2010 San Diego Chargers season
| 2010 San Diego Chargers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Qualcomm Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 4
|
| AP All-Pros | 2
|
The 2010 season was the San Diego Chargers' 41st in the National Football League (NFL) and their 51st overall. The team failed to improve on their 13–3 record the previous season, finishing with a 9–7 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
The 2010 Chargers are noted for having both the No. 1-ranked offense and defense, the first team to do so since the
In addition to their statistical performance, the Chargers used an NFL-record tying 74 players during the season due to injuries.[2] The 2010 season also saw the Chargers have their first home blackouts since 2004 and was their first since 2000 to not have future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson on the roster.
Offseason
On February 22, 2010, LaDainian Tomlinson requested his release after nine seasons with the team, and went to the New York Jets.
NFL draft
After finishing the season with the best record among teams exiting the playoffs in the divisional round, the Chargers picked 28th in the draft. They traded their sixth round pick in a trade that sent defensive tackle Travis Johnson to the Chargers.
| 2010 San Diego Chargers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Mathews * | RB | Fresno State | from Miami [R1 - 1] |
| 3 | 79 | Donald Butler | LB | Washington | from San Francisco [R3 - 1] |
| 4 | 110 | Darrell Stuckey * | S | Kansas | from Miami[R4 - 1] |
| 5 | 146 | Cam Thomas | DT | North Carolina | from Denver via Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia[R5 - 1] |
| 5 | 168 | Jonathan Crompton | QB | Tennessee | |
| 7 | 235 | Dedrick Epps | TE | Miami (FL) | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Draft notes
- ^ "Draft trade tracker: Let's make a deal: Chargers move up 16 spots". National Football League. April 22, 2010. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
- ^ "Draft trade tracker: Let's make a deal: Safety insurance: The Butler did it: Chargers snag linebacker". National Football League. April 23, 2010. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
- ^ "Broncos make move to take a quarterback". National Football League. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ "Lions acquire DT Williams from Browns". ESPN. March 5, 2010. Archived from the original on March 10, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ "Draft trade tracker: Let's make a deal: Chargers go after defensive tackle prospect". National Football League. April 24, 2010. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
- ^ #12: Miami → San Diego (D). Miami traded this selection, a fourth-round selection (110th overall; San Diego selected Darrell Stuckey), and a sixth-round selection it acquired from Kansas City (173rd overall; traded to San Francisco who selected Anthony Dixon) to San Diego for a first-round selection (28th overall; Miami selected Jared Odrick), a second-round selection it acquired from Seattle (40th overall; Miami selected Koa Misi), a fourth-round selection (126th overall; traded to Dallas who selected Akwasi Owusu-Ansah), and linebacker Tim Dobbins.[source 1]
- ^ #79: San Francisco → San Diego (D). San Francisco traded this selection to San Diego for a third-round selection (91st overall; San Francisco selected NaVorro Bowman), a sixth-round selection it acquired from Miami (173rd overall; San Francisco selected Anthony Dixon), and a fourth-round selection.[source 2]
- ^ #110: Miami → San Diego (D). See #12: Miami → San Diego above.
- ^ #146: multiple trades:
- #146: Denver → Detroit (PD). Denver traded this selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (235th overall; Detroit selected Zack Follett) to Detroit for a 2009 sixth-round selection (174th overall; Denver selected Tom Brandstater).[source 3]
- #146: Detroit → Cleveland (PD). Detroit traded this selection it Mickey Shuler, Jr.).[source 4]
- #146: Cleveland → Philadelphia (D). See #59: Philadelphia → Cleveland above.
- #146: Philadelphia → San Diego (D). Philadelphia traded this selection it acquired from Cleveland to San Diego for a fifth-round selection (159th overall; Philadelphia selected Riley Cooper) and a 2011 fifth-round selection.[source 5]
Coaching staff
| San Diego Chargers 2010 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Final roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 14 | Chicago Bears | W 25–10 | 1–0 | Qualcomm Stadium |
Recap |
| 2 | August 21 | Dallas Cowboys | L 14–16 | 1–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | at New Orleans Saints | L 21–36 | 1–2 | Louisiana Superdome |
Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 14–17 | 1–3 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 14–21 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 19 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 38–13 | 1–1 | Qualcomm Stadium |
Recap | ||
| 3 | September 26 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 20–27 | 1–2 | Qwest Field |
Recap | ||
| 4 | October 3 | Arizona Cardinals | W 41–10 | 2–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 5 | October 10 | at Oakland Raiders | L 27–35 | 2–3 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
Recap | ||
| 6 | October 17 | at St. Louis Rams | L 17–20 | 2–4 | Edward Jones Dome |
Recap | ||
| 7 | October 24 | New England Patriots | L 20–23 | 2–5 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 8 | October 31 | Tennessee Titans | W 33–25 | 3–5 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 9 | November 7 | at Houston Texans | W 29–23 | 4–5 | Reliant Stadium |
Recap | ||
| 10 | Bye | |||||||
| 11 | November 22 | Denver Broncos | W 35–14 | 5–5 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 12 | November 28 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 36–14 | 6–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | ||
| 13 | December 5 | Oakland Raiders | L 13–28 | 6–6 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 14 | December 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 31–0 | 7–6 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 15 | December 16 | San Francisco 49ers | W 34–7 | 8–6 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 26 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 20–34 | 8–7 | Paul Brown Stadium |
Recap | ||
| 17 | January 2 | at Denver Broncos | W 33–28 | 9–7 | Invesco Field at Mile High | Recap | ||
Game summaries
Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 13
- Game time: 9:20 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C), Rain & wind
- Game attendance: 71,297
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (ESPN): Brad Nessler, Trent Dilfer, & Suzy Kolber
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Chargers began their season at Arrowhead Stadium for a division rivalry match against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first quarter the Chargers took the early lead as QB Philip Rivers completed a 3-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates. The Chiefs replied when RB Jamaal Charles made a 56-yard TD run. In the 2nd quarter the Chargers fell behind when QB Matt Cassel completed a 2-yard TD pass to TE Tony Moeaki. This was followed by WR Dexter McCluster returning a punt 94 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. In the third quarter the Chargers cut the lead when QB Philip Rivers threw a 59-yard TD pass to WR Legedu Naanee. In the 4th quarter the Chiefs defense prevented any more scoring from the Chargers.
With the loss, San Diego began at 0–1.
Week 2: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 38 |
at
- Date: September 19
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 62,691
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker (blacked out locally)
- Game Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Chiefs, the Chargers returned home for an AFC duel with the Jaguars. In the 1st quarter, San Diego took the early lead as FB Mike Tolbert made a 2-yard TD run. The Jaguars replied with kicker Josh Scobee hitting a 44-yard field goal. The Chargers increased their lead as QB Philip Rivers completed a 9-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates. The Jaguars tried to cut the lead with Scobee nailing a 48-yard field goal. The Chargers continued to score with Rivers making a 4-yard TD pass to Gates; followed in the 3rd quarter by kicker Nate Kaeding getting a 41-yard field goal. In the 4th quarter the Chargers continued to dominate with FB Mike Tolbert getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Rivers completing a 54-yard TD pass to WR Malcolm Floyd. The lead was slightly narrowed when QB David Garrard made a 3-yard TD pass to WR Mike Sims-Walker.
With the win, the Chargers improved to 1–1.
Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 20 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at
- Date: September 26
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 67,106
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their win over the Jaguars the Chargers flew to
With the loss, San Diego fell to 1–2.
Week 4: vs. Arizona Cardinals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Chargers | 7 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 41 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 1:15 p.m.
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Seahawks the Chargers played on home ground for an inter-conference duel with the Cardinals. In the 1st quarter the Chargers took the early lead as QB Philip Rivers completed a 33-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates, but had a problem maintaining this lead in the 2nd quarter when FS Kerry Rhodes recovered a fumble and ran 2 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. After that, the Chargers went on a scoring rally with FB Mike Tolbert making a 5-yard TD run, followed by Rivers making a 26-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates. Then OLB Shaun Phillips successfully caught an interception and ran 31 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. This was followed in the 3rd quarter by kicker Nate Kaeding making a 48-yard field goal. Then RB Ryan Mathews got a 15-yard TD run. This was followed in the 4th quarter by Kaeding nailing a 47-yard field goal. The Cardinals tried to cut the lead, but only came away with kicker Jay Feely's 53-yard field goal.
With the win, San Diego improved to 2–2.
Week 5: at Oakland Raiders
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Raiders | 12 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 35 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: October 10
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: (Clear)
- Game attendance: 48,279
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their win over the Cardinals the Chargers flew to
With the loss, San Diego fell to 2–3 for the 4th straight season.
Week 6: at St. Louis Rams
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Rams | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at
- Date: October 17
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 52,472
- Referee: Scott Green
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Beuerlein
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Raiders the Chargers flew to
With the loss, San Diego fell to 2–4 and surpassed their 2009 loss total.
Week 7: vs. New England Patriots
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 20 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: October 24
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 68,836
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to break their current losing streak the Chargers played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Patriots. In the 1st quarter the Chargers took the lead as kicker Kris Brown made a 32-yard field goal, but they fell behind with QB Tom Brady making a 1-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski; followed in the second quarter by kicker Stephen Gostkowski getting a 40 and a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter the Chargers continued to struggle with RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis getting a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter the Chargers replied with Brown making a 28-yard field goal, but the Patriots continued to score with a 35-yard field goal from Gostkowski. The Chargers tried to cut the lead with QB Philip Rivers making a 4-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates, and with FB Mike Tolbert making a 1-yard TD run, but the Chargers got called for false start which turned a 45yd FG into a 50yd, and Kris Brown missed on the final play.
With the loss, San Diego fell to 2–5.
Week 8: vs. Tennessee Titans
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 5 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 25 |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 33 |
at
- Date: October 31
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 59,260
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to break their current losing streak the Chargers played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Titans. In the first quarter the Chargers trailed early when the Chargers' punt was blocked by Nick Schommer out of bounds for a safety. The Chargers replied with FB Mike Tolbert getting a 1-yard TD run. The Chargers fell behind with kicker Rob Bironas nailing a 21-yard field goal, followed in the second quarter by QB Vince Young completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Craig Stevens. The Chargers struggled further with RB Chris Johnson getting a 29-yard TD run. The Chargers then went on a scoring rally with RB Ryan Mathews making a 7-yard TD run, followed in the third quarter by kicker Kris Brown making a 34-yard field goal. Then QB Philip Rivers completed a 48-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates, and then Brown made a 36-yard field goal. The lead was narrowed with Young finding WR Nate Washington on a 71-yard TD pass (with a failed 2-point conversion), but couldn't do anything after Rivers got a 13-yard TD pass to RB Darren Sproles (PAT aborted).
With the win, the Chargers improve to 3–5.
Week 9: at Houston Texans
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 14 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 29 |
| Texans | 10 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 7
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 70,886
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to increase their winning streak the Chargers moved to
With the win, the Chargers went into their bye week at 4–5.
Week 11: Denver Broncos
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 22
- Game time: 5:30 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), partly cloudy
- Game attendance: 68,482
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden, Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber
- Game Book, Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their bye week, the Chargers went home for a Week 11 AFC West duel with the Denver Broncos on Monday night. San Diego trailed early in the first quarter as Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno got a 4-yard touchdown run. The Chargers answered with quarterback Philip Rivers finding wide receiver Malcolm Floyd on a 6-yard touchdown pass. San Diego took the lead in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from fullback Mike Tolbert, followed by Rivers finding wide receiver Patrick Crayton on a 40-yard touchdown pass.
The Chargers added onto their lead in the third quarter as Rivers connected with running back Darren Sproles on a 57-yard touchdown pass. San Diego continued its dominating night with Rivers' 3-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jacob Hester. Denver would close out the game with quarterback Kyle Orton completing a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.
With the win, the Chargers improved to 5–5.
Week 12: at Indianapolis Colts
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 36 |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at
- Date: November 28
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Roof closed, retractable roof stadium
- Game attendance: 67,471
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, & Andrea Kremer
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Chargers' eleventh game was an AFC duel against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. They trailed early in the first quarter after QB Peyton Manning made a 4-yard TD pass to TE Jacob Tamme. They eventually pulled ahead after kicker Nate Kaeding made a 28-yard field goal, followed by ILB Kevin Burnett returning an interception 29 yards for a touchdown, and then with Kaeding hitting a 33 and a 50-yard field goal. Their lead was narrowed when Manning made a 6-yard TD pass to WR Blair White, but the Chargers controlled the second half with Kaeding getting a 30-yard field goal, which was shortly followed by FS Eric Weddle returning an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, then with FB Mike Tolbert getting a 3-yard TD run, and Kaeding making a 20-yard field goal, settling both teams records to 6–5.
Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
at
- Date: December 5
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) (Cloudy and Sun)
- Game attendance: 68,163
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Dan Fouts
- Gamebook Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their win over the Colts the Chargers played on home ground for a rematch against the Raiders. The Chargers trailed early as QB Jason Campbell scrambled 9 yards for a touchdown, followed by his 4-yard TD pass to WR Jacoby Ford. They replied in the second quarter as kicker Nate Kaeding nailed a 39-yard field goal, but trailed further with RB Michael Bush getting a 7-yard TD run. The Chargers cut the lead with Kaeding hitting a 33-yard field goal, followed by QB Philip Rivers completing a 4-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates. The Raiders would finish off with Darren McFadden making a 7-yard TD run.
With the loss, San Diego fell to 6–6 and were swept by the Raiders for the first time since 2001.
Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
at
- Date: December 12
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 66,780
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Raiders the Chargers played on home ground for an AFC West rivalry rematch against the Chiefs. The Chargers took control of the game with QB Philip Rivers throwing a 17-yard TD pass to WR Malcolm Floyd, followed by FB Mike Tolbert getting an 8-yard TD run. The lead was increased with Rivers finding Floyd again on a 9-yard TD pass. This was followed in the fourth quarter by kicker Nate Kaeding nailing a 48-yard field goal, and then by RB Ryan Mathews getting a 15-yard TD run.
With the shutout win over Kansas City, San Diego improved to 7–6.
Week 15: vs. San Francisco 49ers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: December 16
- Game time: 5:20 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 67,820
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (NFLN): Bob Papa, Matt Millen and Joe Theismann
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Chargers' fourteenth game was an interconference duel with the 49ers which was played on Thursday Night. The Chargers took a quick lead with QB Philip Rivers throwing a 58-yard TD pass to WR Vincent Jackson. The lead was extended in the second quarter by kicker Nate Kaeding nailing a 25-yard field goal, followed by Rivers finding Jackson on an 11-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers continued to dominate with FB Mike Tolbert getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Rivers connecting to Jackson on a 48-yard TD pass, then with Kaeding hitting a 39-yard field goal. The 49ers made their only score of the game with RB Brian Westbrook getting a 1-yard TD run.
This game was also a blowout and San Diego improved to 8–6.
Week 16: at Cincinnati Bengals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
| Bengals | 7 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 34 |
at
- Date: December 26
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 25 °F (−4 °C) (Cloudy with flurries)
- Game attendance: 54,194
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to make it three straight the Chargers flew to
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 8–7. With Kansas City winning earlier in the day, the loss prevented the Chargers from making their sixth playoff appearance in seven years.
Week 17: at Denver Broncos
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 33 |
| Broncos | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at
- Date: January 2
- Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
- Game attendance: 74,155
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Beuerlein
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Chargers' final game was a division rivalry rematch against the Broncos. In the first quarter the Chargers trailed early as QB Tim Tebow threw a 14-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Lloyd. They eventually overcame this deficit with RB Ryan Mathews getting a 27-yard TD run, followed by kicker Nate Kaeding nailing a 42, 45 and 47-yard field goal to put the Chargers up 16–7. They extended their lead in the third quarter with Mathews getting a 12-yard TD run, followed by Kaeding hitting a 37-yard field goal. The lead was narrowed with QB Tim Tebow completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR Eric Decker, but the Chargers increased their lead with Mathews getting a 31-yard TD run. The lead was narrowed further with Cassius Vaughn returning the kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, followed by Tebow scrambling 6 yards for a touchdown, but the Chargers still managed to hold on for the win. The Chargers finished the 2010–11 NFL season as the only team ever to rank first in overall offense (396 yds/g) and overall defense (272 yds/g), in terms of total yards gained and allowed, and not make the playoffs the same year. Since 1970 the previous four NFL teams to accomplish that statistical feat all qualified for the post-season in those respective years.[citation needed]
With the win against the Broncos, San Diego finished with a 9–7 record.
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (4) Kansas City Chiefs | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 366 | 326 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 441 | 322 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 6–0 | 6–6 | 410 | 371 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 344 | 471 | L1 |
Legacy
In 2019 SB Nation deemed the 2010 Chargers to be one of the greatest NFL teams of all time, despite missing the playoffs, if the special teams unit was excluded.[4]
Notes and references
- ^ Judge, Clark (August 20, 2011). "Another slow start for Chargers? After lockout, maybe not". CBSSports.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012.
- ^ a b Acee, Kevin (August 1, 2011). "Bolts kick teams get new name". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012.
- ^ Final 2010 DVOA Ratings
- ^ a b "One of the all-time greatest NFL teams didn't even make the playoffs". YouTube. SB Nation. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
- ^ Acee, Kevin (December 19, 2010). "Sunday no help to Chargers' playoff hopes". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
External links
- 2011 San Diego Chargers Media Guide
- Team schedule on NFL.com
- Chargers 2010 Draft selections on NFL.com
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