1998 San Diego Chargers season

NFL team 39th season November 2013 March 2026 San Diego Chargers 1998 5–11 5th AFC West Kevin Gilbride (fired October 14, 2–4 record)June Jones (interim, 3–7 record) Bobby Beathard Alex Spanos Qualcomm Stadium Did not qualify 2 S Rodney Harrison LB Junior Seau 2 S Rodney Harrison (1st team) LB Junior Seau (1st team) Chargers seasons The 1998 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 29th season in the National Football League (NFL), its 39th overall and was the second and final season under Kevin Gilbride. After a 2–4 start, Gilbride was fired and June Jones coached the final ten games of the season as interim head coach, the team going 3–7 under his stewardship. San Diego's defense led the league in yards allowed; however, a weak offense under infamous draft bust quarterback Ryan Leaf meant that the team was last in the AFC West. The team scored a total of 241 points, an average of 15.1 points per game, the second lowest in the NFL, with only the Philadelphia Eagles performing worse with 161 (10.1 per game).https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sdg/1998.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 1998 San Diego Chargers Statistics & Players January 4, 2022https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1998.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 1998 Philadelphia Eagles Statistics & Players January 4, 2022 With the retirement of Stan Humphries, the Chargers went into the draft seeking a new quarterback. There were two outstanding prospects; when Indianapolis took future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the #1 pick, Leaf went to San Diego. Immediately named the starter, he began 2–0 before an infamous performance at Kansas City, after which he was caught on camera shouting at a reporter.https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/24/sports/pro-football-leaf-seeks-turnabout-following-tantrum.html PRO FOOTBALL; Leaf Seeks Turnabout Following Tantrum The New York Times September 24, 1998 Pennington Bill Leaf finished with 15 interceptions and only two touchdown passes in ten games; Craig Whelihan replaced him as the starter for the final seven games, but also performed poorly. The two combined for 34 interceptions, the worst tally in the NFL for a decade; San Diego had 51 turnovers in total, 8 more than any other team in 1998. The inexperienced quarterbacks were hampered by the departure of star receiver Tony Martin during the offseason. Leaf's passer rating in 1998 was only 39, which was an NFL-worst. No starting quarterback since then has matched this number or beaten it. In his absence, Charlie Jones led the team with 699 yards, while tight end Freddie Jones had the most receptions with 57. Natrone Means returned to lead the rushing attack after two seasons in Jacksonville. He performed well prior to a season-ending injury, gaining 883 yards in ten games, or 88.3 yards a game. On defense, Norman Hand was promoted to starting defensive tackle, and led the team with 6.0 sacks; Greg Jackson had the most interceptions, with six. His six interceptions were the most by a Charger since Darren Carrington intercepted 7 passes in 1993. Pro bowlers Junior Seau and Rodney Harrison made 115 and 114 tackles respectively – the most any other player had was 63. Kicker John Carney, who had been injured for most of the previous season, returned and converted 26 attempts out of 30. The ineffective offense and rookie Leaf's obnoxious behavior toward teammates damaged morale; outside linebacker Lew Bush recalled"Try going into a game you have no chance of winning, knowing that if you give up more than one touchdown, it's over Strong safety Rodney Harrison described the season asa nightmare you can't even imagine. If I had to go through another year like that, I'd probably quit playing".Silver Michael San Diego Chargers – After a season of discontent there's reason to be upbeat https://www.si.com/vault/1999/08/30/265631/5-san-diego-chargers-after-a-season-of-discontent-theres-reason-to-be-upbeat-ryan-leaf-is-out-two-veteran-passers-are-in-and-the-new-coach-unlike-the-old-one-is-a-nice-guy February 21, 2012 Sports Illustrated August 30, 1999 Following the season, Oregon State head coach Mike Riley was named Chargers' head coach. 3 Offseason NFL draft 1998 NFL draft 1998 San Diego Chargers 1 2 Ryan Leaf Quarterback Washington State from Arizona yes 2 59 Mikhael Ricks Tight end Stephen F. Austin yes 5 126 Cedric Harden Defensive end Florida A&M yes 6 155 Clifford Ivory Cornerback Troy State no 7 194 Jon Haskins Linebacker Stanford yes 7 234 Kio Sanford Wide receiver Kentucky no no Supplemental draft 1998 NFL draft 1998 San Diego Chargers 2 2 Jamal Williams Defensive tackle Oklahoma State yes yes no Undrafted free agents + 1998 undrafted free agents of note Player Position CollegeJeff BakerQuarterbackWisconsin–La CrosseJeremy EarpWide receiverWisconsin–La Crosse Personnel Staff 1998 San Diego Chargers chairman of the board – Alex Spanos President/vice chairman – Dean Spanos general manager – Bobby Beathard Director of player personnel – Billy Devaney Director of pro personnel – Greg Gaines Coordinator of football operations – Ed McGuire Head coach – Kevin Gilbride Assistant head coach – Nick Nicolau Offensive coordinator – Mike Sheppard Quarterbacks – June Jones Running backs – Ollie Wilson Tight ends – Bill MacDermott Offensive line – Joe Bugel Offensive assistant – Mike Cavanaugh Defensive coordinator – Joe Pascale Defensive line – Wayne Nunnely Linebackers – Jim Vechiarella Defensive backs – Rod Perry Defensive assistant – Kevin Lempa Special teams – Frank Novak Strength and conditioning – John Hastings 2009 San Diego Chargers Media Guide 326–327 http://www.chargers.com/team/media-guide.html July 27, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20141015162303/http://www.chargers.com/team/media-guide.html October 15, 2014 dead Roster 1998 San Diego Chargers 4  7 Jeff Baker American football y 16 Ryan Leaf y  5 Craig Whelihan 43 Kenny Bynum 41 Terrell Fletcher 20 Natrone Means 34 Tremayne Stephens 85 Tony Gaiter 82 Charlie Jones American football, born 1972 10 Mikhael Ricks y 80 Bryan Still 87 Ryan Thelwell y 83 John Burke American football 81 Wendell Davis tight end y 89 Frank Hartley American football 88 Freddie Jones American_football 67 Roman Fortin C 71 DeMingo Graham y G 65 John Jackson offensive tackle T 64 Kendyl Jacox G 63 Raleigh McKenzie G 79 Marcus Price T 74 Raleigh Roundtree T 72 Troy Sienkiewicz G 73 Aaron Taylor American football, born 1972 G 90 Marco Coleman DE 95 William Fuller American football DE 96 Norman Hand DT 99 Raylee Johnson DE 94 Chris Mims DE 98 Mike Mohring American football DT 97 John Parrella DT 76 Jamal Williams y DT 52 James Burgess gridiron football OLB 51 Gerald Dixon OLB 54 Kurt Gouveia MLB 53 Michael Hamilton American football OLB 55 Junior Seau OLB 56 Steve Tovar MLB 31 Willie Clark American football CB 27 Charles Dimry CB 33 Dedrick Dodge FS 37 Rodney Harrison SS 42 Greg Jackson American football FS 36 Lloyd Lee y FS 26 Reggie Rusk CB 29 Terrance Shaw CB 22 Jimmy Spencer CB American football 21 Scott Turner politician CB 23 Gerome Williams SS  2 Darren Bennett football player P 50 David Binn LS  3 John Carney American football K 25 Paul Bradford American football CB IR 58 Lewis Bush LB IR 93 Reuben Davis American football DT IR 20 Mike Dumas S IR 92 Cedric Harden y DE IR 28 Dwayne Harper CB IR 70 Vaughn Parker T IR 84 Webster Slaughter WR IR -- Israel Ifeanyi DE -- Bill Kushner American football P 17 Anthony Rodgers American football WR -- Justin Watson running back y RB 53 8 Preseason WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance 1 August 8 San Francisco 49ers W 27–21 1–0 Qualcomm Stadium 2 August 15 St. Louis Rams W 41–27 2–0 Qualcomm Stadium 3 August 22 at Indianapolis Colts W 33–3 3–0 RCA Dome 4 August 28 at Minnesota Vikings L 28–42 3–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/chargers/tcv8eed5f0tt6mxvavys chargers.com 2021 Los Angeles Chargers Media Guide Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 6 Buffalo Bills W 16–14 1–0 Qualcomm Stadium 64,037 2 September 13 at Tennessee Oilers W 13–7 2–0 Vanderbilt Stadium 41,089 3 September 20 at Kansas City Chiefs L 7–23 2–1 Arrowhead Stadium 73,730 4 September 27 New York Giants L 16–34 2–2 Qualcomm Stadium 55,672 5 October 4 at Indianapolis Colts L 12–17 2–3 RCA Dome 51,988 6 October 11 at Oakland Raiders L 6–7 2–4 Network Associates Coliseum 42,467 7 October 18 Philadelphia Eagles W 13–10 3–4 Qualcomm Stadium 56,967 8 October 25 Seattle Seahawks L 20–27 3–5 Qualcomm Stadium 58,512 9 Bye 10 November 8 at Denver Broncos L 10–27 3–6 Mile High Stadium 74,925 11 November 15 Baltimore Ravens W 14–13 4–6 Qualcomm Stadium 54,388 12 November 22 Kansas City Chiefs W 38–37 5–6 Qualcomm Stadium 59,894 13 November 29 Denver Broncos L 16–31 5–7 Qualcomm Stadium 66,532 14 December 6 at Washington Redskins L 20–24 5–8 Jack Kent Cooke Stadium 65,713 15 December 13 at Seattle Seahawks L 17–38 5–9 Kingdome 62,690 16 December 20 Oakland Raiders L 10–17 5–10 Qualcomm Stadium 60,716 17 December 27 at Arizona Cardinals L 13–16 5–11 Sun Devil Stadium 71,670Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Buffalo Bills San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 6 1:15 p.m. PDT Bills 0 0 7 7 Chargers 3 0 10 3 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 64,037 73 °F 1, relative humidity 83%, wind 9 mph Ron Blum CBS Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker Box score First quarter SDG – John Carney 48-yard field goal, 1:06. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 5:19. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter SDG – Bryan Still 6-yard pass from Ryan Leaf (John Carney kick), 13:16. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:44. BUF – Andre Reed 43-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 8:50. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 1 play, 66 yards, 0:12. SDG – John Carney 47-yard field goal, 3:00. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 5:50. Fourth quarter BUF – Andre Reed 5-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 9:05. Bills 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 4:52. SDG – John Carney 54-yard field goal, 4:30. Chargers 16–14. Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 4:35. Top passers BUF – Doug Flutie – 12/20, 158 yards, 2 TD, INT SDG – Ryan Leaf – 16/31, 192 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers BUF – Antowain Smith – 20 rushes, 54 yards SDG – Natrone Means – 15 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers BUF – Andre Reed – 7 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TD SDG – Bryan Still – 6 receptions, 128 yards, TD A missed field goal allowed the Chargers to escape with a win on Ryan Leaf's debut. Leaf had an uncertain start, fumbling his first snap (the Chargers recovered), and throwing an interception in Bills' territory. The San Diego defense, however, allowed only 73 yards in the first half, and the Chargers led 3–0 at the break. Leaf found Bryan Still for 67 yards on the first play of the 3rd quarter, and hit the same player on a fade route two plays later for his first NFL touchdown pass. However, with San Diego up 13–7 in the 4th quarter, Leaf threw his second interception, setting up Buffalo for a 31-yard drive culminating when Doug Flutie and Andre Reed combined for their second touchdown pass of the day. John Carney's 54-yard field goal on the next possession clipped the upright but still went through, restoring the lead. Buffalo faced a 4th and 26 on their final possession, but a 36-yard pass interference penalty on Terrence Shaw kept the drive going. Seven plays later, Steve Christie, who had earlier missed from just 21 yards out, pushed a 39-yarder wide left with three seconds left, and the Chargers had the win. This game constituted the first time since 1985 that the Chargers played the Buffalo Bills.Buffalo Bills v San Diego Chargers The reason for this is that before the admission of the Texans in 2002, NFL scheduling formulas for games outside a team's division were much more influenced by table position during the previous season.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=521 History of the NFL's structure and formats, part two Jason Lisk May 19, 2008 Pro-Football-Reference.com https://web.archive.org/web/20111105192802/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=521 November 5, 2011 September 2, 2022 Week 2: at Tennessee Oilers San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Oilers – Game summary September 13 12:00 p.m. CDT Chargers 3 3 7 0 Oilers 0 7 0 0 Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee 41,089 76 °F 1, relative humidity 47%, wind 4 mph Tom White CBS Kevin Harlan and Sam Wyche Box score First quarter SDG – John Carney 48-yard field goal, 2:27. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:35. Second quarter SDG – John Carney 23-yard field goal, 4:30. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 6:55. TEN – Frank Wycheck 15-yard pass from Steve McNair (Al Del Greco kick), 0:22. Oilers 7–6. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 4:08. Third quarter SDG – Natrone Means 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 3:53. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:51. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers SDG – Ryan Leaf – 13/24, 179 yards TEN – Steve McNair – 20/34, 193 yards, TD Top rushers SDG – Natrone Means – 23 rushes, 87 yards, TD TEN – Steve McNair – 3 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers SDG – Bryan Still – 3 receptions, 59 yards TEN – Frank Wycheck – 7 receptions, 55 yards, TD Another strong defensive performance gave San Diego their second win. The lone Tennessee score was aided by a fake punt on 4th and 10; after Natrone Means put the Chargers up 13–7 in the 3rd quarter, the Oilers failed to cross midfield in their final four possessions. Ryan Leaf had a cleaner game, passing for 179 yards with no turnovers, while rushing for 31 yards, including a 20-yard scramble that set up Means' touchdown. Leaf became the first rookie to start 2–0 since John Elway in 1983, but would win only twice more in his entire career. Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary September 20 12:00 p.m. CDT Chargers 0 0 7 0 Chiefs 6 10 7 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 73,730 71 °F 1, relative humidity 86%, wind 10 mph Dick Hantak CBS Kevin Harlan and Sam Wyche Box score First quarter KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 35-yard field goal, 10:37. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 23 yards, 2:42. KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 31-yard field goal, 2:11. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 6:44. Second quarter KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 33-yard field goal, 14:52. Chiefs 9–0. Drive: 5 plays, 9 yards, 1:26. KAN – Andre Rison 44-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 13:37. Chiefs 16–0. Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 0:54. Third quarter KAN – Tony Richardson 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 12:28. Chiefs 23–0. Drive: 1 play, 37 yards, 0:11. SDG – Natrone Means 72-yard run (John Carney kick), 4:25. Chiefs 23–7. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:14. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers SDG – Ryan Leaf – 1/15, 4 yards, 2 INT KAN – Rich Gannon – 10/29, 144 yards, TD Top rushers SDG – Natrone Means – 22 rushes, 165 yards, TD KAN – Donnell Bennett – 30 rushes, 87 yards Top receivers SDG – Freddie Jones – 1 reception, 4 yards KAN – Andre Rison – 1 reception, 44 yards, TD The Chiefs' defense brought Ryan Leaf savagely back down to earth, as he posted the only 0.0 passer rating by any QB during the 1998 season. Leaf completed 1 pass in 15 attempts for 4 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions – he also lost three fumbles, committing five turnovers on the Chargers' first seven possessions. With a pair of sacks pushing them to minus-19 net passing yards, the Chargers had the worst total by any NFL team for 13 years.https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/what-are-the-fewest-net-passing-yards-in-a-game-by-any-team What Are the Fewest Net Passing Yards in a Game by Any Team Natrone Means was the lone bright spot on offense; he ran 22 times for a career-high 165 yards, and prevented the shutout with a career-long 72 yard touchdown run. Week 4: vs. New York Giants San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: New York Giants at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 27 1:15 p.m. PDT Giants 14 7 7 6 Chargers 0 6 10 0 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 55,672 66 °F 1, relative humidity 69%, wind 7 mph Phil Luckett FOX Dick Stockton and Matt Millen Box score First quarter NYG – Gary Brown 4-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 4:08. Giants 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 4:01. NYG – Chris Calloway 25-yard pass from Danny Kanell (Brad Daluiso kick), 0:50. Giants 14–0. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:38. Second quarter NYG – Charles Way 1-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 7:52. Giants 21–0. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:23. SDG – John Carney 41-yard field goal, 1:51. Giants 21–3. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 2:21. SDG – John Carney 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Giants 21–6. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 0:51. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 34-yard field goal, 9:33. Giants 21–9. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:43. NYG – Percy Ellsworth 20-yard interception return (Brad Daluiso kick), 7:38. Giants 28–9. SDG – Charlie Jones 41-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (John Carney kick), 5:28. Giants 28–16. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 2:10. Fourth quarter NYG – Brad Daluiso 32-yard field goal, 11:43. Giants 31–16. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 2:05. NYG – Brad Daluiso 19-yard field goal, 4:48. Giants 34–16. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:52. Top passers NYG – Danny Kanell – 17/33, 208 yards, TD, INT SDG – Ryan Leaf – 15/34, 193 yards, 4 INT Top rushers NYG – Gary Brown – 20 rushes, 66 yards, TD SDG – Natrone Means – 11 rushes, 56 yards Top receivers NYG – Chris Calloway – 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD SDG – Bryan Still – 8 receptions, 104 yards Leaf struggled again, throwing interceptions on three consecutive first half possessions as the Giants built a 21–0 lead. An improvement saw John Carney hit three field goals in quick succession, sandwiched around the halftime break, closing the gap to 12 points. However, Leaf then threw a fourth interception, this one returned by Percy Ellsworth for a touchdown. The rookie QB was then benched for Craig Whelihan, who promptly hit Charlie Jones for a 41-yard touchdown, but could get the team no closer. This would be the Chargers last loss to the Giants until 2025. Week 5: at Indianapolis Colts San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary October 4 1:00 p.m. EDT Chargers 0 6 0 6 Colts 11 0 0 6 RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana 51,988 Dome Bill Carollo CBS Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker Box score First quarter IND – Marshall Faulk 19-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Ken Dilger run), 8:37. Colts 8–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:44. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 48-yard field goal, 4:11. Colts 11–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:27. Second quarter SDG – John Carney 50-yard field goal, 14:12. Colts 11–3. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:49. SDG – John Carney 25-yard field goal, 1:55. Colts 11–6. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 2:54. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter IND – Mike Vanderjagt 51-yard field goal, 6:14. Colts 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:35. SDG – Natrone Means 1-yard run (pass failed), 1:48. Colts 14–12. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:26. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 40-yard field goal, 1:14. Colts 17–12. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:34. Top passers SDG – Ryan Leaf – 12/23, 160 yards, INT IND – Peyton Manning – 12/23, 137 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Natrone Means – 31 rushes, 130 yards, TD IND – Marshall Faulk – 25 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers SDG – Charlie Jones – 2 receptions, 66 yards IND – Marshall Faulk – 4 receptions, 44 yards, TD This game featured the first two picks in the 1998 NFL draft. Ryan Leaf had previously outplayed Peyton Manning in a preseason game,https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/23/sports/nfl-preseason-leaf-outduels-manning.html N.F.L.: PRESEASON; Leaf Outduels Manning The New York Times August 23, 1998 but this was their first and only competitive meeting. Manning had the better start, hitting Marshall Faulk for the opening score after Leaf had been intercepted; a trick play on the conversion made it 8–0 to the Colts. The defenses took over from there, with two field goals each the only scores until the final few minutes. Then Leaf found Charlie Jones for a 56-yard completion down to the one, and Means ran it in on the next play. However, Leaf's two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, leaving the score at 14–12. Indianapolis recovered an onside kick attempt and added a field goal, before stopping San Diego on downs with 33 seconds remaining. The win was Peyton Manning's first in the NFL. The two quarterbacks had nearly identical stat lines, each completing 12 of 23 passes while throwing one interception. Leaf had a small yardage advantage (160 to 137), while Manning had the game's lone touchdown pass. Means rushed for 130 yards on 31 carries. Week 6: at Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary October 11 4:15 p.m. PDT Chargers 0 3 0 3 Raiders 0 0 0 7 Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California 42,467 61 °F 1, relative humidity 60%, wind 7 mph Bernie Kukar CBS Ian Eagle and Mark May Box score First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – John Carney 39-yard field goal, 10:08. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 1:46. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – John Carney 48-yard field goal, 3:09. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 8:29. OAK – James Jett 68-yard pass from Wade Wilson (Greg Davis kick), 1:28. Raiders 7–6. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 0:25. Top passers SDG – Ryan Leaf – 7/18, 78 yards, 3 INT OAK – Donald Hollas – 12/35, 101 yards, INT Top rushers SDG – Natrone Means – 37 rushes, 101 yards OAK – Napoleon Kaufman – 12 rushes, 17 yards Top receivers SDG – Natrone Means – 6 receptions, 66 yards OAK – James Jett – 1 reception, 68 yards, TD A late lapse cost the Chargers victory in a game of uncommon defensive dominance. The Raiders' Leo Araguz set an NFL record by punting 16 times in the game, with 14 of these coming after going three-and-out. Starting QB Donald Hollis completed only 12 passes out of 35 for 101 yards and an interception, while their rushing attack was limited to 18 yards on 18 carries. San Diego's offense fared little better. They opened the scoring with a John Carney field goal, but that came after a 56-yard punt return by Latario Rachal set them up at the Raiders' 20. Ryan Leaf completed 7 of 18 passes for 78 yards, with three passes picked off. After the last of these, he was pulled in favour of Craig Whelihan, who threw a further interception on his second passing attempt. On their next possession, the Chargers quit attempting to pass entirely, calling nothing but runs on a 13 play, 68-yard drive that took up most of the 4th quarter, and led to Carney's second field goal. Following an exchange of punts, the Raiders took over on their own 32, where they faced a 3rd and 10 with 1:38 remaining. Backup QB Wade Wilson, who had missed on his first six passes, then found James Jett behind the defense for the winning touchdown. San Diego tried to respond, but on a 4th and 6 from the Raiders' 38, Means was stopped inches short of a first down and Oakland ran out the clock. Means was again the lone highlight on offense for the Chargers, gaining 101 yards on 37 carries, while his 167 combined yards rushing and receiving accounted for over 85% of the Chargers 195 yards of total offense. For the Raiders, over 42% of their 159 yards came on the winning play. Head coach Kevin Gilbride was fired three days after the game.https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19981014&id=O-g0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=KCEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=2550,5434767 Chargers fire coach Kevin Gilbride Lodi News-Sentinel Lodi, California October 14, 1998 Google News Archive Search Quarterbacks coach June Jones took his place for the remainder of the campaign. The NFL released highlights of the game, titled "The UGLIEST Win EVER!"Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrRL_AIRtJ8 The UGLIEST Win EVER! (Chargers vs. Raiders, 1998) NFL Record For Punts! YouTube Week 7: vs. Philadelphia Eagles San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Philadelphia Eagles at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 18 4:15 p.m. PDT Eagles 0 3 0 7 Chargers 3 0 7 3 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 64,037 66 °F 1, relative humidity 38%, wind 8 mph Bob McElwee FOX Tim Ryan, Bill Maas and Ronnie Lott Box score First quarter SDG – John Carney 23-yard field goal, 10:36. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:24. Second quarter PHI – Chris Boniol 35-yard field goal, 8:41. Tied 3–3. Drive: 18 plays, 62 yards, 7:20. Third quarter SDG – Natrone Means 14-yard run (John Carney kick), 6:16. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 5:11. Fourth quarter PHI – Charlie Garner 12-yard run (Chris Boniol kick), 11:32. Tied 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 3:00. SDG – John Carney 26-yard field goal, 7:18. Chargers 13–10. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:52. Top passers PHI – Rodney Peete – 22/39, 232 yards, 2 INT SDG – Ryan Leaf – 9/19, 83 yards Top rushers PHI – Duce Staley – 14 rushes, 41 yards SDG – Natrone Means – 21 rushes, 112 yards, TD Top receivers PHI – Russell Copeland – 6 receptions, 69 yards SDG – Bryan Still – 3 receptions, 28 yards In a familiar story, it was Natrone Means (112 yards) and the defense who led San Diego as they broke their four-game losing streak. Means rushed four times for 32 yards on the game's opening possession, leading to a field goal; on the first Charger drive of the second half, he carried four times for 43 yards and a touchdown. Leaf passed for only 83 yards, and lost 55 yards in sacks, but threw no interceptions, and San Diego won the turnover battle for the first time all season (4–1). Norman Hand intercepted a tipped pass to set up the game-winning field goal, and Junior Seau ended the final Eagles threat when he recovered a fumble caused by Charles Dimry. Week 8: vs. Seattle Seahawks San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 25 4:15 p.m. PST Seahawks 7 10 3 7 Chargers 0 10 7 3 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 58,512 65 °F 1, relative humidity 80%, wind 8 mph Larry Nemmers CBS Ian Eagle and Mark May Box score First quarter SEA – Joey Galloway 81-yard pass from John Friesz (Todd Peterson kick), 8:46. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 88 yards, 1:23. Second quarter SDG – John Carney 21-yard field goal, 10:46. Seahawks 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:42. SEA – Todd Peterson 40-yard field goal, 8:51. Seahawks 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 1:55. SEA – Joey Galloway 74-yard punt return (Todd Peterson kick), 7:26. Seahawks 17–3. SDG – Mikhael Ricks 5-yard pass from Ryan Leaf (John Carney kick), 0:33. Seahawks 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:53. Third quarter SDG – Natrone Means 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 5:35. Tied 17–17. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:47. SEA – Todd Peterson 23-yard field goal, 0:54. Seahwaks 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:41. Fourth quarter SEA – Ricky Watters 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 8:43. Seahawks 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 5:25. SDG – John Carney 45–yard field goal, 4:16. Seahawks 27–20. Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 4:27. Top passers SEA – John Friesz – 14/21, 234 yards, TD SDG – Ryan Leaf – 25/52, 281 yards, TD Top rushers SEA – Ricky Watters – 18 rushes, 32 yards, TD SDG – Natrone Means – 27 rushes, 92 yards, TD Top receivers SEA – Joey Galloway – 4 receptions, 130 yards, TD SDG – Charlie Jones – 6 receptions, 85 yards A much-improved offensive showing was not enough to prevent the Chargers from slipping to 3–5 heading into their bye. The Chargers gained a season-high 391 yards, and committed no turnovers for the second and final time all year. The Seahawks, however, took a 17–3 lead on the strength of two long touchdowns from Joey Galloway – an 81-yard reception and a 74-yard punt return. The Chargers responded, Mikhael Ricks catching a 5-yard scoring pass from Leaf (his first touchdown throw since the opener), and Means tying the score midway through the third quarter. Seattle rebuilt their lead, and the Chargers trailed by 7 going into their final possession, starting on their own 20 with 2:43 to play. Leaf led the team all the way down to the Seahawks' 3-yard line, converting a 4th and 6 en route, but then threw three incompletions as time expired. Week 10: at Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary November 8 2:15 p.m. MST Chargers 0 0 0 10 Broncos 7 13 7 0 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 74,925 31 °F 1, relative humidity 86%, wind 9 mph, wind chill 23 Tom White CBS Kevin Harlan and Sam Wyche Box score First quarter DEN – Terrell Davis 4-yard pass from Bubby Brister (Jason Elam kick), 1:04. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:59. Second quarter DEN – Jason Elam 31-yard field goal, 8:51. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:35. DEN – Terrell Davis 24-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 2:49. Broncos 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:46. DEN – Jason Elam 26-yard field goal, 0:04. Broncos 20–0. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:08. Third quarter DEN – Ed McCaffrey 7-yard pass from Bubby Brister (Jason Elam kick). Broncos 27–0. Drive: 1 play, 7 yards, 0:07. Fourth quarter SDG – Freddie Jones 14-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (Craig Whelihan run), 8:50. Broncos 27–8. Drive: 14 plays, 92 yards, 7:46. SDG – Safety, Bubby Brister fumbled ball out of end zone, 2:23. Broncos 27–10. Top passers SDG – Craig Whelihan – 13/23, 113 yards, TD DEN – Bubby Brister – 20/33, 229 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Natrone Means – 19 rushes, 78 yards DEN – Terrell Davis – 20 rushes, 69 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Bryan Still – 2 receptions, 37 yards DEN – Ed McCaffrey – 9 receptions, 133 yards, TD Even with Bubby Brister filling in for the injured John Elway for much of the game, the unbeaten Broncos cruised to the win. San Diego could muster only two first downs through their first eight drives, which ended with seven punts and an interception thrown to ex-Charger Darrien Gordon by Leaf, who was then benched; his figures were 4 completions from 15 attempts, for just 26 yards. With the Broncos out of reach up 27–0, Craig Whelihan came in and had some success moving the offense, leading a 92-yard drive capped by a touchdown pass to Freddie Jones. Interim head coach June Jones named Whelihan the new starting QB after the game, a position he would remain in for the rest of the season. Week 11: vs. Baltimore Ravens San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 5 1:05 p.m. PST Ravens 0 3 7 3 Chargers 0 7 0 7 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 54,388 59 °F 1, relative humidity 74%, wind 6 mph Gerry Austin CBS Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker Box score First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter BAL – Matt Stover 42-yard field goal, 13:27. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 4:17. SDG – Charlie Jones 47-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (John Carney kick), 3:04. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 47 yards, 0:07. Third quarter BAL – Jermaine Lewis 58-yard pass from Jim Harbaugh (Matt Stover kick), 7:25. Ravens 10–7. Drive: 1 play, 58 yards, 0:08. Fourth quarter SDG – Terrell Fletcher 3-yard run (John Carney kick), 14:41. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 16 plays, 69 yards, 7:44. BAL – Matt Stover 42-yard field goal, 3:49. Chargers 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 2:11. Top passers BAL – Jim Harbaugh – 12/33, 150 yards, TD, INT SDG – Craig Whelihan – 15/42, 172 yards, TD Top rushers BAL – Jim Harbaugh – 5 rushes, 22 yards SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 23 rushes, 47 yards, TD Top receivers BAL – Jermaine Lewis – 2 receptions, 78 yards, TD SDG – Charlie Jones – 2 receptions, 65 yards, TD Whelihan won his first start of the season, though it was again the defense who deserved most of the credit, holding the Ravens to 161 total yards and eight first downs all game. Natrone Means sustained a season-ending foot injury, and Whelihan completed only 15 passes from 42 attempts, though he did manage a 47-yard touchdown to Charlie Jones. Ravens' errors played a part in the second Charger touchdown, as they twice prolonged the drive with penalties for leverage on field goal attempts. Terrell Fletcher finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. A controversial play occurred with six minutes left in the game, when Jermaine Lewis fell while hurdling a trip from punter Darren Bennett, got back to his feet and completed what appeared to be a 90-yard touchdown return. However, officials ruled that Bennett had made contact with his leg, and that Lewis was down at the Baltimore 45. The Ravens would settle for a field goal on that drive, and were stopped on downs inside their own 20 on their lone possession afterwards. Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 22 1:15 p.m. PST Chiefs 7 7 13 10 Chargers 7 10 0 21 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 59,894 59 °F 1, relative humidity 60%, wind 6 mph Tony Corrente CBS Don Criqui and Beasley Reece Box score First quarter SDG – Terrell Fletcher 4-yard run (John Carney kick), 9:33. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:18. KAN – Derrick Alexander 35-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 7:05. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:28. Second quarter SDG – Tremayne Stephens 2-yard run (John Carney kick), 13:21. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 8:44. SDG – John Carney 31-yard field goal, 9:07. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 2:55. KAN – Bam Morris 2-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:15. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:52. Third quarter KAN – Bam Morris 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 14:26. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 1 play, 42 yards, 0:11. KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 27-yard field goal, 3:31. Chiefs 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:59. KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 42-yard field goal, 0:53. Chiefs 27–17. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:29. Fourth quarter KAN – Bam Morris 3-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 11:46. Chiefs 34–17. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:56. SDG – Terrell Fletcher 4-yard run (John Carney kick), 8:01. Chiefs 34–24. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 3:45. KAN – Pete Stoyanovich 50-yard field goal, 5:28. Chiefs 37–24. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:33. SDG – Freddie Jones 25-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (John Carney kick), 4:14. Chiefs 37–31. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 1:14. SDG – Charlie Jones 1-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (John Carney kick), 0:09. Chargers 38–37. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 0:42. Top passers KAN – Rich Gannon – 20/33, 304 yards, TD, INT SDG – Craig Whelihan – 19/37, 279 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers KAN – Bam Morris – 23 rushes 39 yards, 3 TD SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 16 rushes, 52 yards, 2 TD Top receivers KAN – Derrick Alexander – 5 receptions, 173 yards, TD SDG – Freddie Jones – 5 receptions, 78 yards, TD An improbable 4th quarter recovery saw the Chargers improve their record to 5–6. San Diego began brightly, a pair of rushing touchdowns by Terrell Fletcher and Tremayne Stephens putting them up 17–7 in the 2nd quarter. However, their offense then fell dormant for most of the game. Whelihan committed a pair of turnovers, and Bam Morris scored three times as the Chiefs ran off 27 unanswered points, going up 34–17 early in the 4th quarter. A second Fletcher touchdown run drew the Chargers within 10 points and, following a Pete Stoyanovich field goal, Whelihan hit Freddie Jones for a 25-yard touchdown on 4th and 13. The Chiefs responded by once again moving into field goal range, but Stoyanovich, who had missed a crucial playoff attempt in the same stadium four years earlier, saw his kick drift to the left with 51 seconds left. On the ensuing drive, James Hasty was twice flagged for pass interference, the second time on 4th and 10, and Whelihan found Charlie Jones for the game-winner from a yard out with 9 seconds left. The offensive explosion was anomalous for the '98 Chargers. In no other game did they score more than 20 points, or more than two touchdowns. Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 29 5:20 p.m. PST Broncos 14 7 7 3 Chargers 10 0 0 6 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 66,532 58 °F 1, relative humidity 70%, wind 14 mph Jerry Markbreit ESPN Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire Box score First quarter SDG – John Carney 27-yard field goal, 13:12. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, 1:33. DEN – Ed McCaffrey 15-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 10:38. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:36. DEN – Ed McCaffrey 37-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 6:43. Broncos 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:14. SDG – Terrell Fletcher 13-yard run (John Carney kick), 1:32. Broncos 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 5:11. Second quarter DEN – Rod Smith 13-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 0:43. Broncos 21–10. Drive: 2 plays, 19 yards, 0:22. Third quarter DEN – Shannon Sharpe 18-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 4:34. Broncos 28–10. Drive: 14 plays, 95 yards, 8:20. Fourth quarter DEN – Jason Elam 34-yard field goal, 14:46. Broncos 31–10. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 4:14. SDG – Bryan Still 47-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (pass failed), 4:55. Broncos 31–16. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 0:57. Top passers DEN – John Elway – 19/34, 239 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT SDG – Craig Whelihan – 30/53, 304 yards, TD, 5 INT Top rushers DEN – Terrell Davis – 24 rushes, 74 yards SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 11 rushes, 54 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Rod Smith – 8 receptions, 101 yards, TD SDG – Bryan Still – 5 receptions, 99 yards, TD San Diego stayed with the 11–0 Broncos longer than expected, before falling away in the second half. In a scrappy game, where San Diego lost the turnover battle 6–4, a 13-yard Terrell Fletcher run drew the Chargers within four points late in the 1st quarter. On their next possession, San Diego reached a 2nd and 3 at the Denver 7, but Kenny Bynum fumbled away the opportunity. Despite managing to intercept John Elway on the next three Denver possessions (he only threw 10 picks all season), the Chargers didn't get that close to scoring again until the 4th quarter, when a 47-yard touchdown reception by Bryan Still was little more than a consolation. Whelihan passed for 300+ yards for the only time in his career, but was victimised by five interceptions, two of them thrown to Darrien Gordon. Week 14: at Washington Redskins San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: San Diego Chargers at Washington Redskins – Game summary December 6 1:00 p.m. EST Chargers 3 11 3 3 Redskins 7 10 0 7 Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, Washington, DC 65,713 62 °F 1, relative humidity 76%, wind 9 mph Ron Winter CBS Bill Macatee and John Dockery Box score First quarter SDG – John Carney 32-yard field goal, 6:20. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 6:19. WAS – James Thrash 25-yard pass from Trent Green (Cary Blanchard kick), 0:49. Redskins 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:31. Second quarter SDG – John Carney 27-yard field goal, 10:42. Redskins 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:07. WAS – Brian Mitchell 101-yard kickoff return (Cary Blanchard kick), 10:24. Redskins 14–6. SDG – Freddie Jones 23-yard pass from Terrell Fletcher (Freddie Jones pass from Craig Whelihan), 5:01. Tied 14–14. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 5:23. WAS – Cary Blanchard 35-yard field goal, 0:06. Redskins 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 0:50. Third quarter SDG – John Carney 40-yard field goal, 10:21. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:39. Fourth quarter SDG – John Carney 25-yard field goal, 4:31. Chargers 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:29. WAS – Leslie Shepherd 20-yard pass from Trent Green (Cary Blanchard kick), 1:54. Redskins 24–20. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 0:40. Top passers SDG – Craig Whelihan – 20/37, 212 yards, INT WAS – Trent Green – 18/37, 235 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 34 rushes, 122 yards WAS – Terry Allen – 9 rushes, 28 yards Top receivers SDG – Mikhael Ricks – 4 receptions, 76 yards WAS – James Thrash – 4 receptions, 66 yards, TD San Diego's lone touchdown came as a result of trickery, Terrell Fletcher passing to Freddie Jones on an HB option; Jones also caught a two-point conversion from Whelihan to tie the game at 14–14. Beyond that, they relied on the kicking of John Carney, who made four field goals from five attempts, the last of which put the Chargers up 20–17 in the final quarter. However, Trent Green threw a 20-yard touchdown to Leslie Shepherd with 1:48 to play, which stood up as the winning score after a Whelihan pass went through the hands of Freddie Jones and was intercepted. Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: San Diego Chargers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary December 13 1:05 p.m. PST Chargers 7 7 0 3 Seahawks 14 7 7 10 Kingdome, Seattle, Washington 62,690 Dome Walt Coleman CBS Kevin Harlan and Sam Wyche Box score First quarter SEA – Jon Kitna 2-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 12:31. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 2:29. SDG – Jamal Williams 14-yard interception return (John Carney kick), 6:07. Tied 7–7. SEA – Terry McDaniel 43-yard interception return (Todd Peterson kick), 2:22. Seahawks 14–7. Second quarter SEA – Ricky Watters 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 3:42. Seahawks 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:55. SDG – Terrell Fletcher 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 0:19. Seahawks 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 1:01. Third quarter SEA – Joey Galloway 9-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Todd Peterson kick), 6:01. Seahawks 28–14. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 1:25. Fourth quarter SDG – John Carney 21-yard field goal, 14:53. Seahawks 28–17. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 6:08. SEA – Cortez Kennedy 39-yard fumble return (Todd Peterson kick), 13:15. Seahawks 35–17. SEA – Todd Peterson 29-yard field goal, 8:16. Seahawks 38–17. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 3:45. Top passers SDG – Craig Whelihan – 8/28, 142 yards, 5 INT SEA – Jon Kitna – 16/31, 140 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 17 rushes, 42 yards, TD SEA – Ricky Watters – 21 rushes, 69 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Charlie Jones – 5 receptions, 78 yards SEA – Joey Galloway – 7 receptions, 69 yards, TD The Chargers were officially eliminated from playoff contention amidst a blizzard of turnovers. San Diego's defense made the first big play, Jamal Williams running an interception back 14 yards for a game-tying score. However, Whelihan threw interceptions on the next three drives, the first of which was run back for a touchdown, the third of which set the Seahawks up for a short scoring drive and a 21–7 lead. Terrell Fletcher's run halved the deficit shortly before halftime. The errors continued in the second half. Whelihan threw another pick, and was benched for Ryan Leaf; Leaf's first pass was intercepted. Later, Leaf was sacked on consecutive plays, the second of these causing a fumble that Cortez Kennedy ran back for a touchdown. Whelihan came back in for the next series and was intercepted for the fifth time, then Leaf returned and threw his second pick. With Jon Kitna of the Seahawks also throwing three interceptions, the game saw ten in total, the most for 27 years,https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197109260phi.htm Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – September 26th, 1971 Pro-Football-Reference.com with the seven by the Chargers being the most by one team for 12 years.https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/what-are-the-most-interceptions-in-a-game-by-a-team What Are the Most Interceptions in a Game by a Team Week 16: vs. Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary December 20 1:05 p.m. PST Raiders 0 14 3 0 Chargers 3 0 7 0 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 60,716 55 °F 1, relative humidity 73%, wind 12 mph Larry Nemmers CBS Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker Box score First quarter SDG – John Carney 28-yard field goal, 0:50. Chargers 3–0.Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:41. Second quarter OAK – James Jett 45-yard pass from Wade Wilson (Greg Davis kick), 12:19. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:31. OAK – Tim Brown 12-yard pass from Wade Wilson (Greg Davis kick), 6:10. Raiders 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:24. Third quarter OAK – Greg Davis 25-yard field goal, 10:26. Raiders 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:57. SDG – Mikhael Ricks 39-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (John Carney kick), 0:04. Raiders 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:13. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers OAK – Wade Wilson – 14/25, 167 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT SDG – Craig Whelihan – 19/39, 251 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers OAK – Randy Jordan – 24 rushes, 82 yards SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 15 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers OAK – James Jett – 5 receptions, 106 yards, TD SDG – Mikhael Ricks – 4 receptions, 72 yards, TD This game featured considerably more offensive output than the teams' previous meeting, with the Raiders putting together back to back touchdown drives of 80 and 57 yards, en route to a 17–3 3rd-quarter lead. Whelihan threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Mikhael Ricks, but the Chargers missed numerous scoring chances, three times turning the ball over on downs in Raider territory, and once via an interception. Week 17: at Arizona Cardinals San Diego Chargers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary September 6 4:15 p.m. MST Chargers 0 3 0 10 Cardinals 7 3 3 3 Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona 71,670 53 °F 1, relative humidity 39%, wind 5 mph Bob McElwee CBS Don Criqui and Beasley Reece Box score First quarter ARI – Adrian Murrell 4-yard run (Chris Jacke kick), 5:12. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 3:05. Second quarter ARI – Chris Jacke 37-yard field goal, 12:32. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 4:55. SDG – John Carney 31-yard field goal, 3:15. Cardinals 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:29. Third quarter ARI – Chris Jacke 36-yard field goal, 2:57. Cardinals 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 9 yards, 1:48. Fourth quarter SDG – John Carney 26-yard field goal, 9:56. Cardinals 13–6. Drive: 17 plays, 71 yards, 8:11. SDG – Ryan Thelwell 30-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (John Carney kick), 0:16. Tied 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 1:39. ARI – Chris Jacke 52-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 16–13. Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, 0:16. Top passers SDG – Craig Whelihan – 16/40, 214 yards, TD, 4 INT ARI – Jake Plummer – 20/41, 274 yards Top rushers SDG – Terrell Fletcher – 23 rushes, 127 yards ARI – Adrian Murrell 18 rushes, 25 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Ryan Thelwell – 5 receptions, 84 yards, TD ARI – Frank Sanders – 8 receptions, 106 yards The Chargers ended the season on a five-game losing streak, beaten by a team with far more to play for. A 4-yard run by Adrian Murrell put Arizona ahead, and a record-tying four interceptionshttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/def_int_single_game.htm NFL Interceptions Single Game Leaders (Since 1940) Pro-Football-Reference.com by Kwamie Lassiter kept them ahead 13–6 at the two-minute warning. However, a missed 42-yard field goal by Chris Jacke set up a dramatic finish. Whelihan converted a 4th and 3, before San Diego faced a 4th and 20 from the Arizona 30; Whelihan then connected with Ryan Thelwell to tie the score with just 16 seconds left. That proved to be long enough for the Cardinals, as former Charger Eric Metcalf ran the ensuing kickoff back to the Charger 44-yard line; after a quick completion moved them closer, Jacke made amends with a 52-yard kick to send his team into the playoffs. Standings Awards Seau and Harrison (as a kick returner) were the only Chargers in the AFC Pro Bowl squad, both named as starters;1998 NFL Pro Bowlers https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1998/probowl.htm pro-football-reference.com April 21, 2025 they were also both named first-team All-Pros by the Associated Press.1998 NFL All-Pros https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1998/allpro.htm pro-football-reference.com April 21, 2025 Seau received 1 of the 47 available votes for AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.1998 awards voting https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/awards_1998.htm pro-football-reference.com April 20, 2025 See also List of NFL teams affected by internal conflict References San Diego Chargers Category:San Diego Chargers seasons Category:1998 in San Diego San Diego Chargers f