# 2003 San Diego Chargers season

The 2003 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 34th season in the National Football League (NFL), its 44th overall and the second under head coach Marty Schottenheimer. They finished the campaign last in their division with only four wins and earned the #1 pick in the 2004 NFL draft. They played one “home” game during the season, against the Miami Dolphins, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona where the Arizona Cardinals played, due to the Cedar Fire. The team declined from the previous season, as the Chargers won four games and surrendered the second most points per game (27.6), trailing only the Arizona Cardinals during the season. It was the worst season of Schottenheimer's career, and also his fourth consecutive non-winning season in the NFL, but also his final losing season as a coach.
On April 11, 2003, general manager John Butler died from lymphoma and A. J. Smith, a former assistant to Butler, took over the position for the next 10 seasons; during the season the Chargers wore a patch on their jerseys with the initials "JB" to commemorate John Butler.
For the first time since 1989, Junior Seau was not on the opening day roster.

## NFL draft

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

## Regular season
### Schedule

In addition to their regular games with AFC West rivals, the Chargers played teams from the AFC North and NFC North as per the schedule rotation, and also played intraconference games against the Jaguars and the Dolphins based on divisional positions from 2002.
Oddly, this season marked the first time that the Chargers played the Jaguars, despite that team existing since 1995. This occurred due to old NFL scheduling formulas in place prior to 2002, whereby teams had no rotating schedule opposing members of other divisions within their own conference, but played interdivisional conference games according to position within a season’s table. The Chargers played the Tennessee Titans only once during this period (in 1998) but played the Bengals five times during these years.
In preceding years, even longer gaps between two teams playing each other had occurred. For instance the Jets never opposed the Cardinals between 1979 and 1995 inclusive.
The Week 8 home game against the Miami Dolphins was relocated to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona due to a massive wildfire that turned Qualcomm Stadium into an evacuation site.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 7 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 14–27 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,048 | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | Denver Broncos | L 13–37 | 0–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | 65,445 | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | Baltimore Ravens | L 10–24 | 0–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | 52,028 | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at Oakland Raiders | L 31–34 (OT) | 0–4 | Network Associates Coliseum | 54,078 | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 21–27 | 0–5 | Alltel Stadium | 48,954 | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 | October 19 | at Cleveland Browns | W 26–20 | 1–5 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 73,238 | Recap |
| 8 | October 27 | Miami Dolphins | L 10–26 | 1–6 | Sun Devil Stadium | 73,014 | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | at Chicago Bears | L 7–20 | 1–7 | Soldier Field | 61,500 | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | Minnesota Vikings | W 42–28 | 2–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | 64,738 | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Denver Broncos | L 8–37 | 2–8 | Invesco Field | 75,217 | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 27–34 | 2–9 | Qualcomm Stadium | 52,069 | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 24–28 | 2–10 | Qualcomm Stadium | 57,671 | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Detroit Lions | W 14–7 | 3–10 | Ford Field | 61,544 | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | Green Bay Packers | L 21–38 | 3–11 | Qualcomm Stadium | 64,978 | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 24–40 | 3–12 | Heinz Field | 52,527 | Recap |
| 17 | December 28 | Oakland Raiders | W 21–14 | 4–12 | Qualcomm Stadium | 62,222 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

#### Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), relative humidity 36%, wind 6 mph
* Game attendance: 78,048
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
KAN – Priest Holmes 24-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 11:37. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 3:23.
KAN – Priest Holmes 5-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 1:21. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:04.
Second quarter
KAN – Johnnie Morton 20-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 10:08. Chiefs 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:47.
KAN – Morten Andersen 42-yard field goal, 4:25. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:17.
Third quarter
SDG – Josh Norman 21-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 8:16. Chiefs 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
KAN – Morten Andersen 46-yard field goal, 2:22. Chiefs 27–7. Drive: 10 plays, 37 yards, 5:54.
SDG – Eric Parker 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 4:32. Chiefs 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:31.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 18/33, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
KAN – Trent Green – 21/32, 282 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 13 rushes, 34 yards
KAN – Priest Holmes – 18 rushes, 85 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SDG – Josh Norman – 4 receptions, 64 yards, TD
KAN – Priest Holmes – 7 receptions, 98 yards :

#### Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 14 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 37 |
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), relative humidity 69%, wind 8 mph
* Game attendance: 65,445
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson, Brent Jones, Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Reuben Droughns 12-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 12:18. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 2:42.
SDG – Steve Christie 19-yard field goal, 6:21. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:57.
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 1:36. Broncos 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 4:45.
Second quarter
DEN – Cooper Carlisle 6-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 6:58. Broncos 21–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 6:01.
SDG – Eric Parker 23-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 1:05. Broncos 21–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:53.
DEN – Jason Elam 30-yard field goal, 0:05. Broncos 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:00.
Third quarter
SDG – Steve Christie 25-yard field goal, 9:31. Broncos 24–13. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:29.
DEN – Mike Anderson 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 4:48. Broncos 31–13. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 4:43.
DEN – Jason Elam 45-yard field goal, 1:05. Broncos 34–13. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 34-yard field goal, 14:21. Broncos 37–13. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:26.
Top passers
DEN – Steve Beuerlein – 7/16, 98 yards
SDG – Drew Brees – 20/41, 182 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 12 rushes, 129 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 93 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 71 yards
SDG – Eric Parker – 5 receptions, 59 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: vs. Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ravens | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), relative humidity 77%, wind 8 mph
* Game attendance: 52,028
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Steve Christie 24-yard field goal, 2:44. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 8:36.
BAL – Alan Ricard 50-yard offensive fumble return (Matt Stover kick), 1:31. Ravens 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 1:13.
Second quarter
BAL – Matt Stover 49-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 0:46.
Third quarter
BAL – Todd Heap 25-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 3:00. Ravens 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:02.
BAL – Jamal Lewis 7-yard run (Matt Stover kick), 1:18. Ravens 24–3. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:25.
Fourth quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 9:06. Ravens 24–10. Drive: 15 plays, 77 yards, 7:12.
Top passers
BAL – Kyle Boller – 12/21, 98 yards, TD, INT
SDG – Drew Brees – 28/45, 270 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
BAL – Jamal Lewis – 23 rushes, 132 yards, TD
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 23 rushes, 105 yards, TD
Top receivers
BAL – Todd Heap – 5 receptions, 50 yards, TD
SDG – David Boston – 6 receptions, 91 yards :

#### Week 4: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Raiders | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 34 |
at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 14 mph
* Game attendance: 54,078
* Referee: Peter Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Tim Brown 36-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 11:26. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:34.
SDG – Drew Brees 21-yard pass from LaDainian Tomlinson (Steve Christie kick), 6:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:40.
Second quarter
SDG – Justin Peelle 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 13:19. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:29.
OAK – Doug Jolley 2-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 8:14. Tied 14–14. Drive: 11 plays, 92 yards, 5:05.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 55-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 6:44. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:30.
Third quarter
SDG – Steve Christie 32-yard field goal, 10:41. Chargers 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 4:19.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 23-yard field goal, 9:29. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 7:05.
SDG – Lorenzo Neal 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 5:59. Chargers 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:30.
OAK – Alvis Whitted 36-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:38. Chargers 31–24. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 1:21.
OAK – Charlie Garner 24-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:24. Tied 31–31. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 1:27.
Overtime
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 46-yard field goal, 5:01. Raiders 34–31. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:44.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 21/31, 187 yards, TD, INT
OAK – Rich Gannon – 26/43, 348 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 28 rushes, 187 yards, TD
OAK – Charlie Garner – 12 rushes, 70 yards, TD
Top receivers
SDG – Dondre Gilliam – 4 receptions, 67 yards
OAK – Jerry Rice – 7 receptions, 126 yards :

#### Week 5: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: October 5
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), relative humidity 47%, wind 5 mph
* Game attendance: 48,954
* Referee: Tom White
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
JAC – Fred Taylor 1-yard run (Seth Marler kick), 5:43. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 5:46.
Second quarter
SDG – David Boston 46-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 9:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 2:00.
JAC – Seth Marler 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Jaguars 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:12.
Third quarter
JAC – Troy Edwards 18-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Seth Marler kick), 6:39. Jaguars 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:44.
JAC – Seth Marler 27-yard field goal, 2:38. Jaguars 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:49.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Eric Parker 33-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 4:19. Jaguars 20–14. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:51.
JAC – Fred Taylor 60-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Seth Marler kick), 1:47. Jaguars 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 2:32.
SDG – David Boston 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 0:20. Jaguars 27–21. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 1:27.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 24/41, 296 yards, 3 TD
JAC – Byron Leftwich – 19/28, 336 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 10 rushes, 38 yards
JAC – Fred Taylor – 27 rushes, 87 yards, TD
Top receivers
SDG – David Boston – 14 receptions, 181 yards, 2 TD
JAC – Jimmy Smith – 8 receptions, 137 yards :

#### Week 7: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 6 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
| Browns | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 1:02 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), relative humidity 50%, wind 8 mph
* Game attendance: 73,238
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Steve Christie 44-yard field goal, 7:18. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:39.
SDG – Steve Christie 50-yard field goal, 2:57. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:31.
Second quarter
SDG – Kwamie Lassiter 38-yard interception return (Steve Christie kick), 5:27. Chargers 13–0.
CLE – Phil Dawson 46-yard field goal, 0:35. Chargers 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 39 yards, 4:52.
Third quarter
CLE – Phil Dawson 42-yard field goal, 12:44. Chargers 13–6. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:02.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 70-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 12:27. Chargers 20–6. Drive: 1 play, 70 yards, 0:17.
SDG – Steve Christie 42-yard field goal, 2:57. Chargers 23–6. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:37.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Dennis Northcutt 6-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 14:52. Chargers 23–13. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:05.
CLE – Darnell Sanders 1-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 11:40. Chargers 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:04.
SDG – Steve Christie 32-yard field goal, 3:44. Chargers 26–20. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 7:56.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 9/18, 74 yards, INT
CLE – Tim Couch – 13/24, 102 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 26 rushes, 200 yards, TD
CLE – William Green – 14 rushes, 65 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Eric Parker – 2 receptions, 22 yards
CLE – Dennis Northcutt – 5 receptions, 54 yards, TD :

#### Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 10 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 26 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: October 27
* Game time: 7:09 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), relative humidity 12%, wind 3 mph
* Game attendance: 73,014
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Lisa Guerrero
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Chris Chambers 5-yard pass from Brian Griese (Olindo Mare kick), 12:58. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:45.
MIA – Olindo Mare 44-yard field goal, 8:34. Dolphins 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 1:51.
SDG – Steve Christie 51-yard field goal, 3:17. Dolphins 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 5:17.
Second quarter
MIA – James McKnight 2-yard pass from Brian Griese (Olindo Mare kick), 13:28. Dolphins 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:49.
MIA – Randy McMichael 7-yard pass from Brian Griese (Olindo Mare kick), 1:55. Dolphins 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:04.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 12:27. Dolphins 24–10. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:48.
MIA – Safety, Jason Taylor tackled Damion McIntosh in end zone, 8:06. Dolphins 26–10.
Top passers
MIA – Brian Griese – 20/29, 192 yards, 3 TD
SDG – Drew Brees – 19/30, 190 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
MIA – Ricky Williams – 23 rushes, 69 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 24 rushes, 62 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – Chris Chambers – 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD
SDG – David Boston – 5 receptions, 82 yards :

#### Week 9: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Bears | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: November 2
* Game time: 12:05 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), relative humidity 96%, no wind
* Game attendance: 61,500
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 38-yard field goal, 8:33. Bears 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:37.
Second quarter
CHI – Anthony Thomas 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 9:27. Bears 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 7:48.
Third quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 22-yard field goal, 4:27. Bears 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:21.
Fourth quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 9:13. Bears 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:04.
CHI – Anthony Thomas 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 0:21. Bears 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:47.
Top passers
SDG – Doug Flutie – 8/11, 70 yards
CHI – Chris Chandler – 21/30, 224 yards, INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 61 yards, TD
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 31 rushes, 111 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SDG – David Boston – 4 receptions, 29 yards
CHI – Dez White – 7 receptions, 58 yards :

#### Week 10: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Chargers | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), relative humidity 57%, wind 9 mph
* Game attendance: 64,738
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (FOX): Kenny Albert and Brian Baldinger
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – David Boston 3-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 11:47. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:13.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 73-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 7:51. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 1:59.
MIN – Randy Moss 4-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 2:09. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:42.
Second quarter
SDG – Doug Flutie 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 11:36. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 5:33.
MIN – Nate Burleson 19-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 4:42. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 6:54.
SDG – Antonio Gates 4-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 0:25. Chargers 28–14. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:17.
Third quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 1:36. Chargers 35–14. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:09.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Moe Williams 31-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 14:48. Chargers 35–21. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:48.
SDG – Doug Flutie 13-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 8:11. Chargers 42–21. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 2:56.
MIN – Moe Williams 2-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 4:20. Chargers 42–28. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 3:51.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 32/44, 370 yards, 4 TD, INT
SDG – Doug Flutie – 21/29, 248 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Moe Williams – 12 rushes, 45 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 162 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Moe Williams – 11 receptions, 126 yards, 2 TD
SDG – David Boston – 7 receptions, 82 yards, TD :

#### Week 11: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Broncos | 10 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 37 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), relative humidity 25%, wind 6 mph
* Game attendance: 75,217
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 11-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 13:06. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:11.
DEN – Jason Elam 42-yard field goal, 6:14. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 31 yards, 5:07.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 22-yard field goal, 9:46. Broncos 13–0. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 8:13.
DEN – Rod Smith 65-yard punt return (Jason Elam kick), 8:25. Broncos 20–0.
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 26-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 0:32. Broncos 27–0. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 0:50.
Third quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 26-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 1:28. Broncos 34–0. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:44.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Micah Knorr 27-yard field goal, 13:11. Broncos 37–0. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:49.
SDG – Kassim Osgood 19-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Stephen Alexander pass from Doug Flutie), 10:12. Broncos 37–8. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:59.
Top passers
SDG – Doug Flutie – 9/25, 70 yards, TD, INT
DEN – Jake Plummer – 23/34, 253 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 8 rushes, 29 yards
DEN – Clinton Portis – 25 rushes, 106 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Kassim Osgood – 1 reception, 19 yards, TD
DEN – Shannon Sharpe – 7 receptions, 101 yards, 3 TD :

#### Week 12: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 14 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 34 |
| Chargers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), relative humidity 49%, wind 9 mph
* Game attendance: 52,069
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee, Beasley Reece and Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Chad Johnson 5-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 10:15. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:45.
CIN – Chad Johnson 4-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 3:35. Bengals 14–0. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 4:59.
SDG – David Boston 37-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 0:11. Bengals 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:24.
Second quarter
SDG – Steve Christie 48-yard field goal, 9:36. Bengals 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:08.
SDG – Steve Christie 26-yard field goal, 4:05. Bengals 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 2:34.
CIN – Chad Johnson 12-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 1:25. Bengals 21–13. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:40.
CIN – Kelley Washington 4-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 0:11. Bengals 28–13. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
CIN – Shayne Graham 37-yard field goal, 2:23. Bengals 31–13. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 7:31.
Fourth quarter
SDG – David Boston 26-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 14:54. Bengals 31–20. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:29.
CIN – Shayne Graham 47-yard field goal, 5:26. Bengals 34–20. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 3:07.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 6-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 3:04. Bengals 34–27. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:22.
Top passers
CIN – Jon Kitna – 24/38, 243 yards, 4 TD
SDG – Doug Flutie – 15/33, 210 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CIN – Corey Dillon – 18 rushes, 108 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 95 yards, TD
Top receivers
CIN – Chad Johnson – 10 receptions, 107 yards, 3 TD
SDG – David Boston – 9 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 13: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 30
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 8 mph
* Game attendance: 57,671
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
KAN – Priest Holmes 7-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:09. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:20.
Second quarter
KAN – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 12:41. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:49.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 6-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 6:23. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:54.
KAN – Tony Gonzalez 7-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 1:54. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:59.
Third quarter
SDG – Steve Christie 21-yard field goal, 8:59. Chiefs 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:01.
SDG – David Boston 20-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 2:56. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:07.
Fourth quarter
KAN – Tony Gonzalez 3-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 6:28. Chiefs 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:05.
SDG – Antonio Gates 18-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 0:00. Chiefs 28–24. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 1:08.
Top passers
KAN – Trent Green – 17/30, 155 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
SDG – Doug Flutie – 16/34, 213 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KAN – Priest Holmes – 31 rushes, 162 yards, 2 TD
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 19 rushes, 106 yards, TD
Top receivers
KAN – Johnnie Morton – 3 receptions, 60 yards
SDG – David Boston – 5 receptions, 85 yards, TD :

#### Week 14: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 1:03 p.m. EST
* Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
* Game attendance: 61,544
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Jerry Glanville
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 16-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 4:14. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:48.
Second quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 73-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 1:54. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:02.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
DET – Casey Fitzsimmons 4-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 7:22. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 6:33.
Top passers
SDG – Doug Flutie – 17/25, 244 yards, 2 TD, INT
DET – Joey Harrington – 26/46, 208 yards, TD
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 25 rushes, 88 yards
DET – Shawn Bryson – 10 rushes, 28 yards
Top receivers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 9 receptions, 148 yards, 2 TD
DET – Reggie Swinton – 5 receptions, 54 yards :

#### Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 38 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 21 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), relative humidity 52%, wind 8 mph
* Game attendance: 64,978
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (FOX): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas and Drew Smith
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Ahman Green 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:59. Packers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:20.
SDG – Steve Christie 20-yard field goal, 6:02. Packers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:01.
Second quarter
GB – Ryan Longwell 32-yard field goal, 8:59. Packers 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:49.
GB – Donald Driver 7-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:33. Packers 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:59.
Third quarter
SDG – Steve Christie 26-yard field goal, 8:52. Packers 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:01.
Fourth quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (David Boston pass from Drew Brees), 14:56. Packers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:54.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 68-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 12:10. Chargers 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:54.
GB – Robert Ferguson 40-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 11:18. Packers 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:05.
GB – Ahman Green 1-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:37. Packers 31–21. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:05.
GB – Robert Ferguson 16-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:58. Packers 38–21. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:05.
Top passers
GB – Brett Favre – 23/33, 278 yards, 4 TD, INT
SDG – Drew Brees – 28/48, 363 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
GB – Ahman Green – 19 rushes, 75 yards, TD
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 20 rushes, 51 yards
Top receivers
GB – Donald Driver – 8 receptions, 112 yards, TD
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 11 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 16: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Steelers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 40 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), relative humidity 43%, wind 15 mph, wind chill 27
* Game attendance: 52,527
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Plaxico Burress 25-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 8:51. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 6:09.
PIT – Jerome Bettis 1-yard run (Jeff Reed kick), 0:10. Steelers 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 7:11.
Second quarter
PIT – Plaxico Burress 16-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 12:49. Steelers 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:16.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 5-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 7:05. Steelers 21–7. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 5:44.
SDG – Steve Christie 31-yard field goal, 0:04. Steelers 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:13.
Third quarter
SDG – Kassim Osgood 57-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 12:01. Steelers 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:59.
PIT – Hines Ward 20-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 8:25. Steelers 28–17. Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:44.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Jeff Reed 47-yard field goal, 14:15. Steelers 31–17. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 6:22.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 10:01. Steelers 31–24. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:14.
PIT – Jeff Reed 40-yard field goal, 5:04. Steelers 34–24. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:57.
PIT – Deshea Townsend 25-yard interception return (kick failed), 4:29. Steelers 40–24.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 16/26, 198 yards, TD, 2 INT
PIT – Tommy Maddox – 11/18, 160 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 22 rushes, 91 yards, 2 TD
PIT – Jerome Bettis – 32 rushes, 115 yards, TD
Top receivers
SDG – Kassim Osgood – 4 receptions, 102 yards, TD
PIT – Hines Ward – 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD :

#### Week 17: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 28
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 8 mph
* Game attendance: 62,222
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee, Beasley Reece and Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 7:44. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:19.
Second quarter
OAK – Phillip Buchanon 80-yard punt return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:39. Tied 7–7.
SDG – David Boston 18-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 0:43. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 0:59.
OAK – Doug Gabriel 85-yard kickoff return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:24. Tied 14–14. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:19.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 11:42. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:23.
Top passers
OAK – Rick Mirer – 4/11, 21 yards
SDG – Drew Brees – 15/28, 97 yards, TD
Top rushers
OAK – Zack Crockett – 10 rushes, 39 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 31 rushes, 243 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
OAK – Jerry Rice – 2 receptions, 14 yards
SDG – David Boston – 4 receptions, 43 yards, TD :

### Standings

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