# 2018 Los Angeles Chargers season

The 2018 season was the Los Angeles Chargers' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 59th overall, their third in the Greater Los Angeles Area and their second under head coach Anthony Lynn.
Despite a slow 1–2 start, the Chargers improved on their 9–7 record from the previous year with a Week 14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. They also recorded a 10-win season for the first time since 2009 when they were in San Diego, also their first as a Los Angeles based team since 1960. With a Week 15 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chargers clinched their first playoff berth since 2013 when they were based in San Diego.
The Chargers finished 12–4, tied with the Chiefs for both the AFC West division title and the best record in the AFC. However, the Chiefs won the division and the AFC's No. 1 seed based on record vs. division opponents (5–1 to 4–2), giving the Chargers the Wild Card and the AFC's No. 5 seed. The Chargers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 23–17 in the wild-card round, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl LIII champion New England Patriots 28–41 in the divisional round. The season would prove to be their last where all of their games were played outdoors.

## Offseason
### Roster changes
#### Signings

| Position | Player | Acquired from |
| C | Mike Pouncey | Miami Dolphins |
| TE | Virgil Green | Denver Broncos |
| K | Caleb Sturgis | Philadelphia Eagles |
| P | Donnie Jones | Philadelphia Eagles |
| QB | Geno Smith | New York Giants |

#### Departures

| Position | Player | Lost to |
| G | Kenny Wiggins | Detroit Lions |
| G | Matt Slauson | Indianapolis Colts |
| S | Tre Boston | Arizona Cardinals |
| RB | Branden Oliver | Indianapolis Colts |

## NFL draft

2018 Los Angeles Chargers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 17 | Derwin James * | S | Florida State | |
| 2 | 48 | Uchenna Nwosu | LB | USC | |
| 3 | 84 | Justin Jones | DT | NC State | |
| 4 | 119 | Kyzir White | S | West Virginia | |
| 5 | 155 | Scott Quessenberry | C | UCLA | |
| 6 | 191 | Dylan Cantrell | WR | Texas Tech | |
| 7 | 251 | Justin Jackson | RB | Northwestern | Compensatory pick |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Draft trades
* The Chargers traded their seventh-round selection (234th overall) to Buffalo in exchange for quarterback Cardale Jones.
* The Chargers were awarded a seventh-round compensatory pick (251st overall).

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 11 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 17–24 | 0–1 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 18 | Seattle Seahawks | W 24–14 | 1–1 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | New Orleans Saints | L 7–36 | 1–2 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 23–21 | 2–2 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

On January 11, the NFL announced that the Chargers would play host to the Tennessee Titans in one of the London Games at Wembley Stadium in London, England. It was the Chargers' second appearance in the International Series; the other being 2008. The game occurred during Week 7 (October 21), and was televised in the United States.
The Chargers' regular season schedule was released on April 19.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 9 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 28–38 | 0–1 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | at Buffalo Bills | W 31–20 | 1–1 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 23–35 | 1–2 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | San Francisco 49ers | W 29–27 | 2–2 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | Oakland Raiders | W 26–10 | 3–2 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | at Cleveland Browns | W 38–14 | 4–2 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | Tennessee Titans | W 20–19 | 5–2 | Wembley Stadium (London) | Recap |
| 8 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 9 | November 4 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 25–17 | 6–2 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | at Oakland Raiders | W 20–6 | 7–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 11 | November 18 | Denver Broncos | L 22–23 | 7–3 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 12 | November 25 | Arizona Cardinals | W 45–10 | 8–3 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 33–30 | 9–3 | Heinz Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 26–21 | 10–3 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 15 | December 13 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 29–28 | 11–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 22 | Baltimore Ravens | L 10–22 | 11–4 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | at Denver Broncos | W 23–9 | 12–4 | Broncos Stadium at Mile High | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 14 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
| Chargers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 28 |
at StubHub Center, Carson, California
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 25,351
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Tyreek Hill 91-yard punt return (Harrison Butker kick), 13:24. Chiefs 7–0.
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 45-yard field goal, 9:24. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:43.
KC – Tyreek Hill 58-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 6:50. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:41.
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 39-yard field goal, 0:25. Chiefs 14–6. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 3:41.
Second quarter
LAC – Austin Ekeler 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers (pass failed), 7:54. Chiefs 14–12. Drive: 12 plays, 96 yards, 6:11.
KC – Harrison Butker 46-yard field goal, 2:04. Chiefs 17–12. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 5:47.
Third quarter
KC – De'Anthony Thomas 1-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 9:29. Chiefs 24–12. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:35.
KC – Anthony Sherman 36-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 0:55. Chiefs 31–12. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 3:28.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Keenan Allen 20-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Philip Rivers-Antonio Gates pass), 12:09. Chiefs 31–20. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 3:44.
KC – Tyreek Hill 1-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 9:47. Chiefs 38–20. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 0:40.
LAC – Tyrell Williams 4-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Melvin Gordon run), 5:08. Chiefs 38–28. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:41.
Top passers
KC – Patrick Mahomes – 15/27, 256 yards, 4 TD
LAC – Philip Rivers – 34/51, 424 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Kareem Hunt – 16 rushes, 49 yards
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 15 rushes, 64 yards
Top receivers
KC – Tyreek Hill – 7 receptions, 169 yards, 2 TD
LAC – Keenan Allen – 8 receptions, 108 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 14 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 31 |
| Bills | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. PDT
* Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), fair
* Game attendance: 69,187
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Steve Beuerlein
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Mike Williams 10-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 9:26. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 38 yards, 1:27.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 20-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 4:18. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:24.
Second quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 43-yard field goal, 13:38. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 5:40.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 9-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 10:43. Chargers 21–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:55.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:55. Chargers 28–3. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 6:46.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 40-yard field goal, 0:47. Chargers 28–6. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 1:08.
Third quarter
BUF – Chris Ivory 1-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 11:06. Chargers 28–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:54.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 24-yard field goal, 3:50. Chargers 31–13. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 3:10.
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin 3-yard pass from Josh Allen (Stephen Hauschka kick), 0:38. Chargers 31–20. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 3:12.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 23/27, 256 yards, 3 TD
BUF – Josh Allen – 18/33, 245 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 11 carries, 77 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 9 carries, 39 yards
Top receivers
LAC – Keenan Allen – 6 receptions, 67 yards
BUF – Zay Jones – 2 receptions, 63 yards :

#### Week 3: at Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 6 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Rams | 14 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 68,947
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAR – Todd Gurley 1-yard run (Sam Ficken kick), 6:14. Rams 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:50.
LAC – Mike Williams 42-yard pass from Philip Rivers (kick failed), 4:42. Rams 7–6. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 1:32.
LAR – Robert Woods 3-yard pass from Jared Goff (Sam Ficken kick), 0:51. Rams 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:31.
Second quarter
LAR – Blake Countess blocked punt recovery in end zone (Sam Ficken kick), 7:44. Rams 21–6.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 11-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 3:12. Rams 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:32.
Third quarter
LAR – Cooper Kupp 53-yard pass from Jared Goff (Sam Ficken kick), 12:38. Rams 28–13. Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 0:51.
LAC – Mike Williams 20-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 8:18. Rams 28–20. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:20.
LAR – Robert Woods 6-yard pass from Jared Goff (Sam Ficken kick), 3:19. Rams 35–20. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:59.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 26-yard field goal, 11:49. Rams 35–23. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 6:30.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 18/30, 226 yards, 2 TD
LAR – Jared Goff – 29/36, 354 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 15 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD
LAR – Todd Gurley – 23 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
LAC – Mike Williams – 4 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD
LAR – Robert Woods – 10 receptions, 104 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 4: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 14 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Chargers | 6 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 29 |
at StubHub Center, Carson, California
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 1:25 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 25,397
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Antone Exum 32-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 14:03. 49ers 7–0.
SF – Kendrick Bourne 2-yard pass from C. J. Beathard (Robbie Gould kick), 3:53. 49ers 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:08.
LAC – Antonio Gates 5-yard pass from Philip Rivers (kick failed), 0:43. 49ers 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:10.
Second quarter
SF – Robbie Gould 21-yard field goal, 4:59. 49ers 17–6. Drive: 21 plays, 72 yards, 10:44.
LAC – Austin Ekeler 22-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Philip Rivers-Melvin Gordon pass), 0:47. 49ers 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:12.
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 17–17. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 0:13.
Third quarter
LAC – Melvin Gordon 6-yard pass from Philip Rivers (kick failed), 10:35. Chargers 23–17. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 2:48.
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 25-yard field goal, 7:44. Chargers 26–17. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:58.
SF – George Kittle 82-yard pass from C. J. Beathard (Robbie Gould kick), 2:50. Chargers 26–24. Drive: 2 plays, 84 yards, 0:47.
Fourth quarter
SF – Robbie Gould 33-yard field goal, 12:39. 49ers 27–26. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 3:28.
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 21-yard field goal, 7:41. Chargers 29–27. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:58.
Top passers
SF – C. J. Beathard – 23/37, 298 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
LAC – Philip Rivers – 25/39, 250 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
SF – Matt Breida – 9 carries, 39 yards
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 15 carries, 104 yards
Top receivers
SF – George Kittle – 6 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD
LAC – Keenan Allen – 7 receptions, 63 yards :
Philip Rivers passed John Elway for eighth-most passing yards in NFL history.

#### Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Chargers | 3 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
at StubHub Center, Carson, California
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 25,362
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Bruce Arians and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 49-yard field goal, 11:08. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:52.
Second quarter
OAK – Matt McCrane 24-yard field goal, 13:23. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 5:06.
LAC – Austin Ekeler 44-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 4:04. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:04.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:39. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:15.
Third quarter
LAC – Caleb Sturgis 30-yard field goal, 6:05. Chargers 20–3. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 6:12.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Virgil Green 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers (kick failed), 9:42. Chargers 26–3. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 6:23.
OAK – Jordy Nelson 1-yard pass from Derek Carr (Matt McCrane kick), 5:11. Chargers 26–10. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:31.
Top passers
OAK – Derek Carr – 24/33, 268 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
LAC – Philip Rivers – 22/27, 339 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
OAK – Marshawn Lynch – 9 carries, 31 yards
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 19 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
OAK – Jalen Richard – 6 receptions, 53 yards
LAC – Keenan Allen – 8 receptions, 90 yards :

#### Week 6: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
| Browns | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 14 |
at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT/1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 67,431
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Melvin Gordon 4-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 10:14. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:32.
Second quarter
CLE – Greg Joseph 33-yard field goal, 12:47. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 2:13.
LAC – Tyrell Williams 45-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 6:34. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 2 plays, 89 yards, 1:12.
LAC – Tyrell Williams 29-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 0:51. Chargers 21–3. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:22.
CLE – Greg Joseph 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 0:51.
Third quarter
LAC – Melvin Gordon 10-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 11:49. Chargers 28–6. Drive: 1 plays, 10 yards, 0:05.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 11-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 3:12. Chargers 35–6. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 7:10.
Fourth quarter
CLE – David Njoku 1-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Baker Mayfield-Antonio Callaway pass), 12:26. Chargers 35–14. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 1:50.
LAC – Michael Badgley 44-yard field goal, 4:15. Chargers 38–14. Drive: 5 plays, 9 yards, 2:37.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 11/20, 207 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
CLE – Baker Mayfield – 22/46, 238 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 18 carries, 132 yards, 3 TD
CLE – Duke Johnson – 2 carries, 36 yards
Top receivers
LAC – Keenan Allen – 4 receptions, 62 yards
CLE – David Njoku – 7 receptions, 55 yards, 1 TD :

#### Week 7: vs. Tennessee Titans

NFL London Games
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
| Chargers | 10 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 6:30 a.m. PDT/2:30 p.m. BST
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 84,301
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Bruce Arians and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Ryan Succop 28-yard field goal, 9:44. Titans 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:16.
LAC – Tyrell Williams 75-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 9:35. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 1 plays, 75 yards, 0:09.
LAC – Michael Badgley 29-yard field goal, 1:48. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:07.
Second quarter
TEN – Ryan Succop 33-yard field goal, 12:51. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:57.
Third quarter
LAC – Mike Williams 55-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 13:46. Chargers 17–6. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:14.
TEN – Derrick Henry 1-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 9:43. Chargers 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 4:03.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Michael Badgley 28-yard field goal, 12:29. Chargers 20–13. Drive: 14 plays, 56 yards, 6:27.
TEN – Luke Stocker 1-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (pass failed), 0:31. Chargers 20–19. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 4:24.
Top passers
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 24/32, 237 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
LAC – Philip Rivers – 19/26, 306 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
TEN – Dion Lewis – 13 carries, 91 yards
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 12 carries, 42 yards
Top receivers
TEN – Tajae Sharpe – 7 receptions, 101 yards
LAC – Keenan Allen – 5 receptions, 72 yards :

#### Week 9: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 6 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 25 |
| Seahawks | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 68,989
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Jaron Brown 10-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 6:55. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 8:05.
LAC – Tyrell Williams 12-yard pass from Philip Rivers (kick failed), 0:00. Seahawks 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 6:55.
Second quarter
LAC – Melvin Gordon 34-yard run (pass failed), 11:36. Chargers 12–7. Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards, 1:04.
LAC – Mike Williams 30-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:10. Chargers 19–7. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 0:55.
SEA – Sebastian Janikowski 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 19–10. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 1:10.
Third quarter
NO scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Desmond King 42-yard interception return (kick failed), 6:44. Chargers 25–10.
SEA – Nick Vannett 6-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:50. Chargers 25–17. Drive: 14 plays, 54 yards, 4:54.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 13/26, 228 yards, 2 TD
SEA – Russell Wilson – 26/39, 235 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 16 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD
SEA – Mike Davis – 15 carries, 62 yards
Top receivers
LAC – Keenan Allen – 6 receptions, 124 yards
SEA – Doug Baldwin – 4 receptions, 77 yards :

#### Week 10: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Raiders | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), hazy
* Game attendance: 54,750
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Daniel Carlson 46-yard field goal, 2:51. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 3:34.
Second quarter
LAC – Michael Badgley 27-yard field goal, 5:47. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 31 yards, 5:23.
LAC – Keenan Allen 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 0:24. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 3:09.
Third quarter
LAC – Melvin Gordon 66-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 12:32. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:28.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Daniel Carlson 30-yard field goal, 14:49. Chargers 17–6. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:04.
LAC – Michael Badgley 41-yard field goal, 7:12. Chargers 20–6. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 7:37.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 18/16, 223 yards, 2 TD, INT
OAK – Derek Carr – 24/37, 243 yards
Top rushers
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 18 carries, 93 yards
OAK – Doug Martin – 15 carries, 61 yards
Top receivers
LAC – Melvn Gordon – 5 receptions, 72 yards
OAK – Jalen Richard – 5 receptions, 52 yards :

#### Week 11: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 23 |
| Chargers | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 22 |
at StubHub Center, Carson, California
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 25,462
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Michael Badgley 46-yard field goal, 7:00. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 52 yards, 6:47.
LAC – Michael Badgley 45-yard field goal, 0:39. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:04.
Second quarter
DEN – Phillip Lindsay 41-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 12:05. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:34.
LAC – Keenan Allen 4-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 2:39. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 4:14.
Third quarter
LAC – Antonio Gates 6-yard pass from Philip Rivers (kick failed, wide left), 9:56. Chargers 19–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:04.
DEN – Royce Freeman 3-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 2:24. Chargers 19–14. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:21.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Phillip Lindsay 2-yard run (run failed), 12:17. Broncos 20–19. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:33.
LAC – Michael Badgley 30-yard field goal, 6:47. Chargers 22–20. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 5:30.
DEN – Brandon McManus 34-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 23–22. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 1:51.
Top passers
DEN – Case Keenum – 19/32, 205 yards
LAC – Philip Rivers – 28/43, 401 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Phillip Lindsay – 11 rushes, 79 yards, 2 TD
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 18 rushes, 69 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Courtland Sutton – 3 receptions, 78 yards
LAC – Keenan Allen – 9 receptions, 89 yards :

#### Week 12: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Chargers | 0 | 28 | 14 | 3 | 45 |
at StubHub Center, Carson, California
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 25,343
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 25-yard pass from Josh Rosen (Phil Dawson kick), 10:20. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:40.
ARI – Phil Dawson 30-yard field goal, 4:22. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 3:47.
Second quarter
LAC – Mike Williams 9-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 14:12. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 5:10.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 28-yard rush (Michael Badgley kick), 6:59. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 2:35.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 5-yard rush (Michael Badgley kick), 4:16. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 2:35.
LAC – Mike Williams 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 0:08. Chargers 28–10. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:37.
Third quarter
LAC – Keenan Allen 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 8:01. Chargers 35–10. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 6:59.
LAC – Austin Ekeler 2-yard rush (Michael Badgley kick), 0:00. Chargers 42–10. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 6:04.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Michael Badgley 31-yard field goal, 3:25. Chargers 45–10. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:58.
Top passers
ARI – Josh Rosen – 12/19, 105 yards, TD, INT
LAC – Philip Rivers – 28/29, 259 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
ARI – David Johnson – 17 carries, 63 yards
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 10 carries, 61 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Christian Kirk – 4 receptions, 41 yards
LAC – Keenan Allen – 7 receptions, 72 yards, TD :

#### Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 33 |
| Steelers | 13 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 30 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 5:20 p.m. PST/8:20 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 61,069
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – James Conner 1-yard rush (Chris Boswell kick), 9:20. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 1:59.
PIT – James Conner 1-yard rush (kick failed), 4:41. Steelers 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 3:01.
LAC – Travis Benjamin 46-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 1:04. Steelers 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:37.
Second quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 48-yard field goal, 2:40. Steelers 16–7. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:59.
PIT – Antonio Brown 28-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 0:17. Steelers 23–7. Drive: 6 plays, 91 yards, 1:18.
Third quarter
LAC – Keenan Allen 10-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Philip Rivers-Antonio Gates pass), 1:43. Steelers 23–15. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 8:07.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Desmond King 73-yard punt return (Philip Rivers-Keenan Allen pass), 12:52. Tied 23–23.
LAC – Justin Jackson 18-yard rush (Michael Badgley kick), 8:09. Chargers 30–23. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:51.
PIT – Jaylen Samuels 10-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 4:10. Tied 30–30. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 3:59.
LAC – Michael Badgley 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 33–30. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 4:10.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 26/36, 299 yards, 2 TD
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 29/45, 281 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
LAC – Justin Jackson – 8 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
PIT – James Conner – 15 carries, 60 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
LAC – Keenan Allen – 14 receptions, 148 yards, 1 TD
PIT – Antonio Brown – 10 receptions, 154 yards, 1 TD :

#### Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 3 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 21 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
at StubHub Center, Carson, California
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 25,358
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Bruce Arians and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Keenan Allen 14-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 11:39. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:21.
CIN – Randy Bullock 47-yard field goal, 6:23. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 5:16.
Second quarter
LAC – Austin Ekeler 5-yard rush (Michael Badgley kick), 14:51. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:32.
CIN – Randy Bullock 23-yard field goal, 5:01. Chargers 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 5:21.
CIN – John Ross 6-yard pass from Jeff Driskel (pass failed), 0:20. Chargers 14–12. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 1:15.
LAC – Michael Badgley 59-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 17–12. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 0:20.
Third quarter
LAC – Michael Badgley 31-yard field goal, 7:38. Chargers 20–12. Drive: 11 plays, 22 yards, 5:06.
Fourth quarter
CIN – Randy Bullock 46-yard field goal, 12:12. Chargers 20–15. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 3:48.
LAC – Michael Badgley 32-yard field goal, 7:45. Chargers 23–15. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:27.
CIN – Joe Mixon 1-yard rush (pass failed), 1:50. Chargers 23–21. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 5:55.
LAC – Michael Badgley 45-yard field goal, 0:49. Chargers 26–21. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:01.
Top passers
CIN – Jeff Driskel – 18/27, 170 yards, 1 TD
LAC – Philip Rivers – 19/29, 220 yards, 1 TD
Top rushers
CIN – Joe Mixon – 26 carries, 111 yards, 1 TD
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 15 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
CIN – Tyler Boyd – 3 receptions, 52 yards
LAC – Keenan Allen – 5 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD :

#### Week 15: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 29 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 13
* Game time: 5:20 p.m. PST/7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 75,091
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox/NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Demarcus Robinson 5-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 9:09. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:58.
KC – Darrel Williams 11-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 0:43. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:51.
Second quarter
LAC – Mike Williams 3-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 9:43. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:00.
Third quarter
KC – Damien Williams 2-yard rush (Michael Badgley kick), 11:38. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:22.
LAC – Mike Williams 19-yard rush (Michael Badgley kick), 4:57. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 6:41.
Fourth quarter
KC – Damien Williams 1-yard rush (Harrison Butker kick), 8:15. Chiefs 28–14. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 7:55.
LAC – Justin Jackson 3-yard rush (Michael Badgley kick), 3:49. Chiefs 28–21. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:26.
LAC – Mike Williams 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Philip Rivers-Mike Williams pass), 0:04. Chargers 29–28. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:33.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 26/38, 313 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
KC – Patrick Mahomes – 24/34, 243 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
LAC – Justin Jackson – 16 carries, 58 yards, TD
KC – Damien Williams – 10 carries, 49 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
LAC – Mike Williams – 7 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TD
KC – Damien Williams – 6 receptions, 74 yards :

#### Week 16: vs. Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ravens | 3 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 22 |
| Chargers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at StubHub Center, Carson, California
* Date: December 22
* Game time: 5:20 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 25,571
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (NFLN/KABC-TV): Mike Tirico, Kurt Warner and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 24-yard field goal, 12:47. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 2:04.
Second quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 35-yard field goal, 2:54. Ravens 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 31 yards, 5:21.
LAC – Michael Badgley 38-yard field goal, 0:45. Ravens 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 2:10.
Third quarter
LAC – Melvin Gordon 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 13:21. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 1:26.
BAL – Mark Andrews 68-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 12:28. Ravens 13–10. Drive: 2 plays, 85 yards, 1:00.
BAL – Justin Tucker 56-yard field goal, 5:41. Ravens 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 3:31.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Tavon Young 62-yard fumble return (run failed), 2:40. Ravens 22–10.
Top passers
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 12/22, 204 yards, TD
LAC – Philip Rivers – 23/37, 181 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
BAL – Gus Edwards – 14 rushes, 92 yards
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 12 rushes, 41 yards, TD
Top receivers
BAL – Mark Andrews – 2 receptions, 83 yards, TD
LAC – Keenan Allen – 5 receptions, 58 yards :
Philip Rivers eclipsed 4,000 yards at the same time as Tom Brady, becoming the third and fourth quarterback in NFL history to reach 4,000 yards in 10 seasons or more, joining Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

#### Week 17: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 23 |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
at Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 1:25 p.m. PST/2:25 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 75,947
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
LAC – Kyle Emanuel 18-yard fumble return (Michael Badgley kick), 5:32. Chargers 7–0.
DEN – Brandon McManus 28-yard field goal, 0:11. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 1:01.
Third quarter
LAC – Mike Williams 3-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 3:46. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 2:07.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Andy Janovich 20-yard pass from Case Keenum, 10:10. Chargers 14–9. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:10.
LAC – Casey Hayward defensive two-point conversion. Chargers 16–9.
LAC – Austin Ekeler 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 5:48. Chargers 23–9. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:22.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 14/24, 176 yards, TD, 2 INT
DEN – Case Keenum – 31/48, 292 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 8 rushes, 58 yards, TD
DEN – Royce Freeman – 17 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
LAC – Mike Williams – 5 receptions, 65 yards, TD
DEN – DaeSean Hamilton – 5 receptions, 49 yards :

### Standings
#### Division

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ Kansas City Chiefs | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 565 | 421 | W1 |
| $^{(5)}$ Los Angeles Chargers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 428 | 329 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 329 | 349 | L4 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 290 | 467 | L1 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .480 | .401 | W1 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | East | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .494 | W2 |
| 3 | Houston Texans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .471 | .435 | W1 |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .496 | .450 | W3 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .477 | .422 | W1 |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .465 | .456 | W4 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–1–1 | 6–5–1 | .504 | .448 | W1 |
| 8 | Tennessee Titans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .520 | .465 | L1 |
| 9 | Cleveland Browns | North | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 3–2–1 | 5–6–1 | .516 | .411 | L1 |
| 10 | Miami Dolphins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .469 | .446 | L3 |
| 11 | Denver Broncos | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .464 | L4 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .535 | .448 | L2 |
| 13 | Buffalo Bills | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .411 | W1 |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .549 | .463 | L1 |
| 15 | New York Jets | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .506 | .438 | L3 |
| 16 | Oakland Raiders | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .406 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Kansas City finished ahead of LA Chargers in the AFC West based on division record, claiming the No. 1 seed. 1 2 New England claimed the No. 2 seed over Houston based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 Denver finished ahead of Cincinnati and Buffalo based on strength of victory. Cincinnati finished ahead of Buffalo based on record vs. common opponents. Cincinnati's cumulative record against Baltimore, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami was 3–2, compared to Buffalo's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams. 1 2 NY Jets finished ahead of Oakland based on strength of victory. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 6, 2019 | at Baltimore Ravens (4) | W 23–17 | 1–0 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| Divisional | January 13, 2019 | at New England Patriots (2) | L 28–41 | 1–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 23 |
| Ravens | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: January 6, 2019
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/10:05 a.m. PST
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 70,432
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Michael Badgley 21-yard field goal, 6:59. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:36.
LAC – Michael Badgley 53-yard field goal, 1:08. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 2:13.
Second quarter
LAC – Michael Badgley 40-yard field goal, 3:22. Chargers 9–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 5:29.
LAC – Michael Badgley 34-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 12–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 1:48.
Third quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 33-yard field goal, 8:30. Chargers 12–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:56.
Fourth quarter
LAC – Melvin Gordon 1-yard run (Philip Rivers-Mike Williams pass), 14:44. Chargers 20–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:38.
LAC – Michael Badgley 47-yard field goal, 9:09. Chargers 23–3. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 4:00.
BAL – Michael Crabtree 31-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick) Chargers 23-10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:36.
BAL – Michael Crabtree 7-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick) Chargers 23-17. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 2:48.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 22/32, 160 yards
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 14/29, 194 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 17 rushes, 40 yards, TD
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 9 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
LAC – Mike Williams – 2 receptions, 42 yards
BAL – Michael Crabtree – 2 receptions, 38 yards, 2 TD :
The Chargers recorded six sacks, jumped out to a 23–3 lead and halted a late Ravens rally, forcing Lamar Jackson to fumble on the final drive to earn a trip to New England.
On the Ravens' second possession of the game, Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram forced a fumble from Kenneth Dixon that was recovered by safety Adrian Phillips, giving Los Angeles the ball on the Baltimore 14-yard line. Three plays later, Michael Badgley kicked a 21-yard field goal to give Los Angeles a 3–0 lead. Then the Chargers' defense forced a punt, which Desmond King returned 42 yards to the Ravens' 42-yard line, setting up a 53-yard Badgley field goal that increased their lead to 6–0. Early in the second quarter, Phillips intercepted a pass from Jackson to give the Chargers a first down on the Ravens' 44-yard line. From there, they drove 27 yards to go up 9–0 on Badgley's third field goal. Following another Ravens punt, Los Angeles drove 53 yards in 12 plays to score on Badgley's fourth field goal on the last play of the half, giving them a 12–0 lead.
King returned the second half kickoff 72 yards to the Ravens' 35-yard line, but this time the Chargers failed to score when Badgley's field goal attempt was blocked by Za'Darius Smith. After a Ravens punt, linebacker Patrick Onwuasor forced a fumble from Chargers tight end Virgil Green that was recovered by linebacker C. J. Mosley on the Los Angeles 21-yard line. This set up Justin Tucker's 33-yard field goal, cutting the score to 12–3 with 8:34 left in the third quarter. At the end of Los Angeles' next possession, the Ravens got another scoring opportunity when Javorius Allen blocked Donnie Jones's punt, resulting in Baltimore taking over on the Chargers' 40-yard line; they only managed to gain 4 yards with their next three plays and Tucker's 50-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Los Angeles then drove 60 yards in 10 plays, featuring a 28-yard completion from Philip Rivers to Mike Williams on the Ravens' 15-yard line. On the next play, Melvin Gordon ran the ball 14 yards to the 1-yard line. The Ravens managed to keep Los Angeles out of the end zone for the next three plays, but Gordon scored with a 4th down 1-yard touchdown run on the first play of the 4th quarter; Rivers completed a pass to Williams for a two-point conversion, giving the Chargers a 20–3 lead.
A sack by Ingram on the Ravens' ensuing drive forced them to punt from their 14-yard line and Sam Koch's 31-yard kick gave the Chargers good field position on the Ravens' 45-yard line. Los Angeles then drove 16 yards, including a 9-yard scramble by Rivers on 3rd-and-8, to score on Badgley's 5th field goal, from 47 yards, that gave them a 23–3 lead. Taking the ball back with 9:02 left, Baltimore drove 75 yards in eight plays, including Jackson's 29-yard completion to Willie Snead on 4th-and-11. On the next play, Jackson threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to receiver Michael Crabtree, making the score 23–10. The Chargers recovered Baltimore's ensuing onside kick attempt, but still had to punt after three plays. Baltimore went on to drive 85 yards in 12 plays, the longest a 39-yard completion from Jackson to Dixon. On the last play, Jackson threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree, narrowing their gap to 23–17 with 2:06 left. Baltimore then forced a punt with 45 seconds to go, giving them one last chance to drive for a winning touchdown, but Chargers linebacker Uchenna Nwosu forced a fumble while sacking Jackson and Ingram recovered it to give Los Angeles the victory.
Rivers completed 22-of-32 passes for 160 yards and rushed for 15 yards. Ingram finished the game with seven tackles (two for a loss of yards), two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Phillips had five tackles (three solo), an interception and a fumble recovery. King returned a kickoff for 72 yards and had four punt returns for 46 yards. Jackson completed 14-of-29 passes for 194 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception; he was also Baltimore's leading rusher with 9 carries for 54 yards. Onwausor had seven tackles (six solo), a sack and a forced fumble. As of 2024, this remains the last playoff game the Chargers won.

#### AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Patriots | 14 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 41 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: January 13, 2019
* Game time: 10:05 a.m. PST/1:05 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 26 °F (−3 °C), sunny and cold
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Sony Michel 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:49. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 7:11.
LAC – Keenan Allen 43-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 4:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:53.
NE – Sony Michel 14-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:35. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:21.
Second quarter
NE – Phillip Dorsett 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:17. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:07.
NE – Rex Burkhead 6-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:04. Patriots 28–7. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:08.
NE – Sony Michel 5-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:43. Patriots 35–7. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 6:31. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 14 plays, 57 yards, 7:22.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 1:16. Patriots 38–14. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:15.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 30-yard field goal, 12:23. Patriots 41–14. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:53.
LAC – Virgil Green 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Philip Rivers–Keenan Allen pass), 7:38. Patriots 41–22. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:01.
LAC – Antonio Gates 8-yard pass from Philip Rivers (pass failed), 0:59. Patriots 41–28. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 25/51, 331 yards, 3 TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 34/44, 343 yards, TD
Top rushers
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 9 rushes, 15 yards, TD
NE – Sony Michel – 24 rushes, 129 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
LAC – Tyrell Williams – 5 receptions, 94 yards
NE – Julian Edelman – 9 receptions, 151 yards :
New England piled up 347 yards in the first half and scored touchdowns on five of their first six possessions to defeat the Chargers, which sent the Patriots to the AFC championship game for the eighth consecutive season.
The Patriots started the game by driving 83 yards in 14 plays, scoring on Sony Michel's 1-yard touchdown run. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers quickly led his team right back, completing an 18-yard pass to Mike Williams on 3rd-and-15 before tying the game on a 43-yard touchdown completion to Keenan Allen. New England then drove 67 yards in 7 plays, the longest a 28-yard completion from Tom Brady to receiver Julian Edelman. On the next play, Michel ran 14 yards to the end zone to give the Patriots a 14–7 lead with less than a minute left in the first quarter.
Los Angeles had to punt after three plays and Edelman returned it 6 yards to the Patriots' 42-yard line. Then he caught passes for gains of 11 and 17 yards as New England drove 58 yards to take a 21–7 lead on Brady's 15-yard touchdown pass to receiver Phillip Dorsett. Following another Chargers punt, Brady completed a 25-yard pass to running back James White on New England's first play. A few plays later, Michel took off for a 40-yard run to the Chargers' 9-yard line, where Rex Burkhead took the ball to the end zone over the next two plays, the second a 6-yard touchdown run to put the Patriots up 28–7. The next time New England got the ball, they were forced into a three-and-out, but Chargers returner Desmond King muffed their punt and Albert McClellan recovered it for the Patriots on the Chargers' 35-yard line. Brady then started the ensuing possession with a 19-yard completion to Edelman, while Michel finished it with his third touchdown run, a 5-yard carry, that put the team up 35–7 with 1:40 left in the half. They nearly scored again after forcing a Los Angeles punt, but Dorsett was tackled on the Chargers' 30-yard line as time expired.
In the first half alone, Brady completed 23-of-29 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, Michel had 16 carries for 105 yards and three touchdowns, White caught 10 passes for 71 yards, and Edelman caught 7 passes for 107 yards while also returning 3 punts for 31 yards.
Los Angeles had to punt on their opening drive of the second half and Brady's 25-yard completion to tight end Rob Gronkowski set up a 28-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal, increasing New England's lead to 38–7. This time the Chargers were able to respond, as Williams caught 3 passes for 40 yards as the team drove 72 yards in 10 plays to score on Melvin Gordon's 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 38–14. But Los Angeles' defense still could not contain New England, as Brady's completions to Edelman and White for gains of 35 and 23 yards lead to another Gostkowski field goal, giving the Patriots a 41–14 lead with 12:27 left.
Following a few punts, Rivers completed passes to Tyrell Williams and Allen for gains of 29 and 32 yards as the team drove to score on his 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Virgil Green. Then he completed a pass to Allen for a two-point conversion, making the score 41–22 with 7:28 left. After failing to recover an onside kick, the Chargers forced a punt, but Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore ended their following drive with an interception. By the time Los Angeles got the ball back, only three minutes remained, which they used to drive 80 yards in 12 plays to score on Rivers' 8-yard pass to tight end Antonio Gates, making the final score 41–28 following a failed two-point conversion attempt.
Brady completed 34-of-44 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown. Edelman caught 9 passes for 131 yards and returned 5 punts for 37 yards, moving to second place all-time in playoff receptions, behind only Jerry Rice. White tied an all-time playoff record with 15 receptions for 97 yards. Michel ran 24 times for 129 yards and three touchdowns, and caught a pass for 9 yards. Rivers finished the day 25-of-51 for 331 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Tyrell Williams was his top receiver with 5 receptions for 94 yards.
With this win, Tom Brady improved his record against Rivers to 8–0 (counting regular season and playoff games). It would also prove to be Rivers' last playoff game as a Charger.
Down judge Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate an NFL postseason game and second woman to officiate a postseason game in one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, following the NBA’s Violet Palmer.