top passers KAN – Trent Green – 17/30, 155 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT SDG – Doug Flutie – 16/34, 213 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers KAN – Priest Holmes – 31 rushes, 162 yards, 2 TD SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 19 rushes, 106 yards, TD Top receivers KAN – Johnnie Morton – 3 receptions, 60 yards SDG – David Boston – 5 receptions, 85 yards, TD

Week 14: at Detroit Lions

Week 14: San Diego Chargers at at Detroit Lions

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	7	0	0	14
Lions	0	0	0	7	7

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: December 7
• Game time: 1:03 p.m. EST
• Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
• Game attendance: 61,544
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Jerry Glanville
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 16-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 4:14. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:48. Second quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 73-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 1:54. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:02. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DET – Casey Fitzsimmons 4-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 7:22. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 6:33. Top passers SDG – Doug Flutie – 17/25, 244 yards, 2 TD, INT DET – Joey Harrington – 26/46, 208 yards, TD Top rushers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 25 rushes, 88 yards DET – Shawn Bryson – 10 rushes, 28 yards Top receivers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 9 receptions, 148 yards, 2 TD DET – Reggie Swinton – 5 receptions, 54 yards

Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 15: Green Bay Packers at San Diego Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	10	0	21	38
Chargers	3	0	3	15	21

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 14
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), relative humidity 52%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 64,978
• Referee: Ron Blum
• TV announcers (FOX): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas and Drew Smith
• Box score

Game information

First quarter GB – Ahman Green 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:59. Packers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:20. SDG – Steve Christie 20-yard field goal, 6:02. Packers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:01. Second quarter GB – Ryan Longwell 32-yard field goal, 8:59. Packers 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:49. GB – Donald Driver 7-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:33. Packers 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:59. Third quarter SDG – Steve Christie 26-yard field goal, 8:52. Packers 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:01. Fourth quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (David Boston pass from Drew Brees), 14:56. Packers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:54. SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 68-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 12:10. Chargers 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:54. GB – Robert Ferguson 40-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 11:18. Packers 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:05. GB – Ahman Green 1-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:37. Packers 31–21. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:05. GB – Robert Ferguson 16-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:58. Packers 38–21. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:05. Top passers GB – Brett Favre – 23/33, 278 yards, 4 TD, INT SDG – Drew Brees – 28/48, 363 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers GB – Ahman Green – 19 rushes, 75 yards, TD SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 20 rushes, 51 yards Top receivers GB – Donald Driver – 8 receptions, 112 yards, TD SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 11 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TD

Week 16: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 16: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	10	7	7	24
Steelers	14	7	7	12	40

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: December 21
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), relative humidity 43%, wind 15 mph, wind chill 27
• Game attendance: 52,527
• Referee: Bill Carollo
• TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
• Box score

Game information

First quarter PIT – Plaxico Burress 25-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 8:51. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 6:09. PIT – Jerome Bettis 1-yard run (Jeff Reed kick), 0:10. Steelers 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 7:11. Second quarter PIT – Plaxico Burress 16-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 12:49. Steelers 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:16. SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 5-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 7:05. Steelers 21–7. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 5:44. SDG – Steve Christie 31-yard field goal, 0:04. Steelers 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:13. Third quarter SDG – Kassim Osgood 57-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 12:01. Steelers 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:59. PIT – Hines Ward 20-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 8:25. Steelers 28–17. Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:44. Fourth quarter PIT – Jeff Reed 47-yard field goal, 14:15. Steelers 31–17. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 6:22. SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 10:01. Steelers 31–24. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:14. PIT – Jeff Reed 40-yard field goal, 5:04. Steelers 34–24. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:57. PIT – Deshea Townsend 25-yard interception return (kick failed), 4:29. Steelers 40–24. Top passers SDG – Drew Brees – 16/26, 198 yards, TD, 2 INT PIT – Tommy Maddox – 11/18, 160 yards, 3 TD Top rushers SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 22 rushes, 91 yards, 2 TD PIT – Jerome Bettis – 32 rushes, 115 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Kassim Osgood – 4 receptions, 102 yards, TD PIT – Hines Ward – 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD

Week 17: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 17: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	14	0	0	14
Chargers	7	7	0	7	21

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 28
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 62,222
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee, Beasley Reece and Scott Kaplan
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 7:44. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:19. Second quarter OAK – Phillip Buchanon 80-yard punt return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:39. Tied 7–7. SDG – David Boston 18-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 0:43. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 0:59. OAK – Doug Gabriel 85-yard kickoff return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:24. Tied 14–14. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:19. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 11:42. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:23. Top passers OAK – Rick Mirer – 4/11, 21 yards SDG – Drew Brees – 15/28, 97 yards, TD Top rushers OAK – Zack Crockett – 10 rushes, 39 yards SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 31 rushes, 243 yards, 2 TD Top receivers OAK – Jerry Rice – 2 receptions, 14 yards SDG – David Boston – 4 receptions, 43 yards, TD

Standings

AFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(2) Kansas City Chiefs	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	484	332	W1
(6) Denver Broncos	10	6	0	.625	5–1	9–3	381	301	L1
Oakland Raiders	4	12	0	.250	1–5	3–9	270	379	L2
San Diego Chargers	4	12	0	.250	1–5	2–10	313	441	W1

References

1. "2003 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
2. "2003 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
3. 2012 San Diego Chargers Media Guide. pp. 263–264. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
4. "History of the NFL's Structure and Formats, Part Two". Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
5. San Diego Chargers v Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers
6. San Diego Chargers v Cincinnati Bengals
7. Arizona Cardinals v New York Jets
8. Dillon, Jeff (October 26, 2003). "Week of Fire -- Fire crews battle to limit damage from raging wildfires". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2016.