# 2011 San Diego Chargers season

The 2011 season was the San Diego Chargers' 42nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 52nd overall. The team failed to improve on its 9–7 record from 2010, and finished in a three-way tie with the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders for the AFC West division title, with an 8–8 record, but lost the tiebreaker to the Broncos and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season. For Norv Turner, this was his fifth season as the head coach of the Chargers. The Chargers had the 18th pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

On January 11, defensive coordinator Ron Rivera became the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers. That same day, Rich Bisaccia was named the team's new special teams' coach, replacing Steve Crosby, whose contract was not renewed. Three days later (January 14), the team hired former San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator Greg Manusky to replace Rivera. Manusky previously served as the Chargers' linebackers coach from 2002 to 2006.

### Arrivals

| Position | Player | 2010 Team | Contract |
| LB | Takeo Spikes | San Francisco 49ers | 3 years, $9 million |
| LB | Travis LaBoy | San Francisco 49ers | 2 years |
| SS | Bob Sanders | Indianapolis Colts | 1 year |

### Departures

| Position | Player | 2011 Team |
| RB | Darren Sproles | New Orleans Saints |
| OLB | Kevin Burnett | Miami Dolphins |
| LB | Brandon Siler | Kansas City Chiefs |

## NFL draft

2011 San Diego Chargers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 18 | Corey Liuget | DT | Illinois |
| 2 | 50 | Marcus Gilchrist | CB | Clemson |
| 2 | 61 | Jonas Mouton | LB | Michigan |
| 3 | 82 | Vincent Brown | WR | San Diego State |
| 3 | 89 | Shareece Wright | CB | USC |
| 6 | 183 | Jordan Todman | RB | Connecticut |
| 6 | 201 | Stephen Schilling | G | Michigan |
| 7 | 234 | Andrew Gachkar | LB | Missouri |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

### Draft notes

* ↑ The team acquired this second-round selection in a March 2010 trade that sent CB Antonio Cromartie to the New York Jets.
* ↑ The team acquired this third-round selection as part of a March 2010 trade that sent QB Charlie Whitehurst to the Seattle Seahawks.
* ↑ The team traded its fifth-round selection (#149 overall) and a 2010 fifth-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for its 2010 fifth-round selection (#146 overall; used to select DT Cam Thomas).
* ↑ In September 2010, the team traded its seventh-round selection (#220 overall) to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for WR Patrick Crayton.

## Preseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 11 | Seattle Seahawks | L 17–24 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 21 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 20–7 | 1–1 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | at Arizona Cardinals | W 34–31 | 2–1 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | San Francisco 49ers | L 17–20 | 2–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 11 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–17 | 1–0 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at New England Patriots | L 21–35 | 1–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 20–17 | 2–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | Miami Dolphins | W 26–16 | 3–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 9 | at Denver Broncos | W 29–24 | 4–1 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 | October 23 | at New York Jets | L 21–27 | 4–2 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 31 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 20–23 (OT) | 4–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 6 | Green Bay Packers | L 38–45 | 4–4 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 10 | Oakland Raiders | L 17–24 | 4–5 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | at Chicago Bears | L 20–31 | 4–6 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | Denver Broncos | L 13–16 (OT) | 4–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 38–14 | 5–7 | EverBank Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | Buffalo Bills | W 37–10 | 6–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | Baltimore Ravens | W 34–14 | 7–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at Detroit Lions | L 10–38 | 7–8 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | at Oakland Raiders | W 38–26 | 8–8 | O.co Coliseum | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 66,716
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 103-yard kickoff return (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:45. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15.
SD – Matt Tolbert 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers, (Mike Scifres kick), 11:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 1:21.
Second quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 12:56. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 7:34.
MIN – Michael Jenkins 3-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:44. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:28.
Third quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 7-yard run (Mike Scifres kick), 10:43. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:17.
Fourth quarter
SD – Mike Scifres 40-yard field goal, 10:05. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:45.
SD – Mike Tolbert 19-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Mike Scifres kick), 5:01. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:10.
Top passers
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 7/15, 39 yards, TD, INT
SD – Philip Rivers – 33/48, 335 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 16 rushes, 98 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 12 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 3 receptions, 26 yards, TD
SD – Antonio Gates – 8 receptions, 74 yards :
Coming off their special teams woes in 2010, the Chargers allowed a 103-yard opening kickoff return to Percy Harvin to start the season. Kicker Nate Kaeding suffered a season-ending injury on the play, and punter Mike Scifres assumed place kicking responsibilities for the game. The Chargers outscored the Vikings 10–0 in the fourth quarter to come back and win the game, 24–17. Fullback Mike Tolbert scored three touchdowns, and Philip Rivers completed 33 of 48 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice. Scifres kicked a 40-yard field goal, the first of his NFL career, and kicked three PATs. With the win, the Chargers started their season out 1–0.

#### Week 2: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Patriots | 7 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 35 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT/1:15 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Wind)
* Game attendance: 68,756
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Aaron Hernandez 14-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostowski kick), 6:16. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 92 yards, 5:47.
SD – Ryan Mathews 10-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 2:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:21.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostowski 22-yard field goal, 13:20. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 4:35.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 10-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostowski kick), 2:49. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 99 yards, 5:25.
NE – Stephen Gostowski 47-yard field goal, 0:00. Patriots 20–7. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 0:09.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
SD – Vincent Jackson 3-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 13:33. Patriots 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:03.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 17-yard pass from Tom Brady (Danny Woodhead run), 8:40. Patriots 28–14. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 1:40.
SD – Vincent Jackson 26-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 5:40. Patriots 28–21. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:00.
NE – BenJarvus Green-Ellis 16-yard run (Stephen Gostowski kick), 1:54. Patriots 35–21. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:46.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 29/40, 378 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
NE – Tom Brady – 31/40, 423 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
SD – Ryan Mathews – 12 rushes, 64 yards, TD
NE – BenJarvus Green Ellis – 17 rushes, 70 yards, TD
Top receivers
SD – Vincent Jackson – 10 receptions, 172 yards, 2 TD
NE – Deion Branch – 8 receptions, 129 yards :
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 1–1.

#### Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 1:05 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 62,236
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
SD – Ryan Mathews 2-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 12:45. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 7:07.
SD – Nick Novak 35-yard field goal, 0:28. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 3:09.
Third quarter
KC – Dwayne Bowe 4-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 11:21. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 1:40.
SD – Ryan Mathews 4-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 7:32. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:49.
Fourth quarter
KC – Ryan Succop 33-yard field goal, 12:57. Chargers 17–10. Drive: 18 plays, 58 yards, 9:35.
SD – Nick Novak 41-yard field goal, 8:03. Chargers 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:54.
KC – Leonard Pope 1-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 4:58. Chargers 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:05.
Top passers
KC – Matt Cassel – 17/24, 176 yards, 2 TD, INT
SD – Philip Rivers – 24/38, 266 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Dexter McCluster – 9 rushes, 45 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 21 rushes, 98 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
KC – Dexter McCluster – 5 receptions, 17 yards
SD – Vincent Jackson – 5 receptions, 63 yards :
With the win, the Chargers improved to 2–1.

#### Week 4: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Chargers | 7 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 1:15 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 63,002
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts (blacked out locally)
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Lex Hilliard 1-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 2:47. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 92 yards, 5:37.
SD – Vincent Jackson 55-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 1:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:12.
Second quarter
SD – Nick Novak 27-yard field goal, 7:55. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:43.
MIA – Dan Carpenter 41-yard field goal, 1:48. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:11.
SD – Nick Novak 48-yard field goal, 0:07. Chargers 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 1:41.
Third quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 9:24. Chargers 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 4:29.
MIA – Dan Carpenter 37-yard field goal, 6:46. Chargers 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 2:38.
SD – Nick Novak 23-yard field goal, 1:15. Chargers 23–13. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 5:31.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Dan Carpenter 51-yard field goal, 11:34. Chargers 23–16. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:41.
SD – Nick Novak 38-yard field goal, 4:28. Chargers 26–16. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 7:06.
Top passers
MIA – Matt Moore – 17/26, 167 yards, INT
SD – Philip Rivers – 21/31, 307 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIA – Reggie Bush – 13 rushes, 50 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 16 rushes, 81 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Brandon Marshall – 5 receptions, 52 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 5 receptions, 68 yards :
With the win, the Chargers improved to 3–1.

#### Week 5: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 6 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 29 |
| Broncos | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: October 9
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT/1:15 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) (Mostly Sunny)
* Game attendance: 74,895
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Nick Novak 24-yard field goal, 8:37. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:54.
DEN – Cassius Vaughn 55-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 5:58. Broncos 7–3.
SD – Nick Novak 32-yard field goal, 0:45. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:13.
Second quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 35-yard field goal, 11:10. Broncos 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:35.
SD – Philip Rivers 2-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 7:19. Chargers 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:51.
SD – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 1:47. Chargers 16–10. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:42.
SD – Malcom Floyd 42-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 0:13. Chargers 23–10. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 0:49.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
SD – Nick Novak 51-yard field goal, 13:35. Chargers 26–10. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:13.
DEN – Tim Tebow 12-yard run (Willis McGahee run), 6:35. Chargers 26–18. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:19.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 28-yard pass from Tim Tebow (pass failed), 3:19. Chargers 26–24. Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 1:19.
SD – Nick Novak 35-yard field goal, 0:24. Chargers 29–24. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 2:55.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 18/29, 250 yards, TD, INT
DEN – Tim Tebow – 4/10, 79 yards, TD
Top rushers
SD – Ryan Mathews – 24 rushes, 125 yards
DEN – Willis McGahee – 16 rushes, 125 yards
Top receivers
SD – Malcom Floyd – 3 receptions, 100 yards, TD
DEN – Daniel Fells – 3 receptions, 47 yards :
With the win, the Chargers went into their bye week at 4–1. The team also managed to get their best start after five games under head coach Norv Turner.

#### Week 7: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Jets | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/10:00 am. PDT
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 79,088
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Donald Butler 37-yard fumble return (Nick Novak kick), 13:11. Chargers 7–0.
NYJ – Nick Folk 35-yard field goal, 8:25. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:46.
Second quarter
SD – Antonio Gates 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 12:11. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 6:28.
NYJ – Plaxico Burress 3-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 7:18. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:53.
SD – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 1:16. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 6:02.
Third quarter
NYJ – Plaxico Burress 4-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 2:57. Chargers 21–17. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:33.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Plaxico Burress 3-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 8:41. Jets 24–21. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:15.
NYJ – Nick Folk 30-yard field goal, 1:36. Jets 27–21. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 3:47.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 16/32, 179 yards, TD, 2 INT
NYJ – Mark Sanchez – 18/33, 172 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
SD – Mike Tolbert – 11 rushes, 58 yards, TD
NYJ – Shonn Greene – 20 rushes, 112 yards
Top receivers
SD – Antonio Gates – 5 receptions, 54 yards, TD
NYJ – Dustin Keller – 4 receptions, 53 yards :
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4–2.

#### Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 31
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT/5:30 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 72,733
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Rachel Nichols
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Ryan Succop 36-yard field goal, 9:04. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:46.
KC – Jonathan Baldwin 39-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 2:51. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:01.
Second quarter
SD – Nick Novak 44-yard field goal, 8:31. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 3:04.
KC – Ryan Succop 47-yard field goal, 0:03. Chiefs 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 1:08.
Third quarter
SD – Nick Novak 44-yard field goal, 8:10. Chiefs 13–6. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:28.
SD – Nick Novak 42-yard field goal, 6:01. Chiefs 13–9. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:45.
SD – Nick Novak 26-yard field goal, 1:45. Chiefs 13–12. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 2:05.
Fourth quarter
KC – Jackie Battle 1-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 12:01. Chiefs 20–12. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 4:44.
SD – Curtis Brinkley 2-yard run (Curtis Brinkley pass from Philip Rivers), 7:11. Tied 20–20. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:50.
Overtime
KC – Ryan Succop 30-yard field goal, 5:16. Chiefs 23–20. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 7:28.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 26/41, 369 yards, 2 INT
KC – Matt Cassel – 19/32, 261 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
SD – Ryan Mathews – 13 rushes, 57 yards
KC – Jackie Battle – 19 rushes, 70 yards, TD
Top receivers
SD – Malcom Floyd – 5 receptions, 107 yards
KC – Jonathan Baldwin – 5 receptions, 82 yards, TD :
Late in the 4th quarter, with the game tied at 20, Philip Rivers fumbled the ball while kneeling to set up the potential game-winning field goal. This play effectively ended the Chargers chances at the division, as had they won, they would've finished 9-7 and won the division. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4–3.

#### Week 9: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 21 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 45 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C) (Rain)
* Game attendance: 68,908
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, & Laura Okmin
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Vincent Jackson 23-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 10:32. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:28.
GB – Jermichael Finley 5-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 5:40. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:52.
GB – Charlie Peprah 40-yard interception return (Mason Crosby kick), 4:33. Packers 14–7.
GB – Tramon Williams 43-yard interception return (Mason Crosby kick), 1:52. Packers 21–7.
Second quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 8-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 14:08. Packers 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:44.
SD – Nick Novak 52-yard field goal, 5:48. Packers 21–17. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 4:19.
GB – Jordy Nelson 16-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:18. Packers 28–17. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 5:30.
Third quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 47-yard field goal, 8:25. Packers 31–17. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 6:35.
SD – Antonio Gates 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 1:58. Packers 31–24. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:27.
Fourth quarter
GB – James Jones 21-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 13:00. Packers 38–24. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:58.
GB – Greg Jennings 4-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:27. Packers 45–24. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:04.
SD – Vincent Jackson 5-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 7:32. Packers 45–31. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:55.
SD – Vincent Jackson 29-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 6:25. Packers 45–38. Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 1:07.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 21/26, 247 yards, 4 TD
SD – Philip Rivers – 26/46, 385 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
GB – James Starks – 13 rushes, 66 yards
SD – Mike Tolbert – 19 rushes, 83 yards, TD
Top receivers
GB – Jordy Nelson – 5 receptions, 105 yards, TD
SD – Vincent Jackson – 7 receptions, 141 yards, 3 TD :
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4–4.

#### Week 10: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 10
* Game time: 5:20 pm. PST
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 68,109
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Nick Novak 20-yard field goal, 10:40. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 3:09.
OAK – Michael Bush 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:41. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 6:25.
Second quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 23-yard field goal, 11:02. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:25.
OAK – Denarius Moore 3-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:51. Raiders 17–3. Drive: 2 plays, 56 yards, 0:31.
Third quarter
SD – Vincent Brown 30-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 11:48. Raiders 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.
OAK – Denarius Moore 26-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:01. Raiders 24–10. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 2:47.
SD – Jacob Hester 7-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 0:00. Raiders 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2:06.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
OAK – Carson Palmer – 14/20, 299 yards, 2 TD, INT
SD – Philip Rivers – 23/47, 274 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
OAK – Michael Bush – 30 rushes, 157 yards, TD
SD – Mike Tolbert – 7 rushes, 36 yards
Top receivers
OAK – Denarius Moore – 5 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD
SD – Vincent Brown – 5 receptions, 97 yards, TD :
Trying to snap a three-game losing streak, the Chargers stayed at home for a Week 10 AFC West duel with the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night. San Diego struck first in the opening quarter with a 20-yard field goal from kicker Nick Novak, but the Raiders answered with running back Michael Bush getting a 2-yard touchdown run. Oakland added onto their lead in the second quarter with kicker Sebastian Janikowski getting a 23-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Carson Palmer completing a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Denarius Moore.
The Chargers began the third quarter with quarterback Philip Rivers finding rookie wide receiver Vincent Brown on a 30-yard touchdown pass, but the Raiders struck back with Palmer completing a 26-yard touchdown pass to Moore. Afterwards, San Diego closed out the quarter with Rivers hooking up with fullback Jacob Hester on a 7-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers tried to rally in the fourth quarter, but Oakland's defense held on to preserve the win.
Win the loss, not only did San Diego fall to 4–5, but it marked the first time since 2003 that the Chargers had lost four-straight.

#### Week 11: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Bears | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 3:15 pm. CST/1:15 pm. PST
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C) (Cloudy, winds gusting to 20 mph (32 km/h))
* Game attendance: 62,344
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 9:40. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 3:45.
CHI – Robbie Gould 42-yard field goal, 5:01. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:39.
Second quarter
CHI – Marion Barber 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:09. Bears 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 2:26.
SD – Antonio Gates 8-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 2:04. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 2:05.
CHI – Kellen Davis 4-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 0:20. Bears 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 1:44.
Third quarter
SD – Vincent Jackson 5-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 10:58. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 4:02.
CHI – Jay Cutler 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 5:47. Bears 24–17. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 5:11.
CHI – Johnny Knox 24-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 4:53. Bears 31–17. Drive: 2 plays, 37 yards, 0:39.
Fourth quarter
SD – Nick Novak 48-yard field goal, 14:55. Bears 31–20. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:58.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 21/31, 280 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
CHI – Jay Cutler – 18/31, 286 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SD – Ryan Mathews – 13 rushes, 37 yards
CHI – Matt Forte – 20 rushes, 57 yards
Top receivers
SD – Vincent Jackson – 7 receptions, 165 yards, TD
CHI – Johnny Knox – 3 receptions, 97 yards, TD :
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4–6 and lost 5 in a row for the first time since 2003.

#### Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 27
* Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 64,436
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Nick Novak 53-yard field goal, 11:34. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 3:26.
Second quarter
SD – Antonio Gates 6-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 7:58. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 8:47.
DEN – Eric Decker 18-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick), 0:55. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 0:32.
Third quarter
SD – Nick Novak 25-yard field goal, 9:30. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:48.
DEN – Matt Prater 41-yard field goal, 0:33. Chargers 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 6:08.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 24-yard field goal, 1:34. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:53.
Overtime
DEN – Matt Prater 37-yard field goal, 0:29. Broncos 16–13. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:02.
Top passers
DEN – Tim Tebow – 9/18, 143 yards, TD
SD – Philip Rivers – 19/36, 188 yards, TD
Top rushers
DEN – Willis McGahee – 23 rushes, 117 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 22 rushes, 137 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Eric Decker – 3 receptions, 65 yards, TD
SD – Vincent Brown – 3 receptions, 50 yards :
The loss was the sixth consecutive for the Chargers, their longest such streak in 10 years which took their record down to 4–7.

#### Week 13: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: December 5
* Game time: 8:30 pm. EST/5:30 pm. PST
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 62,743
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Sal Paolantonio
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 13-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 6:51. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:05.
SD – Nick Novak 29-yard field goal, 0:41. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:37.
Second quarter
JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew 9-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Josh Scobee kick), 7:55. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 7:46.
JAC – Cecil Shorts 5-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert Josh Scobee kick), 2:32. Jaguars 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:42.
SD – Vincent Brown 22-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 1:26. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 1:06.
SD – Vincent Jackson 35-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 0:16. Chargers 24–14. Drive: 3 plays, 59 yards, 0:37.
Third quarter
SD – Malcom Floyd 52-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 12:04. Chargers 31–14. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:56.
Fourth quarter
SD – Ryan Mathews 31-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 12:04. Chargers 38–14. Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:09.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 22/28, 294 yards, 3 TD
JAC – Blaine Gabbert – 19/33, 195 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SD – Ryan Mathews – 13 rushes, 112 yards, TD
JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew – 20 rushes, 97 yards
Top receivers
SD – Malcom Floyd – 4 receptions, 108 yards, TD
JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew – 6 receptions, 91 yards, TD :
Hoping to snap a six-game losing streak, the Chargers flew to EverBank Field for a Week 13 Monday night duel with the Jacksonville Jaguars. San Diego delivered the game's opening punch with a 13-yard touchdown run from running back Mike Tolbert, followed by a 29-yard field goal from kicker Nick Novak. The Jaguars would answer in the second quarter with quarterback Blaine Gabbert completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Maurice Jones-Drew and a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cecil Shorts, yet the Chargers replied with quarterback Philip Rivers connecting with rookie wide receiver Vincent Brown on a 22-yard touchdown pass and a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Vincent Jackson.
San Diego added onto its lead in the third quarter with Rivers hooking up with wide receiver Malcom Floyd on a 52-yard touchdown pass. Afterwards, the Bolts would pull away in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown run from running back Ryan Mathews.
With the win, the Chargers improved to 5–7.

#### Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Chargers | 7 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 37 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
* Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C) (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 62,494
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots (blacked out locally)
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Antonio Gates 9-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 7:52. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:08.
Second quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (kick failed), 14:16. Chargers 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:33.
SD – Nick Novak 47-yard field goal, 6:41. Chargers 16–0. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:29.
Third quarter
BUF – Dave Rayner 37-yard field goal, 11:43. Chargers 16–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:17.
BUF – Bryan Scott fumble recovery in end zone (Dave Rayner kick), 10:11. Chargers 16–10.
SD – Antonio Gates 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 4:11. Chargers 23–10. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:00.
SD – Steve Gregory 26-yard interception return (Nick Novak kick), 4:02. Chargers 30–10.
Fourth quarter
SD – Patrick Crayton 26-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 9:01. Chargers 37–10. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 7:05.
Top passers
BUF – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 13/34, 176 yards, 2 INT
SD – Philip Rivers – 24/33, 240 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
BUF – C. J. Spiller – 12 rushes, 46 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 20 rushes, 114 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Stevie Johnson – 4 receptions, 116 yards
SD – Antonio Gates – 7 receptions, 68 yards, 2 TD :
With the win, the Chargers improved to 6–7.

#### Week 15: vs. Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ravens | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 18
* Game time: 5:20 pm. PST
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C) (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 67,242
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 2-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 4:47. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 7:04.
Second quarter
BAL – Ed Dickson 15-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 13:27. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:20.
SD – Nick Novak 45-yard field goal, 7:44. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 5:43.
SD – Ryan Mathews 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 0:19. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:52.
Third quarter
SD – Malcom Floyd 28-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 10:38. Chargers 24–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:22.
SD – Ryan Mathews 3-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 4:05. Chargers 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
SD – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 4:28. Chargers 34–7. Drive: 14 plays, 89 yards, 9:14.
BAL – Torrey Smith 36-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:55. Chargers 34–14. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 2:33.
Top passers
BAL – Joe Flacco – 23/34, 226 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
SD – Philip Rivers – 17/23, 270 yards, TD
Top rushers
BAL – Ray Rice – 10 rushes, 57 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 26 rushes, 90 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
BAL – Torrey Smith – 6 receptions, 77 yards, TD
SD – Malcom Floyd – 5 receptions, 96 yards, TD :
With the win, the Chargers improved to 7–7. Qualcomm Stadium was renamed Snapdragon Stadium as a promotion for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon brand.

#### Week 16: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Lions | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 4:05 pm. EST/1:05 pm. PST
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,469
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 10:52. Lions 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:08.
DET – Jason Hanson 50-yard field goal, 0:33. Lions 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:30.
Second quarter
DET – Kevin Smith 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 7:11. Lions 17–0. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 5:16.
DET – Calvin Johnson 14-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 0:31. Lions 24–0. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:22.
Third quarter
SD – Malcom Floyd 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 8:38. Lions 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:04.
SD – Nick Novak 22-yard field goal, 4:53. Lions 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 3:45.
DET – Kevin Smith 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 0:16. Lions 31–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4;37.
Fourth quarter
DET – Cliff Avril 4-yard interception return (Jason Hanson Kick), 2:28. Lions 38–10.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 28/53, 299 yards, TD, 2 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 29/36, 373 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
SD – Ryan Mathews – 11 rushes, 58 yards
DET – Kevin Smith – 15 rushes, 49 yards, TD
Top receivers
SD – Malcolm Floyd – 6 receptions, 95 yards, TD
DET – Calvin Johnson – 4 receptions, 102 yards, TD :
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 7–8.

#### Week 17: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Raiders | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 26 |
at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: January 1
* Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 58,721
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert & Rich Gannon
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey 3-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 7:20. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 95 yards, 5:49.
SD – Antonio Gates 38-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 1:02. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 6:18.
Second quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 10:26. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:35.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 52-yard field goal, 6:19. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:07.
SD – Richard Goodman 105-yard kickoff return (Nick Novak kick), 6:06. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 43-yard field goal, 2:19. Chargers 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 3:47.
SD – Nick Novak 51-yard field goal, 0:46. Chargers 24–13. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 1:33.
Third quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 27-yard field goal, 13:18. Chargers 24–16. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 1:42.
SD – Vincent Jackson 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 7:33. Chargers 31–16. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 5:45.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 32-yard field goal, 1:18. Chargers 31–19. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 6:15.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Kevin Boss 22-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:37. Chargers 31–26. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:28.
SD – Malcom Floyd 43-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 6:48. Chargers 38–26. Drive: 4 plays, 99 yards, 2:49.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 19/26, 310 yards, 3 TD, INT
OAK – Carson Palmer – 28/43, 417 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SD – Mike Tolbert – 9 rushes, 58 yards, TD
OAK – Michael Bush – 19 rushes, 66 yards
Top receivers
SD – Malcom Floyd – 7 receptions, 127 yards, TD
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 9 receptions, 130 yards, TD :
With the win, the Chargers wrapped up their season at 8–8 and snapped their three-game losing streak against the Raiders.

### Standings

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Denver Broncos | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 309 | 390 | L3 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 406 | 377 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 359 | 433 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 212 | 338 | W1 |