1972 San Diego Chargers season

1972 San Diego Chargers season
Owner	Eugene V. Klein
General manager	Harland Svare
Head coach	Harland Svare
Home field	San Diego Stadium
Results
Record	4–9–1
Division place	4th AFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	4 WR Gary Garrison QB John Hadl DE Deacon Jones G Walt Sweeney
AP All-Pros	None

The 1972 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's third season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 13th overall. The team failed to improve on their 6–8 record in 1971. The Chargers would get off to a poor start, as they were devoured 34-3 in their season opener at San Francisco. After their week 2 win against the Denver Broncos, the Chargers would play to a 17-17 draw with another cross-state rival, the Oakland Raiders. It was San Diego's fourth tie in 3 seasons (they tied 3 times in 1970). Even after they defeated the Baltimore Colts in the week following the tie, the Bolts would stumble the rest of the year, winning only 2 more games en route to a 4-9-1 season. This squad featured several players like Duane Thomas, Tim Rossovich, Dave Costa and John Mackey who were unwanted by most of the other NFL teams.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1972 NFL draft

1972 San Diego Chargers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2	36	Pete Lazetich	Defensive end	Stanford
3	61	Bill McClard	Kicker	Arkansas
5	116	Jim Bishop	Tight end	Tennessee Tech
5	130	Harry Gooden	Defensive end	Alcorn State
6	141	Bruce Ward	Guard	San Diego State
9	221	Fran Schmitz	Defensive tackle	St. Norbert
10	246	Lon Kolstad	Linebacker	Wisconsin–Whitewater
11	270	John Turner	Tight end	Long Beach State
12	295	Sam Key	Linebacker	Elon
13	321	Andy Selfridge	Linebacker	Virginia
14	351	John Van Reenen	Defensive end	Washington State
15	376	Charles Neugent	Defensive back	Tuskegee
16	401	James Shaw	Defensive back	Tulsa
17	423	Oscar Dragon	Running back	Arizona State University
17	426	Bob Tackett	Tackle	Texas at El Paso
Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster

1972 San Diego Chargers roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 13 Wayne Clark 21 John Hadl Running backs (RB) 34 Oscar Dragon 35 Cid Edwards FB 20 Mike Garrett 42 Jesse Taylor 38 Lee White Wide receivers (WR) 83 Mike Carter 28 Chuck Dicus 27 Gary Garrison 46 John Sykes 84 Dave Williams Tight ends (TE) 81 John Andrews 89 John Mackey 88 Pettis Norman

Offensive linemen (OL) 55 Carl Mauck C 76 Terry Owens T 78 Walt Sweeney G 70 Russ Washington T 54 Ralph Wenzel G 63 Doug Wilkerson G 79 Ernie Wright T Defensive linemen (DL) 87 Lionel Aldridge DE 64 Dave Costa DT 77 Ron East DT 80 Kevin Hardy DT 75 Deacon Jones DE 68 Greg Wojcik DT

Linebackers (LB) 60 Bob Babich 59 Pete Barnes 50 Lee Roy Caffey 66 Rick Redman 82 Tim Rossovich Defensive backs (DB) 40 Joe Beauchamp CB 35 Chuck Detwiler 39 Lenny Dunlap CB 44 Chris Fletcher FS 24 Bob Howard CB 23 Ray Jones 30 Bryant Salter SS Special teams 10 Bill McClard K 29 Dennis Partee P

Reserve 25 Jerry LeVias WR (IR) 53 Mel Rogers LB (IR) Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 17	at San Francisco 49ers	L 3–34	0–1	Candlestick Park	59,438	Recap
2	September 24	Denver Broncos	W 37–14	1–1	San Diego Stadium	49,048	Recap
3	October 1	at Oakland Raiders	T 17–17	1–1–1	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	53,455	Recap
4	October 8	at Baltimore Colts	W 23–20	2–1–1	Memorial Stadium	55,459	Recap
5	October 15	at Miami Dolphins	L 10–24	2–2–1	Miami Orange Bowl	80,010	Recap
6	October 22	at Detroit Lions	L 20–34	2–3–1	Tiger Stadium	54,371	Recap
7	October 29	Kansas City Chiefs	L 14–26	2–4–1	San Diego Stadium	54,533	Recap
8	November 5	Dallas Cowboys	L 28–34	2–5–1	San Diego Stadium	54,476	Recap
9	November 13	Cleveland Browns	L 17–21	2–6–1	San Diego Stadium	54,205	Recap
10	November 19	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 27–17	3–6–1	Arrowhead Stadium	79,011	Recap
11	November 26	Houston Oilers	W 34–20	4–6–1	San Diego Stadium	46,289	Recap
12	December 3	Oakland Raiders	L 19–21	4–7–1	San Diego Stadium	54,611	Recap
13	December 10	at Denver Broncos	L 13–38	4–8–1	Mile High Stadium	51,478	Recap
14	December 17	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 2–24	4–9–1	San Diego Stadium	52,873	Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 1: San Diego Chargers at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	0	0	0	3
49ers	7	17	7	3	34

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

• Date: September 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 59 °F (15.0 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 10 mph
• Game attendance: 59,438
• Referee: Bernie Ulman
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SF – Gene Washington 13-yard pass from John Brodie (Bruce Gossett kick), 8:28. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards. SDG – Dennis Partee 30-yard field goal, 2:06. 49ers 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:22. Second quarter SF – Bruce Gossett 43-yard field goal, 12:10. 49ers 10–3. Drive: 13 plays, 39 yards, 4:56. SF – Gene Washington 23-yard pass from John Brodie (Bruce Gossett kick), 3:23. 49ers 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:13. SF – Gene Washington 45-yard pass from John Brodie (Bruce Gossett kick), 0:42. 49ers 24–3. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 0:38. Third quarter SF – Jimmy Thomas 4-yard run (Bruce Gossett kick), 7:36. 49ers 31–3. Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:07. Fourth quarter SF – Bruce Gossett 20-yard field goal, 10:28. 49ers 34–3. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:12. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 11/25, 109 yards, 2 INT SF – John Brodie – 11/19, 156 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 19 rushes, 80 yards SF – Jimmy Thomas – 13 rushes, 64 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Dave Williams – 3 receptions, 83 yards SF – Gene Washington – 8 receptions, 140 yards, 3 TD

Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 2: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	0	0	7	14
Chargers	13	21	0	3	37

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 68 °F (20.0 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 13 mph
• Game attendance: 49,048
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Randy Montgomery 94-yard kickoff return (Jim Turner kick), 14:45. Broncos 7–0. SDG – Dennis Partee 45-yard field goal, 9:29. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 40 yards, 5:16. SDG – Dennis Partee 11-yard field goal, 6:24. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 1:22. SDG – Mike Garrett 41-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 4:42. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 0:28. Second quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 9-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 9:21. Chargers 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 4:21. SDG – Dave Williams 31-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 3:05. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 1:47. SDG – Joe Beauchamp 47-yard interception return (Dennis Partee kick), 2:07. Chargers 34–7. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DEN – Steve Ramsey 8-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 4:47. Chargers 34–14. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:14. SDG – Bill McClard 47-yard field goal, 0:55. Chargers 37–14. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:52. Top passers DEN – Steve Ramsey – 14/25, 192 yards, 3 INT SDG – John Hadl – 15/32, 188 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers DEN – Fran Lynch – 5 rushes, 43 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 21 rushes, 104 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Rod Sherman – 6 receptions, 95 yards SDG – Gary Garrison – 6 receptions, 69 yards, TD

Week 3: at Oakland Raiders

Week 3: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	7	0	10	17
Raiders	14	0	0	3	17

at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), relative humidity 83%, wind 10 mph
• Game attendance: 53,455
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• Box score

Game information

First quarter OAK – Raymond Chester 23-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 7:26. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:16. OAK – Marv Hubbard 1-yard run (George Blanda kick), 3:20. Raiders 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:10. Second quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 2:10. Raiders 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 6:54. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – Carl Mauck offensive fumble recovery in end zone (Dennis Partee kick), 14:12. Tied 14–14. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 5:18. SDG – Dennis Partee 41-yard field goal, 7:02. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 5:43. OAK – George Blanda 40-yard field goal, 4:28. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:34. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 9/13, 156 yards, INT OAK – Daryle Lamonica – 14/26, 152 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 18 rushes, 97 yards, TD OAK – Marv Hubbard – 16 rushes, 58 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Cid Edwards – 6 receptions, 100 yards OAK – Fred Biletnikoff – 5 receptions, 75 yards

Week 4: at Baltimore Colts

Week 4: San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	7	0	10	17
Colts	14	0	0	3	17

at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: October 8
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 60 °F (15.6 °C), relative humidity 52%, wind 15 mph
• Game attendance: 55,459
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 7:40. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:20. Second quarter BAL – Jim O'Brien 22-yard field goal, 7:28. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 3:55. SDG – Dennis Partee 51-yard field goal, 2:55. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 4:33. Third quarter BAL – Don Nottingham 13-yard run (Jim O'Brien kick), 10:19. Tied 10–10. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:41. BAL – Jim O'Brien 20-yard field goal, 6:06. Colts 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 2:08. BAL – Don Nottingham 3-yard run (Jim O'Brien kick), 0:11. Colts 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:39. Fourth quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 2-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 10:05. Colts 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:52. SDG – Dennis Partee 40-yard field goal, 2:14. Tied 20–20. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 1:46. SDG – Dennis Partee 28-yard field goal, 0:04. Chargers 23–20. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 1:04. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 12/20, 148 yards, 3 INT BAL – Johnny Unitas – 14/22, 130 yards Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 27 rushes, 132 yards, 2 TD BAL – Don Nottingham – 17 rushes, 85 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 59 yards BAL – Cotton Speyrer – 3 receptions, 34 yards

Week 5: at Miami Dolphins

Week 5: San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

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

at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 78 °F (25.6 °C), relative humidity 72%, wind 10 mph
• Game attendance: 80,010
• Referee: Chuck Heberling
• Box score

Game information

First quarter MIA – Garo Yepremian 37-yard field goal, 5:18. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:00. SDG – Dennis Partee 12-yard field goal, 0:56. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 4:22. Second quarter MIA – Dick Anderson 35-yard fumble return (Garo Yepremian kick), 13:51. Dolphins 10–3. MIA – Howard Twilley 18-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Garo Yepremian kick), 4:25. Dolphins 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 2:10. Third quarter MIA – Paul Warfield 19-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Garo Yepremian kick), 9:25. Dolphins 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 5:35. Fourth quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 3-yard pass from John Hadl (Bill McClard kick), 4:56. Dolphins 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:58. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 12/22, 117 yards, TD, 2 INT MIA – Earl Morrall – 8/10, 86 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 22 rushes, 68 yards MIA – Larry Csonka – 13 rushes, 70 yards Top receivers SDG – Cid Edwards – 4 receptions, 39 yards, TD MIA – Howard Twilley – 2 receptions, 41 yards, TD

Week 6: at Detroit Lions

Week 6: San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	6	0	0	14	20
Lions	6	7	14	7	34

at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 47 °F (8.3 °C), relative humidity 96%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 54,371
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DET – Errol Mann 25-yard field goal, 8:49. Lions 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 4:17. SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (kick blocked), 1:55. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:54. DET – Errol Mann 41-yard field goal, 0:47. Tied 6–6. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:08. Second quarter DET – Mel Farr 1-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 6:54. Lions 13–6. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 7:53. Third quarter DET – Mel Farr 2-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 7:55. Lions 20–6. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 7:05. DET – Larry Walton 24-yard pass from Greg Landry (Errol Mann kick), 4:21. Lions 27–6. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:04. Fourth quarter DET – Greg Landry 5-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 12:03. Lions 34–6. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:16. SDG – Gary Garrison 15-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 10:08. Lions 34–13. Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:55. SDG – Gary Garrison 5-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 6:40. Lions 34–20. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 0:56. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 12/27, 161 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT DET – Greg Landry – 12/24, 151 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 9 rushes, 42 yards, TD DET – Mel Farr – 22 rushes, 96 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 7 receptions, 119 yards, 2 TD DET – Larry Walton – 7 receptions, 101 yards, TD

Week 7: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	3	10	13	26
Chargers	0	7	0	7	14

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 62 °F (16.7 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 54,533
• Referee: Norm Schachter
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 33-yard field goal, 8:52. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 54 yards, 9:05. SDG – Mike Garrett 27-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 3:41. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:11. Third quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 50-yard field goal, 12:37. Chargers 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards, 2:23. KAN – Ed Podolak 6-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:40. Chiefs 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 3:18. Fourth quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 15-yard field goal, 9:20. Chiefs 16–7. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:46. SDG – Mike Garrett 3-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 3:17. Chiefs 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:03. KAN – Robert West 8-yard offensive fumble return (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:49. Chiefs 23–14. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:28. KAN – Jan Stenerud 37-yard field goal, 0:31. Chiefs 26–14. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards, 0:40. Top passers KAN – Len Dawson – 14/27, 154 yards, 2 INT SDG – John Hadl – 18/36, 231 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers KAN – Ed Podolak – 18 rushes, 71 yards, TD SDG – Cid Edwards – 12 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers KAN – Otis Taylor – 5 receptions, 86 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 7 receptions, 93 yards

Week 8: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	10	14	7	3	34
Chargers	0	0	7	21	28

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 5
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 64 °F (17.8 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 54,476
• Referee: Bernie Ulman
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Mike Montgomery 54-yard fumble return (Toni Fritsch kick), 13:16. Cowboys 7–0. DAL – Toni Fritsch 25-yard field goal, 7:32. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:39. Second quarter DAL – Walt Garrison 9-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 10:25. Cowboys 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 2:22. DAL – Mike Ditka 1-yard pass from Craig Morton (Toni Fritsch kick), 0:43. Cowboys 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:26. Third quarter DAL – Craig Morton 7-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 6:31. Cowboys 31–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:47. SDG – Chuck Dicus 46-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 3:56. Cowboys 31–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 42-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 13:39. Cowboys 31–14. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:26. SDG – Chuck Dicus 20-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 10:09. Cowboys 31–21. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:36. DAL – Toni Fritsch 31-yard field goal, 3:47. Cowboys 34–21. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 6:22. SDG – Dave Williams 47-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 0:00. Cowboys 34–28. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards. Top passers DAL – Craig Morton – 15/21, 161 yards, TD, INT SDG – John Hadl – 11/26, 211 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT Top rushers DAL – Walt Garrison – 13 rushes, 44 yards, TD SDG – Mike Garrett – 17 rushes, 88 yards Top receivers DAL – Ron Sellers – 3 receptions, 79 yards SDG – Chuck Dicus – 4 receptions, 77 yards, 2 TD

Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 9: Cleveland Browns at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	7	0	14	21
Chargers	0	3	7	7	17

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 13
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), relative humidity 65%, wind 6 mph
• Game attendance: 54,205
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 26-yard field goal. Chargers 3–0. CLE – Mike Phipps 1-yard run (Don Cockroft kick). Browns 7–3. Third quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 4-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 10–7. Fourth quarter CLE – Ken Brown 2-yard run (Don Cockroft kick). Browns 14–10. SDG – Mike Garrett 3-yard run (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 17–14. CLE – Frank Pitts 38-yard pass from Mike Phipps (Don Cockroft kick). Browns 21–17. Top passers CLE – Mike Phipps – 13/21, 186 yards, TD, INT SDG – John Hadl – 12/21, 140 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Leroy Kelly – 17 rushes, 67 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 17 rushes, 91 yards Top receivers CLE – Frank Pitts – 5 receptions, 96 yards, TD SDG – Pettis Norman – 3 receptions, 47 yards

Week 10: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 10: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

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

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 32 °F (0.0 °C), relative humidity 81%, wind 11 mph, wind chill 23
• Game attendance: 79,011
• Referee: Jack Reader
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 3-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:54. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 63 yards, 1:38. KAN – Wendell Hayes 4-yard pass from Len Dawson (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:08. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 4:46. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 46-yard field goal, 10:37. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 3:08. SDG – John Hadl 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 6:31. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:06. SDG – Gary Garrison 20-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 0:22. Chargers 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 1:26. Third quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 24-yard field goal, 11:17. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:14. KAN – Jan Stenerud 28-yard field goal, 1:47. Chargers 27–10. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:37. Fourth quarter KAN – Robert West 36-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 4:11. Chargers 27–17. Drive: 11 plays, 37 yards, 4:14. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 17/28, 216 yards, TD KAN – Mike Livingston – 19/30, 231 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 12 rushes, 62 yards KAN – Ed Podolak – 18 rushes, 71 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Cid Edwards – 6 receptions, 82 yards KAN – Mike Adamle – 9 receptions, 34 yards

Week 11: vs. Houston Oilers

Week 11: Houston Oilers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	3	0	17	20
Chargers	10	10	7	7	34

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), relative humidity 51%, wind 7 mph
• Game attendance: 46,289
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Jesse Taylor blocked punt recovery in end zone (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 7–0. SDG – Dennis Partee 31-yard field goal. Chargers 10–0. Second quarter HOU – Skip Butler 49-yard field goal. Chargers 10–3. SDG – Dennis Partee 11-yard field goal. Chargers 13–3. SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 20–3. Third quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 31-yard run (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 27–3. Fourth quarter HOU – Skip Butler 47-yard field goal. Chargers 27–6. SDG – Dave Williams 3-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 34–6. HOU – Rhett Dawson 3-yard pass from Dan Pastorini (Skip Butler kick). Chargers 34–13. HOU – Fred Willis 7-yard pass from Kent Nix (Skip Butler kick). Chargers 34–20. Top passers HOU – Dan Pastorini – 17/35, 166 yards, TD, INT SDG – John Hadl – 13/24, 141 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – Paul Robinson – 17 rushes, 67 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 17 rushes, 102 yards Top receivers HOU – Ken Burrough – 4 receptions, 52 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 3 receptions, 44 yards

Week 12: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 12: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	7	7	0	7	21
Chargers	0	10	6	3	19

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 60 °F (15.6 °C), relative humidity 71%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 54,611
• Referee: Ed Marion
• Box score

Game information

First quarter OAK – Raymond Chester 16-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 5:01. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:39. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 15-yard field goal, 14:14. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:47. SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:00. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:28. OAK – Fred Biletnikoff 36-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 1:49. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:11. Third quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 52-yard pass from John Hadl (kick blocked), 6:09. Chargers 16–14. Drive: 1 play, 52 yards, 0:08. Fourth quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 18-yard field goal, 12:31. Chargers 19–14. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 2:43. OAK – Charlie Smith 9-yard run (George Blanda kick), 1:18. Raiders 21–19. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:13. Top passers OAK – Daryle Lamonica – 14/23, 223 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT SDG – John Hadl – 15/26, 221 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers OAK – Marv Hubbard – 15 rushes, 68 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 28 rushes, 145 yards Top receivers OAK – Mike Siani – 4 receptions, 71 yards SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD

Week 13: at Denver Broncos

Week 13: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	3	3	7	13
Broncos	7	14	17	0	38

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 10
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 7 °F (−13.9 °C), relative humidity 52%, wind 7 mph, wind chill -20
• Game attendance: 51,478
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Floyd Little 2-yard run (Jim Turner kick). Broncos 7–0. Second quarter SDG – Bill McClard 26-yard field goal. Broncos 7–3. DEN – Joe Dawkins 4-yard run (Jim Turner kick). Broncos 14–3. DEN – Charlie Greer 65-yard punt return (Jim Turner kick). Broncos 21–3. Third quarter SDG – Bill McClard 48-yard field goal, 9:29. Broncos 21–6. DEN – Jim Turner 12-yard field goal, 4:47. Broncos 24–6. DEN – Haven Moses 11-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 4:47. Broncos 31–6. DEN – Haven Moses 7-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 4:47. Broncos 38–6. Fourth quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 23-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 9:21. Broncos 38–13. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 22/44, 288 yards, TD, 2 INT DEN – Charley Johnson – 6/10, 85 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 15 rushes, 59 yards DEN – Jim Krieg – 1 rush, 63 yards Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 10 receptions, 156 yards, TD DEN – Haven Moses – 3 receptions, 43 yards, 2 TD

Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 14: Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	7	3	7	24
Chargers	2	0	0	0	2

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 60 °F (15.6 °C), relative humidity 37%, wind 6 mph
• Game attendance: 52,873
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• Box score

Game information

First quarter PIT – Franco Harris 2-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 11:51. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 1:19. SDG – Safety, Dave Costa sacked Terry Bradshaw in end zone, 6:42. Steelers 7–2. Second quarter PIT – John Fuqua 2-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 6:05. Steelers 14–2. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:29. Third quarter PIT – Roy Gerela 26-yard field goal, 1:57. Steelers 17–2. Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 1:26. Fourth quarter PIT – Ron Shanklin 17-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick), 6:03. Steelers 24–2. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 4:01. Top passers PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 12/23, 152 yards, TD, INT SDG – John Hadl – 11/26, 122 yards, 4 INT Top rushers PIT – John Fuqua – 17 rushes, 51 yards, TD SDG – Cid Edwards – 13 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers PIT – John Fuqua – 3 receptions, 50 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 3 receptions, 42 yards

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Oakland Raiders	10	3	1	.750	3–2–1	7–3–1	365	248	W6
Kansas City Chiefs	8	6	0	.571	4–2	6–5	287	254	W3
Denver Broncos	5	9	0	.357	2–4	4–6	325	350	W2
San Diego Chargers	4	9	1	.321	2–3–1	4–6–1	264	344	L3

Notable events

In their last game for the year, the Chargers became the thirty-third team in the NFL or leagues that merged with the NFL to score only a safety in a full game. This unusual occurrence has been repeated only five times since: by the 1980 Buffalo Bills, the 1983 Minnesota Vikings, the 1993 Cincinnati Bengals, the 2011 Atlanta Falcons (the only team to do so in a playoff game) and the 2013 Jacksonville Jaguars.