2004 San Diego Chargers season

NFL team 45th season November 2013 March 2026 San Diego Chargers 2004 12–4 1st AFC West Marty Schottenheimer A.J. Smith Alex Spanos Qualcomm Stadium Lost Wild Card Playoffs(vs. Jets) 17–20 (OT) 3 QB Drew Brees TE Antonio Gates RB LaDainian Tomlinson 4 LB Donnie Edwards (2nd team) TE Antonio Gates (1st team) RB LaDainian Tomlinson (1st team) NT Jamal Williams (2nd team) Chargers seasons 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 was the franchise's first season 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) OT Roman Oben (Buccaneers) C Cory Raymer (Redskins) ILB 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 struck 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, and the Giants would draft quarterback Philip Rivers of North Carolina State and then swap him and two 2005 draft picks for Manning. 2004 San Diego Chargers 1 1 Eli Manning QB Ole Miss traded to NY Giants no yes 2 35 Igor Olshansky DT Oregon yes 3 65 Nate Kaeding K Iowa From NY Giants yes yes 3 66 Nick Hardwick C Purdue yes yes 4 98 Shaun Phillips DE Purdue yes yes 5 133 Dave Ball DE UCLA yes 5 154 Michael Turner RB NIU from Miami yes yes 6 169 Ryan Krause TE Nebraska-Omaha yes 7 204 Ryon Bingham DT Nebraska yes 7 209 Shane Olivea OT Ohio State from Atlanta yes 7 254 Carlos Joseph OT Miami (FL) yes Personnel Staff 2004 San Diego Chargers Owner – Alex Spanos President/chief executive officer – Dean Spanos Executive vice president – Michael Spanos Executive vice president/general manager – A. J. Smith Assistant general manager/director of player personnel – Buddy Nix Vice president of football operations – Ed McGuire Director of college scouting – Jimmy Raye Director of pro scouting – Fran Foley Head coach – Marty Schottenheimer Assistant head coach – Tim Brewster Offensive coordinator – Cam Cameron Quarterbacks – Brian Schottenheimer Running backs – Clarence Shelmon Wide receivers – James Lofton Tight ends – Tim Brewster Offensive line – Hudson Houck Offensive assistant/quality control – Pete Carmichael, Jr. Defensive coordinator – Wade Phillips Defensive line – Wayne Nunnely Linebackers – Greg Manusky Secondary – Brian Stewart Defensive assistant/quality control – John Pagano Special teams – Steve Crosby Strength and conditioning – Dave Redding Assistant strength and conditioning – Matt Schiotz 2012 San Diego Chargers Media Guide 263–264 http://www.chargers.com/team/media-guide.html October 28, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141015162303/http://www.chargers.com/team/media-guide.html October 15, 2014 dead mdy-all Roster 2004 San Diego Chargers 53 9 7  9 Drew Brees  7 Doug Flutie 12 Cleo Lemon 17 Philip Rivers 24 Jesse Chatman 41 Lorenzo Neal FB 34 Andrew Pinnock FB 21 LaDainian Tomlinson 33 Michael Turner 87 Tim Dwight 13 Malcom Floyd 86 Keenan McCardell 88 Eric Parker 81 Kassim Osgood 83 Bobby Shaw 85 Antonio Gates 89 Ryan Krause 84 Justin Peelle 65 David Brandt C 68 Kris Dielman G 77 Toniu Fonoti G 79 Mike Goff G 62 Bob Hallen C 61 Nick Hardwick C 75 Leander Jordan OT 72 Roman Oben OT 70 Shane Olivea OT 74 Jacques Cesaire DE 90 Adrian Dingle DE 92 Jason Fisk NT 99 Igor Olshansky DE 94 Robert Pollard DE 78 DeQuincy Scott DE 76 Jamal Williams NT 54 Stephen Cooper ILB 59 Donnie Edwards ILB 53 Steve Foley OLB 58 Randall Godfrey ILB 51 Ben Leber OLB 95 Shaun Phillips OLB 56 Matt Wilhelm ILB 45 Robb Butler CB 22 Sammy Davis CB 25 Jamar Fletcher CB 29 Drayton Florence CB 42 Clinton Hart SS 23 Quentin Jammer CB 48 Terrence Kiel SS 31 Hanik Milligan FS 20 Jerry Wilson FS 50 David Binn LS 10 Nate Kaeding K  5 Mike Scifres P 96 Dave Ball DE (IR) 7px 91 Ryon Bingham NT (IR) 7px 82 Reche Caldwell WR (IR) 7px 93 Eric Downing NT (IR) 7px 35 Leon Johnson RB (PUP) 7px 57 Zeke Moreno OLB (IR) 7px 52 Carlos Polk OLB (IR) 7px 71 Courtney Van Buren OT (IR) 7px 26 Jonathan Cox CB -- Brock Edwards TE (IR) 7px 30 Ahmaad Galloway RB -- Howard Hodges LB 73 Carlos Joseph OT 18 Carl Morris WR 43 Cal Murray RB 80 Willie Quinnie WR 53 9 Preseason WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance 1 August 14 Indianapolis Colts L 17–21 0–1 Qualcomm Stadium 2 August 21 at Arizona Cardinals W 38–13 1–1 Cardinals Stadium 3 August 27 Seattle Seahawks L 20–26 1–2 Qualcomm Stadium 4 September 2 at San Francisco 49ers W 31–15 2–2 Monster Park 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 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 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: San Diego Chargers at Houston Texans September 12 12:05 p.m. CDT Chargers 3 7 10 7 Texans 3 10 7 0 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 70,255 N/A (retractable roof closed) Bill Leavy CBS Gus Johnson and Brent Jones Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: New York Jets at San Diego Chargers September 19 1:15 p.m. PDT Jets 14 3 10 7 Chargers 0 7 7 14 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 57,310 73 F 1, humidity 67 percent, wind 9 mph km/h knot Peter Morelli CBS (Blacked out locally) Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos September 26 2:05 p.m. MDT Chargers 3 0 7 3 Broncos 7 6 7 3 Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 74,533 73 F 1, humidity 26 percent, wind 7 mph km/h knot Johnny Grier CBS Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Armen Keteyian Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers October 3 1:15 p.m. PDT Titans 0 7 0 10 Chargers 7 14 3 14 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 54,006 74 F 1, humidity 69 percent, wind 9 mph km/h knot Mike Carey CBS (Blacked out locally) Bill Macatee, Steve Beuerlein and Scott Kaplan Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 1963 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: Jacksonville Jaguars at San Diego Chargers October 10 1:05 p.m. PDT Jaguars 0 7 0 14 Chargers 14 7 6 7 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 52,101 68 F, humidity 76 percent, wind 9 mph km/h knot Tony Corrente CBS (Blacked out locally) Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: San Diego Chargers at Atlanta Falcons October 17 1:02 p.m. EDT Chargers 0 14 3 3 Falcons 0 7 0 14 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 70,187 N/A (game played indoors) Walt Anderson CBS Gus Johnson and Brent Jones Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: San Diego Chargers at Carolina Panthers October 24 1:02 p.m. EDT Chargers 0 0 10 7 Panthers 6 0 0 0 Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 73,096 58 F 1, humidity 90 percent, wind 7 mph km/h knot Ron Winter CBS Gus Johnson and Brent Jones Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers October 31 1:15 p.m. PST Raiders 0 7 7 0 Chargers 14 14 14 0 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 66,210 69 F 1, humidity 57 percent, wind 8 mph km/h knot Bill Carollo CBS Gus Johnson, Brent Jones and Scott Kaplan Box score 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 yardsOAK – Doug Gabriel – 3 receptions, 50 yards SDG – Eric Parker – 6 receptions, 91 yards Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: New Orleans Saints at San Diego Chargers November 7 1:05 p.m. PST Saints 0 7 0 10 Chargers 14 6 16 7 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 59,662 63 F 1, humidity 78 percent, wind 8 mph km/h knot Peter Morelli FOX (Blacked out locally) Thom Brennaman and JC Pearson Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders November 21 1:05 p.m. PST Chargers 6 7 3 7 Raiders 0 7 7 3 McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, California 46,905 61 F 1, humidity 28 percent, wind 18 mph km/h knot Bernie Kukar CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs November 28 12:00 p.m. CST Chargers 7 7 3 17 Chiefs 7 10 0 14 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 77,447 35 F 1, humidity 75 percent, wind 14 mph km/h knot Bill Vinovich CBS Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross Box score 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 TDSDG – Kassim Osgood – 2 receptions, 92 yards KAN – Tony Gonzalez – 8 receptions, 105 yards Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers December 5 1:05 p.m. PST Broncos 0 7 0 10 Chargers 7 10 3 0 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 65,395 58 F 1, humidity 77 percent, wind 9 mph km/h knot Ron Winter CBS Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Scott Kaplan Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego Chargers December 12 1:15 p.m. PST Buccaneers 0 7 7 10 Chargers 0 14 7 10 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 65,858 69 F 1, humidity 63 percent, wind 8 mph km/h knot Mike Carey FOX Thom Brennaman, JC Pearson and C. S. Keys Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns December 19 1:03 p.m. EST Chargers 7 7 7 0 Browns 0 0 0 0 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 72,489 18 F 1, humidity 68 percent, wind 30 mph km/h knot, wind chill −10 F C 1 or Tom White CBS Gus Johnson and Brent Jones Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts December 26 1:00 p.m. EST Chargers 7 10 7 7 0 Colts 0 9 7 15 3 RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana 57,330 N/A (game played indoors) Walt Anderson CBS Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross Box score 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers January 2 1:15 p.m. PST Chiefs 0 3 0 14 Chargers 3 14 0 7 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 64,920 59 F, humidity 87 percent, wind 9 mph km/h knot Bill Leavy CBS Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan Box score 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 Conference SD Postseason 2004–05 NFL playoffs 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 San Diego Chargers 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Wild Card playoffs: New York Jets at San Diego Chargers January 8 5:14 p.m. PST Jets 0 7 10 0 3 Chargers 0 7 0 10 0 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 67,536 55 F 1, humidity 86 percent, wind 8 mph km/h knot Ed Hochuli ABC Al Michaels, John Madden and Michele Tafoya Box score 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 Chargers lost but in 2005 missed the playoffs at 9-7. Awards Three Chargers were named to the 2005 Pro Bowl,2004 NFL Pro Bowlers https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2004/probowl.htm pro-football-reference.com April 23, 2025 and four were named first or second team Associated Press (AP) All-Pros.2004 NFL All-Pros https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2004/allpro.htm pro-football-reference.com April 23, 2025 Brees won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year with 18 1 2 of the 48 available votes, and Schottenheimer took the Coach of the Year award with 27 1 2 out of 48. Also, Brees and Tomlinson gained a vote each for Offensive Player of the Year, and Edwards gained a vote for Defensive Player of the Year.2004 awards voting https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/awards_2004.htm pro-football-reference.com April 23, 2025 Player Position Pro Bowl starter Pro Bowl reserve AP 1st team All-Pro AP 2nd team All-Pro Drew Brees Quarterback Donnie Edwards Linebacker Antonio Gates Tight end LaDainian Tomlinson Running back Jamal Williams Defensive tackle See also 2004 NFL season References San Diego Chargers Category:San Diego Chargers seasons Category:2000s in San Diego Category:AFC West championship seasons San Diego