# 2004 San Diego Chargers season

The 2004 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 35th season in the National Football League (NFL), its 45th overall and the third under head coach Marty Schottenheimer. It would be the first season the franchise would have involving quarterback Philip Rivers. The team improved on their 4–12 record in 2003 and finished the regular season 12–4, made the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and captured their first division title since the 1994 season. In the playoffs they lost in overtime to the New York Jets. At the end of the season Marty Schottenheimer was named NFL Coach of the Year.

## Offseason

| Additions | Subtractions |
| WR Keenan McCardell (Buccaneers) | DE Raylee Johnson (Broncos) |
| T Roman Oben (Buccaneers) | C Cory Raymer (Redskins) |
| LB Randall Godfrey (Seahawks) | G Kelvin Garmon (Browns) |
| | WR David Boston (Dolphins) |

### NFL draft

Entering the draft, the consensus top pick was Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning. However, Manning had said prior to the draft that he did not want to play for the Chargers and would not sign with them if he was drafted. The Chargers would strike a deal with the Giants before the draft that would shape the future of both franchises. The Chargers would select Manning first overall, as they had intended to. The Giants would then draft quarterback Philip Rivers of North Carolina State, and then swap him and two 2005 draft picks for Manning.
2004 San Diego Chargers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Eli Manning * | QB | Ole Miss | traded to NY Giants |
| 2 | 35 | Igor Olshansky | DT | Oregon | |
| 3 | 65 | Nate Kaeding * | K | Iowa | From NY Giants |
| 3 | 66 | Nick Hardwick * | C | Purdue | |
| 4 | 98 | Shaun Phillips * | DE | Purdue | |
| 5 | 133 | Dave Ball | DE | UCLA | |
| 5 | 154 | Michael Turner * | RB | NIU | from Miami |
| 6 | 169 | Ryan Krause | TE | Nebraska-Omaha | |
| 7 | 204 | Ryon Bingham | DT | Nebraska | |
| 7 | 209 | Shane Olivea | OT | Ohio State | from Atlanta |
| 7 | 254 | Carlos Joseph | OT | Miami (FL) | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 12 | at Houston Texans | W 27–20 | 1–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | New York Jets | L 28–34 | 1–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | at Denver Broncos | L 13–23 | 1–2 | Invesco Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 4 | October 3 | Tennessee Titans | W 38–17 | 2–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 34–21 | 3–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 17 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 20–21 | 3–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 7 | October 24 | at Carolina Panthers | W 17–6 | 4–3 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 31 | Oakland Raiders | W 42–14 | 5–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 7 | New Orleans Saints | W 43–17 | 6–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 11 | November 21 | at Oakland Raiders | W 23–17 | 7–3 | McAfee Coliseum | Recap |
| 12 | November 28 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 34–31 | 8–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | Denver Broncos | W 20–17 | 9–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 12 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 31–24 | 10–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 19 | at Cleveland Browns | W 21–0 | 11–3 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 26 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 31–34 (OT) | 11–4 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 17 | January 2, 2005 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 24–17 | 12–4 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| Texans | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 12
* Game time: 12:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: N/A (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,255
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 37-yard field goal, 11:49. Texans 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:11.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 48-yard field goal, 6:35. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 5:14.
Second quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 20-yard field goal, 14:07. Texans 6–3. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 7:28.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:51. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:22.
HOU – Dominick Davis 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 4:43. Texans 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 5:08.
Third quarter
SDG – Reche Caldwell 36-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:12. Chargers 17–13. Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 2:15.
HOU – Dominick Davis 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 4:36. Texans 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:36.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 20–20. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:36.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Eric Parker 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 8:34. Chargers 27–20. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 4:13.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 17/24, 209 yards, 2 TD
HOU – David Carr – 19/25, 229 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 26 rushes, 121 yards, TD
HOU – Domanick Williams – 21 rushes, 87 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SDG – Antonio Gates – 8 receptions, 123 yards
HOU – Domanick Williams – 5 receptions, 70 yards :

#### Week 2: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 14 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: September 19
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (22.8 °C), humidity 67 percent, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 57,310
* Referee: Peter Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS (Blacked out locally)): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Curtis Martin 1-yard run (Doug Brien kick), 7:50. Jets 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:08.
NYJ – Curtis Martin 2-yard run (Doug Brien kick), 3:42. Jets 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 3:16.
Second quarter
NYJ – Doug Brien 28-yard field goal, 9:40. Jets 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:55.
SDG – Tim Dwight 87-yard kickoff return (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:28. Jets 17–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12.
Third quarter
NYJ – Doug Brien 23-yard field goal, 11:16. Jets 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:44.
NYJ – Jerald Sowell 4-yard pass from Chad Pennington (Doug Brien kick), 3:31. Jets 27–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 5:24.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 4-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 2:12. Jets 27–14. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 1:19.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Reche Caldwell 33-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 7:38. Jets 27–21. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:21.
NYJ – Chris Baker 1-yard pass from Chad Pennington (Doug Brien kick), 3:56. Jets 34–21. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:42.
SDG – Doug Flutie 6-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:30. Jets 34–28. Drive: 18 plays, 81 yards, 3:26.
Top passers
NYJ – Chad Pennington – 22/29, 258 yards, 2 TD
SDG – Drew Brees – 8/19, 146 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Curtis Martin – 32 rushes, 119 yards, 2 TD
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 19 rushes, 87 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYJ – Santana Moss – 4 receptions, 97 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 3 receptions, 76 yards :

#### Week 3: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Broncos | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: September 26
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (22.8 °C), humidity 26 percent, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
* Game attendance: 74,533
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Armen Keteyian
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Rod Smith 16-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 8:15. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:27.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 23-yard field goal, 2:18. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:57.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 22-yard field goal, 12:24. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:54.
DEN – Jason Elam 23-yard field goal, 7:43. Broncos 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 3:14.
Third quarter
SDG – Drew Brees 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 7:37. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:40.
DEN – Ashley Lelie 33-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 3:29. Broncos 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:08.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 51-yard field goal, 14:06. Broncos 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:23.
DEN – Jason Elam 43-yard field goal, 11:12. Broncos 23–13. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:54.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 14/29, 121 yards
DEN – Jake Plummer – 25/36, 294 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 22 rushes, 60 yards
DEN – Garrison Hearst – 3 rushes, 13 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Reche Caldwell – 3 receptions, 39 yards
DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 75 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 38 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: October 3
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 74 °F (23.3 °C), humidity 69 percent, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 54,006
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (CBS (Blacked out locally)): Bill Macatee, Steve Beuerlein and Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 15-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 5:56. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 2:45.
Second quarter
TEN – Derrick Mason 4-yard pass from Billy Volek (Gary Anderson kick), 14:10. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:46.
SDG – Antonio Gates 11-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 5:16. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:57.
SDG – Justin Peelle 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:38. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:37.
Third quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 31-yard field goal, 4:18. Chargers 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:37.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Gary Anderson 24-yard field goal, 12:26. Chargers 24–10. Drive: 16 plays, 66 yards, 6:52.
TEN – Shad Meier 3-yard pass from Billy Volek (Gary Anderson kick), 7:04. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:22.
SDG – Reche Caldwell 58-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 6:42. Chargers 31–17. Drive: 2 plays, 58 yards, 0:22.
SDG – Jesse Chatman 21-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 3:18. Chargers 38–17. Drive: 1 play, 21 yards, 0:07.
Top passers
TEN – Billy Volek – 39/58, 279 yards, 2 TD
SDG – Drew Brees – 16/20, 206 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
TEN – Chris Brown – 15 rushes, 55 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 17 rushes, 147 yards, TD
Top receivers
TEN – Drew Bennett – 9 receptions, 109 yards
SDG – Reche Caldwell – 3 receptions, 110 yards, TD :

#### Week 5: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Chargers | 14 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 34 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: October 10
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), humidity 76 percent, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 52,101
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS (Blacked out locally)): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Antonio Gates 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 10:14. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:46.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 4:03. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:13.
Second quarter
SDG – Antonio Gates 11-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:23. Chargers 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 2:03.
JAC – Chris Fuamatu-Maʻafala 1-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), 1:33. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 15 plays, 77 yards, 7:50.
Third quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 21-yard field goal, 7:15. Chargers 24–7. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 6:31.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 28-yard field goal, 0:46. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:54.
Fourth quarter
JAC – Byron Leftwich 2-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), 10:42. Chargers 27–14. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 5:04.
SDG – Jesse Chatman 41-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:54. Chargers 34–14. Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 0:48.
JAC – Cortez Hankton 7-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Josh Scobee kick), 7:21. Chargers 34–21. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:33.
Top passers
JAC – Byron Leftwich – 36/54, 357 yards, TD, 2 INT
SDG – Drew Brees – 17/26, 211 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
JAC – Fred Taylor – 11 rushes, 64 yards
SDG – Jesse Chatman – 11 rushes, 103 yards, TD
Top receivers
JAC – Jimmy Smith – 8 receptions, 113 yards
SDG – Antonio Gates – 8 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 6: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| {{{home}}} | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: October 17
* Game time: 1:02 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
* Game attendance: 70,187
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
ATL – Alge Crumpler 19-yard pass from Michael Vick (Jay Feely kick), 10:24. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:49.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 1:18. Tied 7–7. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 9:06.
SDG – Eric Parker 17-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:18. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 0:20.
Third quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 53-yard field goal, 5:10. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 8 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Michael Vick 14-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 13:09. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:43.
ATL – Dez White 32-yard pass from Michael Vick (Jay Feely kick), 10:12. Falcons 21–17. Drive: 3 plays, 47 yards, 1:02.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 28-yard field goal, 6:01. Falcons 21–20. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:11.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 23/31, 227 yards, TD, INT
ATL – Michael Vick – 12/21, 218 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 23 rushes, 64 yards, TD
ATL – T. J. Duckett – 11 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Antonio Gates – 6 receptions, 80 yards
ATL – Peerless Price – 2 receptions, 67 yards :

#### Week 7: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Panthers | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
* Date: October 24
* Game time: 1:02 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), humidity 90 percent, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
* Game attendance: 73,096
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – John Kasay 28-yard field goal, 8:21. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:39.
CAR – John Kasay 21-yard field goal, 3:28. Panthers 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 4:34.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 8-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 8:13. Chargers 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:33.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 44-yard field goal, 2:36. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:32.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Jesse Chatman 5-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 1:42. Chargers 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 1:37.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 21/32, 196 yards
CAR – Jake Delhomme – 17/36, 155 yards, INT
Top rushers
SDG – Jesse Chatman – 8 rushes, 69 yards, TD
CAR – Brad Hoover – 24 rushes, 99 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Keenan McCardell – 5 receptions, 65 yards
CAR – Keary Colbert – 7 receptions, 71 yards :

#### Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Chargers | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 42 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: October 31
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 69 °F (20.6 °C), humidity 57 percent, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
* Game attendance: 66,210
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson, Brent Jones and Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Justin Peelle 17-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 11:14. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:06.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:08. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:15.
Second quarter
OAK – Tyrone Wheatley 5-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 10:02. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:06.
SDG – Keenan McCardell 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 4:56. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:06.
SDG – Tim Dwight 23-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:36. Chargers 28–7. Drive: 4 plays, 53 yards, 1:57.
Third quarter
SDG – Antonio Gates 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 12:05. Chargers 35–7. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:55.
SDG – Antonio Gates 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 3:08. Chargers 42–7. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:28.
OAK – Doug Jolley 13-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:02. Chargers 42–14. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:06.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
OAK – Kerry Collins – 24/39, 263 yards, TD, 2 INT
SDG – Drew Brees – 22/25, 281 yards, 5 TD
Top rushers
OAK – Tyrone Wheatley – 4 rushes, 23 yards, TD
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 19 rushes, 71 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – Jerry Porter – 4 receptions, 50 yards OAK – Doug Gabriel – 3 receptions, 50 yards
SDG – Eric Parker – 6 receptions, 91 yards :

#### Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Chargers | 14 | 6 | 16 | 7 | 43 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17.2 °C), humidity 78 percent, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
* Game attendance: 59,662
* Referee: Peter Morelli
* TV announcers (FOX (Blacked out locally)): Thom Brennaman and JC Pearson
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Antonio Gates 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:50. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 5:10.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 5:29. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 3:06.
Second quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 40-yard field goal, 13:02. Chargers 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 1:50.
NO – Deuce McAllister 2-yard run (John Carney kick), 8:12. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:50.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 27-yard field goal, 3:16. Chargers 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:56.
Third quarter
SDG – Safety, Wayne Gandy called for offensive holding in end zone, 8:36. Chargers 22–7.
SDG – Antonio Gates 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 3:15. Chargers 29–7. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:21.
SDG – Antonio Gates 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 2:04. Chargers 36–7. Drive: 2 plays, 40 yards, 0:52.
Fourth quarter
NO – John Carney 37-yard field goal, 13:53. Chargers 36–10. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 3:11.
SDG – Kassim Osgood 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 7:06. Chargers 43–10. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:47.
NO – Boo Williams 6-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 4:04. Chargers 43–17. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:02.
Top passers
NO – Aaron Brooks – 16/29, 173 yards, TD, INT
SDG – Drew Brees – 22/36, 257 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
NO – Deuce McAllister – 16 rushes, 63 yards, TD
SDG – Jesse Chatman – 7 rushes, 51 yards
Top receivers
NO – Boo Williams – 5 receptions, 71 yards, TD
SDG – Keenan McCardell – 6 receptions, 89 yards :

#### Week 11: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 6 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: November 21
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), humidity 28 percent, wind 18 miles per hour (29 km/h; 16 kn)
* Game attendance: 46,905
* Referee: Bernie Kukar
* TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Antonio Gates 11-yard pass from Drew Brees (kick blocked), 9:05. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 5:55.
Second quarter
SDG – Drew Brees 6-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 10:07. Chargers 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:39.
OAK – Ronald Curry 22-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 6:40. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:27.
Third quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 19-yard field goal, 5:21. Chargers 16–7. Drive: 9 plays, 22 yards, 3:56.
OAK – Teyo Johnson 8-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:58. Chargers 16–14. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:23.
Fourth quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 6-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 11:06. Chargers 23–14. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:52.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 31-yard field goal, 7:11. Chargers 23–17. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 3:55.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 18/34, 226 yards, TD
OAK – Kerry Collins – 18/30, 227 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 37 rushes, 164 yards, TD
OAK – Tyrone Wheatley – 12 rushes, 42 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Antonio Gates – 8 receptions, 101 yards, TD
OAK – Jerry Porter – 5 receptions, 63 yards :

#### Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 34 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 28
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 35 °F (1.7 °C), humidity 75 percent, wind 14 miles per hour (23 km/h; 12 kn)
* Game attendance: 77,447
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 7:01. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 1:00.
KAN – Derrick Blaylock 5-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 4:26. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:35.
Second quarter
KAN – Larry Johnson 6-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:05. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 94 yards, 6:00.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 3-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 3:11. Tied 14–14. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:54.
KAN – Lawrence Tynes 28-yard field goal, 0:45. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 2:26.
Third quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 25-yard field goal, 7:24. Tied 17–17. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:15.
Fourth quarter
KAN – Derrick Blaylock 22-yard run (kick failed), 14:17. Chiefs 23–17. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 4:29.
SDG – Antonio Gates 18-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 10:13. Chargers 24–23. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 4:04.
KAN – Dante Hall 96-yard kickoff return (Eddie Kennison pass from Trent Green), 10:00. Chiefs 31–24. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
SDG – Antonio Gates 11-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 6:22. Tied 31–31. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 3:38.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 43-yard field goal, 2:24. Chargers 34–31. Drive: 7 plays, 8 yards, 2:26.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 28/37, 378 yards, 2 TD
KAN – Trent Green – 21/34, 208 yards, INT
Top rushers
SDG – Eric Parker – 2 rushes, 58 yards
KAN – Derrick Blaylock – 8 rushes, 57 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SDG – Antonio Gates – 7 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD SDG – Kassim Osgood – 2 receptions, 92 yards
KAN – Tony Gonzalez – 8 receptions, 105 yards :

#### Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 5
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), humidity 77 percent, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 65,395
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Bonnie Bernstein
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 5-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 12:01. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 1:26.
Second quarter
DEN – Tatum Bell 16-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 13:27. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:33.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 7:05. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:49.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 13 yards, 1:30.
Third quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 23-yard field goal, 5:12. Chargers 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 4:12.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Reuben Droughns 4-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 14:18. Chargers 20–14. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:26.
DEN – Jason Elam 31-yard field goal, 9:26. Chargers 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 3:47.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 16/40, 278 yards, 4 INT
SDG – Drew Brees – 14/27, 106 yards, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Reuben Droughns – 14 rushes, 38 yards, TD
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 30 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DEN – Ashley Lelie – 4 receptions, 105 yards
SDG – Eric Parker – 3 receptions, 37 yards :

#### Week 14: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Chargers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 12
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 69 °F (20.6 °C), humidity 63 percent, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
* Game attendance: 65,858
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (FOX): Thom Brennaman, JC Pearson and C. S. Keys
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
SDG – Eric Parker 79-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 11:49. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 79 yards, 0:12.
TB – Joey Galloway 36-yard pass from Brian Griese (Jay Taylor kick), 9:02. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, 2:47.
SDG – Kassim Osgood 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:49. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:50.
Third quarter
TB – Joey Galloway 4-yard pass from Brian Griese (Jay Taylor kick), 4:56. Tied 14–14. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 6:08.
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 7-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:30. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 4:26.
Fourth quarter
TB – Michael Clayton 20-yard pass from Brian Griese (Jay Taylor kick), 6:53. Tied 21–21. Drive: 2 plays, 37 yards, 0:49.
SDG – Donnie Edwards 30-yard interception return (Nate Kaeding kick), 4:09. Chargers 28–21.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 40-yard field goal, 2:06. Chargers 31–21. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:04.
TB – Jay Taylor 31-yard field goal, 0:16. Chargers 31–24. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 1:50.
Top passers
TB – Brian Griese – 36/50, 392 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
SDG – Drew Brees – 17/23, 220 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
TB – Michael Pittman – 12 rushes, 42 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 25 rushes, 131 yards, TD
Top receivers
TB – Michael Clayton – 9 receptions, 145 yards, TD
SDG – Eric Parker – 6 receptions, 118 yards, TD :

#### Week 15: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: December 19
* Game time: 1:03 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 18 °F (−7.8 °C), humidity 68 percent, wind 30 miles per hour (48 km/h; 26 kn), wind chill −10 °F or −23.3 °C
* Game attendance: 72,489
* Referee: Tom White
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 2:09. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 1:00.
Second quarter
SDG – Antonio Gates 72-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 2:11. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:13.
Third quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 8:32. Chargers 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 6:28.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 4/6, 85 yards, TD
CLE – Luke McCown – 11/27, 108 yards, INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 26 rushes, 111 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Lee Suggs – 21 rushes, 105 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Antonio Gates – 1 reception, 72 yards, TD
CLE – Dennis Northcutt – 4 receptions, 61 yards :
San Diego clinches its first division title since 1994.

#### Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Colts | 0 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 34 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: December 26
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
* Game attendance: 57,330
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 74-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 4:48. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 92 yards, 2:52.
Second quarter
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 36-yard field goal, 14:18. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:30.
SDG – Nate Kaeding 50-yard field goal, 12:46. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:32.
SDG – Eric Parker 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 7:09. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:03.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 26-yard field goal, 4:30. Chargers 17–6. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:39.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 23-yard field goal, 0:18. Chargers 17–9. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 2:32.
Third quarter
SDG – Antonio Gates 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:24. Chargers 24–9. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:40.
IND – James Mungro 3-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 6:11. Chargers 24–16. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson 16-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 14:55. Chargers 31–16. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 6:16.
IND – Dominic Rhodes 88-yard kickoff return (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 14:42. Chargers 31–23. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
IND – Brandon Stokley 14-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Edgerrin James run), 0:56. Tied 31–31. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:46.
Overtime
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 30-yard field goal, 12:13. Colts 34–31. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:47.
Top passers
SDG – Drew Brees – 21/31, 290 yards, 3 TD, INT
IND – Peyton Manning – 27/44, 383 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 21 rushes, 81 yards, TD
IND – Edgerrin James – 22 rushes, 86 yards
Top receivers
SDG – Eric Parker – 7 receptions, 103 yards, TD
IND – Brandon Stokley – 7 receptions, 123 yards, TD :

#### Week 17: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| Chargers | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: January 2
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), humidity 87 percent, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 64,920
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 34-yard field goal, 10:56. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:04.
Second quarter
KAN – Lawrence Tynes 50-yard field goal, 7:08. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 5:26.
SDG – Doug Flutie 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 2:24. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 87 yards, 4:44.
SDG – Ryan Krause 10-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:12. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 0:40.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Malcom Floyd 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick), 7:11. Chargers 24–3. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 2:11.
KAN – Larry Johnson 2-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 4:10. Chargers 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:01.
KAN – Larry Johnson 14-yard pass from Trent Green (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:10. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
KAN – Doug Flutie – 13/22, 199 yards, TD
SDG – Drew Brees – 28/37, 378 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
KAN – Larry Johnson – 17 rushes, 46 yards, TD
SDG – Michael Turner – 15 rushes, 87 yards
Top receivers
KAN – Tony Gonzalez – 14 receptions, 144 yards
SDG – Ryan Krause – 5 receptions, 81 yards, TD :

### Standings
#### Division

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ San Diego Chargers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 446 | 313 | W1 |
| $^{(6)}$ Denver Broncos | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 381 | 304 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 483 | 435 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 320 | 422 | L2 |

#### Conference

AFC
viewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .484 | .479 | W14 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | East | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .492 | .478 | W2 |
| 3 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .500 | .458 | L1 |
| 4 | San Diego Chargers | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .477 | .411 | W1 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | New York Jets | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .523 | .406 | L2 |
| 6 | Denver Broncos | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .484 | .450 | W2 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .527 | .479 | W1 |
| 8 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .551 | .472 | W1 |
| 9 | Buffalo Bills | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .512 | .382 | L1 |
| 10 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .543 | .453 | W2 |
| 11 | Houston Texans | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .504 | .402 | L1 |
| 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .551 | .509 | L1 |
| 13 | Oakland Raiders | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .570 | .450 | L2 |
| 14 | Tennessee Titans | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .512 | .463 | W1 |
| 15 | Miami Dolphins | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .555 | .438 | L1 |
| 16 | Cleveland Browns | North | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .590 | .469 | W1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Indianapolis clinched the AFC #3 seed instead of San Diego based upon head-to-head victory. 1 2 New York Jets clinched the AFC #5 seed instead of Denver based upon better record against common opponents (New York Jets were 5–0 to Denver’s 3–2 against San Diego, Cincinnati, Houston, and Miami). 1 2 3 Jacksonville and Baltimore finished ahead of Buffalo because they each defeated Buffalo head-to-head. 1 2 Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based upon better record against common opponents (Jacksonville were 3–2 against Baltimore’s 2–3 versus Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Buffalo and Kansas City). 1 2 Houston finished ahead of Kansas City based upon head-to-head victory. 1 2 Oakland finished ahead of Tennessee based upon head-to-head victory. 1 2 Miami finished ahead of Cleveland based upon head-to-head 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

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| Wild Card | January 8, 2005 | New York Jets (5) | L 17–20 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | 67,536 |

### Game summary
#### AFC Wild Card playoffs: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Jets | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Game time: 5:14 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 55 °F (12.8 °C), humidity 86 percent, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
* Game attendance: 67,536
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Michele Tafoya
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
SDG – Keenan McCardell 26-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:26. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 8:25.
NYJ – Anthony Becht 13-yard pass from Chad Pennington (Doug Brien kick), 2:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:19.
Third quarter
NYJ – Santana Moss 45-yard pass from Chad Pennington (Doug Brien kick), 10:29. Jets 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:31.
NYJ – Doug Brien 42-yard field goal, 1:23. Jets 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 5:31.
Fourth quarter
SDG – Nate Kaeding 35-yard field goal, 10:43. Jets 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 5:40.
SDG – Antonio Gates 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 0:11. Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:35.
Overtime
NYJ – Doug Brien 28-yard field goal, 0:05. Jets 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:14.
Top passers
NYJ – Chad Pennington – 23/33, 279 yards, 2 TD
SDG – Drew Brees – 31/42, 319 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Curtis Martin – 18 rushes, 66 yards
SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 26 rushes, 80 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Santana Moss – 4 receptions, 100 yards, TD
SDG – Eric Parker – 9 receptions, 93 yards :