# 1986 San Diego Chargers season

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

## NFL draft

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

## Regular season
### Schedule

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

### Game summaries

All game reports use the Pro Football Researchers' gamebook archive as a source.

#### Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 17 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 50 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), relative humidity 82%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 57,726
* Referee: Dick Jorgensen
* TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Jimmy Cefalo
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Gary Anderson 18-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:52. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 2:07.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 26-yard field goal, 2:17. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:17.
SDG – Tim Spencer 17-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:24. Chargers 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 0:53.
Second quarter
MIA – Mark Clayton 22-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 12:00. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:24.
SDG – Buford McGee 4-yard run (kick blocked), 4:02. Chargers 23–7. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:59.
MIA – Mark Clayton 49-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 2:19. Chargers 23–14. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:43.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 36-yard field goal, 0:28. Chargers 26–14. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 1:51.
Third quarter
SDG – Wes Chandler 7-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 9:22. Chargers 33–14. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:21.
MIA – Nat Moore 6-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 6:47. Chargers 33–21. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 2:35.
SDG – Pete Holohan 17-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:21. Chargers 40–21. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 6:26.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Buford McGee 4-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 14:15. Chargers 47–21. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:59.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 36-yard field goal, 5:48. Chargers 50–21. Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 4:25.
MIA – Nat Moore 17-yard pass from Don Strock (Fuad Reveiz kick), 0:58. Chargers 50–28. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 0:46.
Top passers
MIA – Dan Marino – 23/36, 290 yards, 3 TD
SDG – Dan Fouts – 23/35, 293 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIA – Lorenzo Hampton – 6 rushes, 26 yards
SDG – Lionel James – 10 rushes, 61 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Mark Clayton – 5 receptions, 143 yards, 2 TD
SDG – Wes Chandler – 6 receptions, 78 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Giants | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), relative humidity 52%, wind 17 miles per hour (27 km/h; 15 kn)
* Game attendance: 74,921
* Referee: Fred Wyant
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Joe Cooper 21-yard field goal, 6:10. Giants 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:49.
Second quarter
NYG – Joe Morris 1-yard run (Joe Cooper kick), 13:16. Giants 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:35.
SDG – Gary Anderson 29-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:24. Giants 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:22.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
NYG – Lionel Manuel 12-yard pass from Phil Simms (Joe Cooper kick), 7:14. Giants 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:14.
NYG – Joe Cooper 20-yard field goal, 3:12. Giants 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:32.
Top passers
SDG – Dan Fouts – 19/43, 224 yards, TD, 5 INT
NYG – Phil Simms – 18/37, 300 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
SDG – Buford McGee – 5 rushes, 19 yards
NYG – Joe Morris – 30 rushes, 83 yards, TD
Top receivers
SDG – Wes Chandler – 4 receptions, 58 yards
NYG – Mark Bavaro – 5 receptions, 89 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 3 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 30 |
| Chargers | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (17.8 °C), relative humidity 72%, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
* Game attendance: 57,853
* Referee: Gordon McCarter
* TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Terry Bradshaw
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Mark Moseley 29-yard field goal, 10:06. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 3:43.
SDG – Gary Anderson 13-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:17. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:49.
SDG – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:47. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:10.
Second quarter
SDG – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 8:02. Chargers 21–3. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:11.
WAS – George Rogers 2-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 4:08. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:54.
Third quarter
WAS – Mark Moseley 24-yard field goal, 10:48. Chargers 21–13. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:12.
WAS – Mark Moseley 26-yard field goal, 4:19. Chargers 21–16. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:24.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 50-yard field goal, 2:03. Chargers 24–16. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 2:16.
WAS – George Rogers 10-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 0:13. Chargers 24–23. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:50.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 31-yard field goal, 9:07. Chargers 27–23. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:21.
WAS – Gary Clark 14-yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Mark Moseley kick), 1:16. Redskins 30–27. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 0:44.
Top passers
WAS – Jay Schroeder – 16/36, 341 yards, TD
SDG – Dan Fouts – 22/36, 235 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
WAS – George Rogers – 23 rushes, 87 yards, 2 TD
SDG – Lionel James – 9 rushes, 67 yards
Top receivers
WAS – Art Monk – 7 receptions, 174 yards
SDG – Kellen Winslow – 4 receptions, 42 yards SDG – Charlie Joiner – 3 receptions, 42 yards :

#### Week 4: at Los Angeles Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (16.7 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 57,726
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Kellen Winslow 9-yard pass from Dan Fouts (kick failed), 8:38. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:26.
Second quarter
SDG – Trumaine Johnson 9-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:34. Chargers 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:56.
RAI – Dokie Williams 12-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Chris Bahr kick), 0:16. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
RAI – Jessie Hester 40-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Chris Bahr kick), 14:35. Raiders 14–13. Drive: 1 play, 40 yards, 0:07.
Fourth quarter
RAI – Chris Bahr 18-yard field goal, 1:41. Raiders 17–13. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 5:32.
Top passers
SDG – Dan Fouts – 20/45, 208 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
RAI – Marc Wilson – 19/28, 314 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
SDG – Lionel James – 13 rushes, 41 yards
RAI – Napoleon McCallum – 14 rushes, 57 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Lionel James – 8 receptions, 77 yards
RAI – Dokie Williams – 8 receptions, 143 yards, TD :

#### Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 6 | 17 | 10 | 33 |
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
* Date: October 6
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
* Game attendance: 63,207
* Referee: Red Cashion
* TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford and O. J. Simpson
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 7:32. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:34.
Second quarter
SEA – Norm Johnson 29-yard field goal, 13:49. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 5:54.
SEA – Norm Johnson 30-yard field goal, 0:08. Chargers 7–6. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 3:15.
Third quarter
SEA – Norm Johnson 54-yard field goal, 10:36. Seahawks 9–7. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:24.
SEA – Byron Franklin 46-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 9:04. Seahawks 16–7. Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 0:15.
SEA – Steve Largent 15-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 8:51. Seahawks 23–7. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:03.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Eric Lane 2-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 12:39. Seahawks 30–7. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 5:43.
SEA – Norm Johnson 20-yard field goal, 7:12. Seahawks 33–7. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:45.
Top passers
SDG – Dan Fouts – 20/31, 231 yards, 3 INT
SEA – Dave Krieg – 21/35, 284 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
SDG – Lionel James – 10 rushes, 27 yards
SEA – Curt Warner – 28 rushes, 142 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Wes Chandler – 3 receptions, 61 yards
SEA – Byron Franklin – 5 receptions, 118 yards, TD :

#### Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: October 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 66 °F (18.9 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
* Game attendance: 55,662
* Referee: Gene Barth
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Gary Anderson 7-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 11:09. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 47 yards, 0:33.
DEN – Sammy Winder 1-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 6:37. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:32.
Second quarter
DEN – Rich Karlis 21-yard field goal, 0:26. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:19.
Third quarter
DEN – Gerald Willhite 3-yard pass from John Elway (Rich Karlis kick), 5:48. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 5:47.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Gerald Willhite 1-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 8:01. Broncos 24–7. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 10:11.
DEN – Mike Harden 41-yard punt return (Rich Karlis kick), 7:06. Broncos 31–7.
SDG – Buford McGee 4-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:29. Broncos 31–14. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 2:18.
Top passers
DEN – John Elway – 20/34, 242 yards, TD, INT
SDG – Dan Fouts – 26/40, 352 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Sammy Winder – 17 rushes, 74 yards, TD
SDG – Lionel James – 5 rushes, 27 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Steve Watson – 4 receptions, 92 yards
SDG – Gary Anderson – 6 receptions, 95 yards, TD :

#### Week 7: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
* Game attendance: 55,767
* Referee: Dick Jorgensen
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
KAN – Stephone Paige 45-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 9:38. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 45 yards, 0:06.
SDG – Gary Anderson 7-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:41. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:57.
Second quarter
KAN – Lloyd Burruss 56-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 9:53. Chiefs 14–7.
KAN – Kevin Ross 21-yard fumble return (Nick Lowery kick), 9:41. Chiefs 21–7.
SDG – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:41. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:00.
KAN – Lloyd Burruss 47-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 2:42. Chiefs 28–14.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 30-yard field goal, 1:06. Chiefs 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 1:36.
SDG – Leslie O'Neal 5-yard interception return (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:56. Chiefs 28–24.
Third quarter
KAN – Stephone Paige 16-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 12:57. Chiefs 35–24. Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:44.
SDG – Gary Anderson 2-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:46. Chiefs 35–31. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:11.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 21-yard field goal, 14:06. Chiefs 35–34. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 5:38.
KAN – Boyce Green 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 10:18. Chiefs 42–34. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:48.
SDG – Gary Anderson 12-yard pass from Mark Herrmann (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:42. Chiefs 42–41. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 0:56.
Top passers
SDG – Dan Fouts – 19/33, 200 yards, TD, 3 INT
KAN – Bill Kenney – 6/9, 97 yards, TD
Top rushers
SDG – Tim Spencer – 10 rushes, 57 yards
KAN – Mike Pruitt – 10 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Gary Anderson – 11 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD
KAN – Stephone Paige – 3 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Eagles | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 23 |
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 56 °F (13.3 °C), relative humidity 92%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 41,469
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* TV announcers (NBC): Kevin Slaten and Dave Rowe
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Paul McFadden 33-yard field goal, 6:28. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 3:37.
Second quarter
PHI – Paul McFadden 34-yard field goal, 2:00. Eagles 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 3:18.
Third quarter
PHI – Paul McFadden 36-yard field goal, 4:58. Eagles 9–0. Drive: 15 plays, 55 yards, 5:21.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Mike Quick 10-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Paul McFadden kick), 10:02. Eagles 16–0. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:27.
SDG – Charlie Joiner 20-yard pass from Tom Flick (Rolf Benirschke kick), 7:49. Eagles 16–7. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:13.
PHI – Keith Byars 2-yard run (Paul McFadden kick), 1:12. Eagles 23–7. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
SDG – Mark Herrmann – 11/29, 122 yards, INT
PHI – Ron Jaworski – 12/23, 98 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
SDG – Gary Anderson – 12 rushes, 60 yards
PHI – Michael Haddix – 14 rushes, 48 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Trumaine Johnson – 7 receptions, 85 yards
PHI – John Spagnola – 7 receptions, 72 yards :

#### Week 9: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 24 |
| Chargers | 2 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), relative humidity 59%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 48,518
* Referee: Fred Wyant
* TV announcers (NBC): Fred Roggin and Dave Rowe
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Safety, ball snapped out of end zone, 12:11. Chargers 2–0.
Second quarter
SDG – Wes Chandler 7-yard pass from Tom Flick (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:31. Chargers 9–0. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 4:34.
SDG – Tim Spencer 4-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:42. Chargers 16–0. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:24.
Third quarter
KAN – Jeff Smith 1-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 4:08. Chargers 16–7. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 4:26.
Fourth quarter
KAN – Emile Harry 5-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 7:43. Chargers 16–14. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:01.
KAN – Mike Pruitt 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 1:46. Chiefs 21–16. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 1:52.
SDG – Tom Flick 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:02. Chargers 23–21. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 0:44.
KAN – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 0:07. Chiefs 24–23. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 0:55.
Top passers
KAN – Bill Kenney – 21/32, 287 yards, 2 TD
SDG – Tom Flick – 4/17, 42 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
KAN – Jeff Smith – 10 rushes, 41 yards
SDG – Gary Anderson – 25 rushes, 100 yards
Top receivers
KAN – Henry Marshall – 7 receptions, 90 yards KAN – Carlos Carson – 4 receptions, 90 yards
SDG – Wes Chandler – 3 receptions, 40 yards, TD :

#### Week 10: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 31 °F (−0.6 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn), wind chill 24 °F (−4.4 °C)
* Game attendance: 75,012
* Referee: Fred Silva
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 25-yard field goal, 5:37. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 78 yards, 9:23.
Second quarter
DEN – Rich Karlis 44-yard field goal, 14:40. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:57.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 48-yard field goal, 7:27. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 7:13.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 21-yard field goal, 7:18. Chargers 9–3. Drive: 16 plays, 48 yards, 8:45.
Top passers
SDG – Tom Flick – 16/22, 130 yards, INT
DEN – John Elway – 13/31, 196 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
SDG – Curtis Adams – 16 rushes, 38 yards
DEN – Sammy Winder – 9 rushes, 24 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Kellen Winslow – 7 receptions, 54 yards
DEN – Mark Jackson – 2 receptions, 76 yards :

#### Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 10 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), relative humidity 65%, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
* Game attendance: 55,622
* Referee: Tom Dooley
* TV announcers (CBS): Jack Buck and Joe Theismann
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Rafael Septien 33-yard field goal, 7:02. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 2:58.
DAL – Mike Sherrard 68-yard pass from Steve Pelluer (Rafael Septien kick), 3:24. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:39.
Second quarter
SDG – Tim Spencer 7-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:17. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:40.
Third quarter
SDG – Kellen Winslow 28-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:39. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 5:14.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Kellen Winslow 4-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 14:02. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:36.
DAL – Herschel Walker 1-yard run (Rafael Septien kick), 7:26. Chargers 21–17. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 0:56.
DAL – Steve Pelluer 2-yard run (Rafael Septien kick), 1:37. Cowboys 24–21. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 0:32.
Top passers
DAL – Steve Pelluer – 18/33, 246 yards, TD
SDG – Dan Fouts – 22/41, 275 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DAL – Tony Dorsett – 14 rushes, 76 yards
SDG – Curtis Adams – 9 rushes, 33 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Mike Sherrard – 4 receptions, 115 yards, TD
SDG – Gary Anderson – 8 receptions, 85 yards :

#### Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Raiders | 14 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 37 |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 5:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), relative humidity 88%, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
* Game attendance: 56,031
* Referee: Gordon McCarter
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels and Frank Gifford
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
RAI – Jerry Robinson 2-yard blocked punt return (Chris Bahr kick), 11:41. Raiders 7–0.
RAI – Todd Christensen 11-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 6:29. Raiders 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:58.
Second quarter
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 47-yard field goal, 9:12. Raiders 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:22.
SDG – Curtis Adams 19-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 2:26. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:16.
RAI – Dokie Williams 10-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 0:24. Raiders 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 2:02.
Third quarter
RAI – Chris Bahr 52-yard field goal, 12:31. Raiders 24–10. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:53.
RAI – Lester Hayes 39-yard fumble return (Chris Bahr kick), 12:04. Raiders 31–10.
SDG – Curtis Adams 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:37. Raiders 31–17. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:32.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Curtis Adams 13-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 12:11. Raiders 31–24. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:38.
SDG – Charlie Joiner 16-yard pass from Mark Herrmann (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:01. Tied 31–31. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 2:22.
Overtime
RAI – Marcus Allen 28-yard run, 6:27. Raiders 37–31. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:02.
Top passers
RAI – Jim Plunkett – 23/40, 348 yards, 2 TD, INT
SDG – Mark Herrmann – 13/23, 198 yards, TD
Top rushers
RAI – Marcus Allen – 21 rushes, 88 yards, TD
SDG – Curtis Adams – 26 rushes, 93 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
RAI – Todd Christensen – 11 receptions, 173 yards, TD
SDG – Gary Anderson – 7 receptions, 113 yards :

#### Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: November 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
* Game attendance: 47,950
* Referee: Red Cashion
* TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Dave Rowe
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 19-yard field goal, 4:26. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 18 plays, 82 yards, 10:34.
SDG – Wes Chandler 30-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:43. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 42 yards, 0:12.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
IND – Dean Biasucci 27-yard field goal, 9:27. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:33.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Curtis Adams 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:42. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:45.
Top passers
SDG – Dan Fouts – 24/31, 290 yards, TD, 2 INT
IND – Jack Trudeau – 15/28, 130 yards, INT
Top rushers
SDG – Curtis Adams – 21 rushes, 68 yards, TD
IND – Albert Bentley – 8 rushes, 33 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Wes Chandler – 5 receptions, 110 yards, TD
IND – Bill Brooks – 7 receptions, 76 yards :

#### Week 14: vs. Houston Oilers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oilers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chargers | 0 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), relative humidity 81%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 40,103
* Referee: Jerry Seeman
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
SDG – Tim Spencer 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:21. Raiders 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 0:59.
SDG – Gary Anderson 31-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:01. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:07.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 20-yard field goal, 0:48. Raiders 31–17. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 4:10.
Third quarter
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 35-yard field goal, 10:45. Raiders 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:15.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Kellen Winslow 4-yard pass from Gary Anderson (Rolf Benirschke kick), 8:24. Raiders 31–24. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 4:05.
Top passers
HOU – Oliver Luck – 10/26, 110 yards, 2 INT
SDG – Dan Fouts – 21/30, 250 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Ray Wallace – 9 rushes, 45 yards
SDG – Curtis Adams – 17 rushes, 53 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Ernest Givins – 4 receptions, 50 yards HOU – Allen Pinkett – 4 receptions, 50 yards
SDG – Wes Chandler – 7 receptions, 75 yards :

#### Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 10 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
| Chargers | 0 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 57 °F (13.9 °C), relative humidity 71%, wind 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h; 5.2 kn)
* Game attendance: 47,096
* Referee: Chuck Heberling
* TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Dave Rowe
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Norm Johnson 29-yard field goal, 9:29. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 4:06.
SEA – Steve Largent 6-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 3:44. Seahawks 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:31.
Second quarter
SDG – Tim Spencer 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:38. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:06.
SEA – Daryl Turner 72-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 13:19. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:19.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 23-yard field goal, 4:14. Seahawks 17–10. Drive: 16 plays, 76 yards, 9:05.
SDG – Kellen Winslow 14-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:10. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 0:58.
Third quarter
SEA – Norm Johnson 25-yard field goal, 9:01. Seahawks 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:59.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Steve Largent 23-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 13:40. Seahawks 27–17. Drive: 14 plays, 96 yards, 7:42.
SDG – Tim Spencer 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:56. Seahawks 27–24. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:44.
SEA – Ray Butler 14-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 2:23. Seahawks 34–24. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:33.
Top passers
SEA – Dave Krieg – 15/21, 305 yards, 4 TD
SDG – Dan Fouts – 21/38, 237 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
SEA – Curt Warner – 28 rushes, 93 yards
SDG – Curtis Adams – 18 rushes, 66 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Steve Largent – 6 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD
SDG – Kellen Winslow – 8 receptions, 105 yards, TD :

#### Week 16: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Browns | 7 | 13 | 17 | 10 | 47 |
at Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 34 °F (1.1 °C), relative humidity 67%, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn), wind chill 28 °F (−2.2 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,505
* Referee: Bob Frederic
* TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Jon Morris
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Webster Slaughter 46-yard pass from Herman Fontenot (Mark Moseley kick), 4:15. Browns 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:22.
Second quarter
CLE – Kevin Mack 2-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 11:25. Browns 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 5:50.
SDG – Wes Chandler 19-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 8:20. Browns 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:05.
SDG – Rolf Benirschke 40-yard field goal, 1:01. Browns 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 0:55.
CLE – Brian Brennan 57-yard pass from Bernie Kosar (kick failed), 0:06. Browns 20–10. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
CLE – Harry Holt 1-yard pass from Bernie Kosar (Mark Moseley kick), 13:12. Browns 27–10. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:33.
CLE – Herman Fontenot 9-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 10:00. Browns 34–10. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 0:54.
CLE – Mark Moseley 37-yard field goal, 6:36. Browns 37–10. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:14.
SDG – Gary Anderson 65-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick, 4:49. Browns 37–17. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 1:47.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Curtis Dickey 2-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 13:54. Browns 44–17. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:46.
CLE – Mark Moseley 32-yard field goal, 3:19. Browns 47–17. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:49.
Top passers
SDG – Dan Fouts – 15/27, 236 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Bernie Kosar – 21/28, 258 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SDG – Tim Spencer – 5 rushes, 22 yards
CLE – Major Everett – 10 rushes, 38 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Wes Chandler – 6 receptions, 113 yards, TD
CLE – Brian Brennan – 7 receptions, 176 yards, TD :

### Standings

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

## Awards and honors

* Leslie O'Neal, Defensive Rookie of the Year
vte1986 NFL season :
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