1973 San Diego Chargers season

1973 NFL team season March 2026 May 2023 November 2013 San Diego Chargers 1973 2–11–1 4th AFC West Harland Svare (8 games)Ron Waller (interim) Harland Svare Eugene V. Klein San Diego Stadium None None Chargers seasons The 1973 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's fourth season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 14th overall. The Chargers were coming off a season that ended with a 4–9–1 record. Although he was offered a five-year contract toward the end of the previous season, 1973 was Harland Svare's final season as head coach; he stepped down in early November at 1–6–1, and special teams coach Ron Waller led the team for the final six games.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JjJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4774%2C1303648 Eugene Register-Guard (Oregon) Associated Press Svare out at San Diego November 6, 1973 4Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tfIjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hFQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7127%2C2438733 Pittsburgh Press UPI Svare steps down as Charger coach November 6, 1973 23 Veteran quarterback Johnny Unitas was acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Colts,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lRonAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5158%2C5259242 Eugene Register-Guard (Oregon) Associated Press Unitas not sure he'll go to San Diego January 23, 1973 5B but at age forty he was a shell of his former greatness. In October, Unitas was benched in favor of rookie Dan Fouts, their third-round pick in that year's draft.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NzJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6849%2C5634136 Eugene Register-Guard (Oregon) Newnham Blaine Unitas' successor November 24, 1973 3B Fouts played fifteen seasons for the Chargers, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Offseason NFL draft 1973 NFL draft 1973 San Diego Chargers 1 25 Johnny Rodgers Wide receiver Nebraska Joined the Chargers in 1977 after initially playing in the Canadian Football League no yes 3 64 Dan Fouts Quarterback Oregon yes yes yes 4 84 Jim Thaxton Tight end Tennessee State no yes 4 97 Bill Singletary Linebacker Temple no no 5 123 Willie McGee Wide receiver Alcorn State no yes 5 125 Jon Knoble Linebacker Weber State no no 6 135 Marvin Roberts Center Michigan State no no 9 214 Tab Bennett Linebacker Illinois no no 10 239 Cliff Burnett Defensive end Montana no no 11 268 Jay Douglas Center Memphis no yes 12 293 Lynn Ahrens Tackle Eastern Montana no no 13 318 Alfred Reese Running back Tennessee State no no 14 343 Tony Adams Quarterback Utah State no no 15 372 Gary Parris Tight end Florida State no yes 16 397 Joe Petty Defensive back Arizona State University no no 17 422 Barry Darrow Tackle Montana no no yes Roster 1973 San Diego Chargers 13 Wayne Clark quarterback 14 Dan Fouts y 19 Johnny Unitas 37 Cid Edwards 20 Mike Garrett 38 Robert Holmes American football 26 Clinton Jones American football 35 Bob Thomas running back 27 Gary Garrison 81 Ron Holliday 25 Jerry LeVias 28 Willie McGee American football y 88 Pettis Norman 80 Gary Parris y 86 Jim Thaxton y 61 Al Dennis y G 52 Jay Douglas American football y C 69 Ira Gordon T 55 Carl Mauck C 76 Terry Owens American football T 78 Walt Sweeney G 70 Russ Washington T 62 Ralph Wenzel guard G 63 Doug Wilkerson G 87 Lionel Aldridge DE 79 Coy Bacon DE/DT 64 Dave Costa DT 77 Ron East DT 75 Deacon Jones DE 51 Pete Lazetich DE 71 Cal Snowden DE 68 Greg Wojcik DT 54 Carl Gersbach MLB 66 Rick Redman OLB 57 Floyd Rice OLB 53 Mel Rogers OLB 82 Tim Rossovich MLB 58 Mike Stratton OLB 40 Joe Beauchamp FS 45 Reggie Berry CB 39 Lenny Dunlap CB 44 Chris Fletcher FS 24 Bob Howard American football CB 30 Bryant Salter SS/FS 48 Ron Smith defensive back SS 29 Dennis Partee P 15 Ray Wersching y K 56 Ray White American football LB IR Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 August 4 New York Giants L 3–28 0–1 San Diego Stadium 2 August 11 St. Louis Cardinals L 13–17 0–2 San Diego Stadium 3 August 19 at San Francisco 49ers L 7–19 0–3 Candlestick Park 4 August 25 Philadelphia Eagles W 24–17 1–3 San Diego Stadium 5 August 31 at Los Angeles Rams L 17–30 1–4 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 6 September 8 Minnesota Vikings L 16–24 1–5 San Diego Stadium 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 Recap 1 September 16 at Washington Redskins L 0–38 0–1 RFK Stadium 53,589 Recap 2 September 23 Buffalo Bills W 34–7 1–1 San Diego Stadium 47,588 Recap 3 September 30 Cincinnati Bengals L 13–20 1–2 San Diego Stadium 46,733 Recap 4 October 7 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 21–38 1–3 Three Rivers Stadium 48,795 Recap 5 October 14 Oakland Raiders L 17–27 1–4 San Diego Stadium 50,672 Recap 6 October 21 Atlanta Falcons L 0–41 1–5 San Diego Stadium 41,527 Recap 7 October 28 at Cleveland Browns T 16–16 1–5–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 68,244 Recap 8 November 4 Kansas City Chiefs L 0–19 1–6–1 San Diego Stadium 50,234 Recap 9 November 11 at Denver Broncos L 19–30 1–7–1 Mile High Stadium 51,034 Recap 10 November 18 New Orleans Saints W 17–14 2–7–1 San Diego Stadium 34,848 Recap 11 November 25 at Oakland Raiders L 3–31 2–8–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 40,195 Recap 12 December 2 at New England Patriots L 14–30 2–9–1 Schaefer Stadium 58,150 Recap 13 December 9 Denver Broncos L 28–42 2–10–1 San Diego Stadium 44,954 Recap 14 December 16 at Kansas City Chiefs L 6–33 2–11–1 Arrowhead Stadium 43,755 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: at Washington Redskins San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: San Diego Chargers at Washington Redskins – Game summary September 16 1:00 p.m. EDT Chargers 0 0 0 0 Redskins 21 0 7 10 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. 53,589 73 °F 1, relative humidity 59%, wind 6 mph Norm Schachter Box score First quarter WAS – Verlon Biggs 2-yard fumble return (Curt Knight kick), 9:03. Redskins 7–0. WAS – Larry Brown 1-yard run (Curt Knight kick), 5:08. Redskins 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:53. WAS – Brig Owens 36-yard fumble return (Curt Knight kick), 0:57. Redskins 21–0. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter WAS – Charley Taylor 32-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Curt Knight kick), 11:07. Redskins 28–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:53. Fourth quarter WAS – Curt Knight 19-yard field goal, 14:09. Redskins 31–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:51. WAS – Frank Grant 12-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Curt Knight kick), 9:50. Redskins 38–0. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 3:15. Top passers SDG – Johnny Unitas – 6/17, 55 yards, 3 INT WAS – Billy Kilmer – 10/18, 129 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 14 rushes, 63 yards WAS – Duane Thomas – 12 rushes, 30 yards Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 2 receptions, 36 yards WAS – Charley Taylor – 3 receptions, 60 yards, TD Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 23 1:00 p.m. PDT Bills 0 7 0 0 Chargers 7 7 14 6 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 47,588 67 °F 1, relative humidity 71%, wind 10 mph Jack Reader Box score First quarter SDG – Ron Smith 72-yard punt return (Ray Wersching kick), 5:09. Chargers 7–0. Second quarter BUF – O. J. Simpson 6-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 9:50. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:22. SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 6:33. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:17. Third quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 26-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Ray Wersching kick), 12:31. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:44. SDG – Jim Thaxton 12-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Ray Wersching kick), 0:11. Chargers 28–8. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:53. Fourth quarter SDG – Robert Holmes 4-yard run (kick blocked), 8:16. Chargers 34–7. Drive: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:54. Top passers BUF – Dennis Shaw – 7/15, 106 yards, 2 INT SDG – Johnny Unitas – 10/18, 175 yards, 2 TD Top rushers BUF – O. J. Simpson – 22 rushes, 103 yards, TD SDG – Clint Jones – 7 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers BUF – J. D. Hill – 7 receptions, 118 yards SDG – Dave Williams – 5 receptions, 86 yards Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 30 1:00 p.m. PDT Bengals 7 6 7 0 Chargers 3 0 0 10 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 46,733 67 °F 1, relative humidity 70%, wind 9 mph Chuck Heberling Box score First quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 39-yard field goal, 7:08. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards, 2:00. CIN – Essex Johnson 78-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Horst Muhlmann kick), 0:16. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:26. Second quarter CIN – Boobie Clark 1-yard run (kick failed), 11:07. Bengals 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:13. Third quarter CIN – Essex Johnson 38-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Horst Muhlmann kick), 10:55. Bengals 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 4:05. Fourth quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 13-yard field goal, 12:07. Bengals 20–6. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:37. SDG – Bob Thomas 8-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Ray Wersching kick), 6:31. Bengals 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:01. Top passers CIN – Ken Anderson – 10/17, 222 yards, 2 TD SDG – Johnny Unitas – 15/31, 215 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers CIN – Essex Johnson – 21 rushes, 121 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 21 rushes, 79 yards Top receivers CIN – Essex Johnson – 2 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 117 yards Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary October 7 1:00 p.m. EDT Chargers 0 0 0 21 Steelers 17 21 0 0 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 48,795 60 °F 1, relative humidity 63%, wind 7 mph Pat Haggerty Box score First quarter PIT – Ron Shanklin 12-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick), 10:22. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 4:38. PIT – Terry Bradshaw 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 5:08. Steelers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 4:35. PIT – Roy Gerela 38-yard field goal, 0:31. Steelers 17–0. Second quarter PIT – Steve Davis 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 13:16. Steelers 24–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:26. PIT – Mike Wagner blocked punt recovery in end zone (Roy Gerela kick), 8:43. Steelers 31–0. PIT – Ron Shanklin 37-yard pass from Terry Hanratty (Roy Gerela kick), 5:14. Steelers 38–0. Drive: 2 plays, 38 yards, 0:50. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – Jerry LeVias 13-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Ray Wersching kick), 14:50. Steelers 38–7. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:56. SDG – Clint Jones 3-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 12:34. Steelers 38–14. Drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 1:00. SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 3:49. Steelers 38–21. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:38. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 11/21, 174 yards, TD, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 7/16, 99 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 13 rushes, 94 yards PIT – Preston Pearson – 6 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers SDG – Clint Jones – 2 receptions, 51 yards PIT – Frank Lewis – 4 receptions, 61 yards Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 14 1:00 p.m. PDT Raiders 0 6 7 14 Chargers 3 0 14 0 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 50,672 66 °F 1, relative humidity 71%, wind 8 mph John McDonough Box score First quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 27-yard field goal, 6:31. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:20. Second quarter OAK – George Blanda 18-yard field goal, 7:30. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 1:12. OAK – George Blanda 15-yard field goal, 0:07. Raiders 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 1:34. Third quarter SDG – Jim Thaxton 20-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Ray Wersching kick), 11:42. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:41. OAK – Cliff Branch 54-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick), 8:51. Raiders 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:51. SDG – Jerry LeVias 36-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Ray Wersching kick), 0:21. Chargers 17–13. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:30. Fourth quarter OAK – Marv Hubbard 1-yard run (George Blanda kick), 9:54. Raiders 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:27. OAK – Bob Moore 26-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick), 9:01. Raiders 27–17. Drive: 2 plays, 28 yards, 0:43. Top passers OAK – Ken Stabler – 13/22, 193 yards, 2 TD, INT SDG – Dan Fouts – 12/30, 183 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers OAK – Marv Hubbard – 16 rushes, 76 yards, TD SDG – Robert Holmes – 6 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers OAK – Cliff Branch – 2 receptions, 71 yards, TD SDG – Jim Thaxton – 4 receptions, 63 yards, TD Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 21 1:00 p.m. PDT Falcons 7 10 10 14 Chargers 0 0 0 0 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 41,527 65 °F 1, relative humidity 73%, wind 10 mph Box score First quarter ATL – Art Malone 8-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 6:31. Falcons 7–0. Second quarter ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 43-yard field goal, 7:30. Falcons 10–0. ATL – Dave Hampton 4-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 0:07. Falcons 17–0. Third quarter ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 12-yard field goal, 7:30. Falcons 20–0. ATL – Dave Hampton 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 0:07. Falcons 27–0. Fourth quarter ATL – Eddie Ray 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 0:07. Falcons 34–0. ATL – Eddie Ray 12-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 0:07. Falcons 41–0. Top passers ATL – Bob Lee – 9/17, 146 yards, INT SDG – Dan Fouts – 13/36, 99 yards, 4 INT Top rushers ATL – Dave Hampton – 19 rushes, 76 yards, 2 TD SDG – Clint Jones – 10 rushes, 32 yards Top receivers ATL – Ken Burrow – 2 receptions, 59 yards SDG – Ron Holliday – 3 receptions, 44 yards Week 7: at Cleveland Browns San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary October 28 1:00 p.m. EST Chargers 0 10 3 3 Browns 0 3 3 10 Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 68,244 54 °F 1, relative humidity 86%, wind 11 mph Tom Bell Box score First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 11-yard field goal, 8:21. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 5:21. CLE – Don Cockroft 40-yard field goal, 5:35. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 2:46. SDG – Mike Garrett 1-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Ron Holliday run), 0:10. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 3:29. Third quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 17-yard field goal, 4:49. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 19 plays, 90 yards, 10:11. SDG – Ray Wersching 8-yard field goal, 1:30. Chargers 13–6. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:19. Fourth quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 42-yard field goal, 11:02. Chargers 13–9. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:22. CLE – Greg Pruitt 7-yard run (Don Cockroft kick), 8:26. Browns 16–13. Drive: 2 plays, 9 yards, 0:55. SDG – Ray Wersching 16-yard field goal, 0:30. Tied 16–16. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 1:46. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 8/16, 135 yards, TD, INT CLE – Mike Phipps – 10/21, 92 yards, 2 INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 19 rushes, 130 yards CLE – Billy Lefear – 7 rushes, 47 yards Top receivers SDG – Willie McGee – 1 reception, 50 yards CLE – Billy Lefear – 2 receptions, 24 yards Week 8: vs. Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 4 1:00 p.m. PST Chiefs 6 3 3 7 Chargers 0 0 0 0 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 50,234 61 °F 1, relative humidity 62%, wind 6 mph Fred Swearingen Box score First quarter KAN – Ed Podolak 5-yard run (kick blocked), 2:35. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:51. Second quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 31-yard field goal, 7:58. Chiefs 9–0. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 4:27. Third quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 36-yard field goal, 8:32. Chiefs 12–0. Drive: 9 plays, 20 yards, 4:42. Fourth quarter KAN – Morris Stroud 39-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:47. Chiefs 19–0. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:11. Top passers KAN – Mike Livingston – 13/22, 193 yards, 2 TD, INT SDG – Dan Fouts – 11/29, 128 yards, 3 INT Top rushers KAN – Wendell Hayes – 13 rushes, 90 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 14 rushes, 51 yards Top receivers KAN – Pettis Norman – 3 receptions, 62 yards SDG – Morris Stroud – 2 receptions, 61 yards, TD Week 9: at Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary November 11 2:00 p.m. CST Chargers 3 13 0 3 Broncos 10 0 6 14 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 51,034 52 °F 1, relative humidity 41%, wind 7 mph Jim Tunney Box score First quarter DEN – Floyd Little 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 14:32. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:09. DEN – Jim Turner 39 yard field goal, 10:09. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:12. SDG – Ray Wersching 26-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 17 plays, 58 yards, 10:09. Second quarter SDG – Coy Bacon 80-yard interception return (kick blocked), 5:45. Broncos 10–9. SDG – Robert Holmes 18-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 1:54. Chargers 16–10. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 2:13. Third quarter DEN – Gene Washington 20-yard pass from Charley Johnson (kick blocked), 5:12. Tied 16–16. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:24. Fourth quarter DEN – Riley Odoms 14-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 10:01. Broncos 23–16. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:50. SDG – Ray Wersching 38-yard field goal, 4:25. Broncos 23–19. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 5:36. DEN – Floyd Little 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 0:46. Broncos 30–19. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:32. Top passers SDG – Wayne Clark – 12/21, 122 yards DEN – Charley Johnson – 16/29, 234 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 12 rushes, 47 yards DEN – Floyd Little – 22 rushes, 109 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Jerry LeVias – 6 reception, 89 yards DEN – Floyd Little – 5 receptions, 76 yards Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: New Orleans Saints at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 18 1:00 p.m. PST Saints 0 0 7 7 Chargers 0 10 0 7 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 34,848 61 °F 1, relative humidity 83%, wind 12 mph Pat Haggerty Box score First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 28-yard field goal, 2:51. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:40. SDG – Ron Smith 84-yard punt return (Ray Wersching kick), 1:18. Chargers 10–0. Third quarter NO – Jubilee Dunbar 9-yard pass from Archie Manning (Bill McClard kick), 1:17. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:30. Fourth quarter SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 8:20. Chargers 17–7. NO – John Beasley 14-yard pass from Archie Manning (Bill McClard kick), 0:58. Chargers 17–14. Top passers NO – Archie Manning – 21/37, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT SDG – Wayne Clark – 8/20, 109 yards, INT Top rushers NO – Jess Phillips – 16 rushes, 43 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 12 rushes, 95 yards Top receivers NO – John Beasley – 12 receptions, 127 yards, TD SDG – Jerry LeVias – 2 receptions, 63 yards Week 11: at Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary November 25 1:00 p.m. PST Chargers 3 0 0 0 Raiders 7 17 7 0 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 40,195 49 °F 1, relative humidity 77%, wind 12 mph Fred Silva Box score First quarter OAK – George Atkinson 59-yard defensive fumble return (George Blanda kick), 10:22. Raiders 7–0. SDG – Dennis Partee 14-yard field goal, 3:27. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:47. Second quarter OAK – George Blanda 34-yard field goal, 12:15. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 6:02. OAK – Charlie Smith 7-yard run (George Blanda kick), 3:54. Raiders 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 1:42. OAK – Fred Biletnikoff 16-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick), 1:44. Raiders 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 16 yards, 0:05. Third quarter OAK – Bob Moore 1-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick), 3:22. Raiders 31–3. Drive: 4 plays, 13 yards, 1:28. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers SDG – Wayne Clark – 6/15, 183 yards, INT OAK – Ken Stabler – 12/22, 165 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 16 rushes, 81 yards OAK – Charlie Smith – 14 rushes, 66 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Clint Jones – 2 receptions, 47 yards OAK – Mike Siani – 4 receptions, 90 yards Week 12: at New England Patriots San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots – Game summary December 2 1:00 p.m. EST Chargers 0 14 0 0 Patriots 3 13 7 7 Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 58,150 33 °F 1, relative humidity 47%, wind 13 mph, wind chill 23 John McDonough Box score First quarter NE – Jeff White 11-yard field goal, 1:06. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:45. Second quarter SDG – Floyd Rice 51-yard fumble return (Dennis Partee kick), 11:48. Chargers 7–3. SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 4:27. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 5:43. NE – Mack Herron 92-yard kickoff return (kick blocked), 4:09. Chargers 14–9. NE – Randy Vataha 14-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Jeff White kick), 0:21. Patriots 16–14. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 1:52. Third quarter NE – Jim Plunkett 1-yard run (Jeff White kick), 9:48. Patriots 23–14. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:12. Fourth quarter NE – Jim Plunkett 3-yard run (Jeff White kick), 7:16. Patriots 30–14. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 7:35. Top passers SDG – Wayne Clark – 5/8, 46 yards, INT NE – Jim Plunkett – 13/27, 186 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 11 rushes, 56 yards NE – John Tarver – 14 rushes, 76 yards Top receivers SDG – Cid Edwards – 3 receptions, 24 yards NE – Reggie Rucker – 4 receptions, 55 yards Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary December 9 1:00 p.m. PST Broncos 7 13 19 3 Chargers 7 7 0 14 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 44,954 63 °F 1, relative humidity 34%, wind 5 mph Fred Wyant Box score First quarter SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:03. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:26. DEN – Riley Odoms 24-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 2:49. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:09. Second quarter DEN – Floyd Little 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 7:05. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 5:10. DEN – Jim Turner 25-yard field goal, 4:02. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards. SDG – Gary Garrison 11-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Dennis Partee kick), 3:03. Broncos 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 0:44. DEN – Jim Turner 35-yard field goal, 0:49. Broncos 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 22 yards, 2:14. Third quarter DEN – Joe Dawkins 2-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 10:31. Broncos 27–14. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:35. DEN – Jim Turner 15-yard field goal, 5:57. Broncos 30–14. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 3:02. DEN – Safety, Ken Criter blocked punt through end zone, 4:13. Broncos 32–14. DEN – Haven Moses 15-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 1:13. Broncos 39–14. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 2:47. Fourth quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 12:44. Broncos 39–21. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 3:20. SDG – Jerry LeVias 69 yard pass from Dan Fouts (Dennis Partee kick), 8:32. Broncos 39–28. Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:12. DEN – Jim Turner 29-yard field goal, 2:19. Broncos 42–28. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:39. Top passers DEN – Charley Johnson – 15/26, 216 yards, 2 TD SDG – Dan Fouts – 13/31, 254 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Floyd Little – 18 rushes, 88 yards, TD SDG – Robert Holmes – 7 rushes, 68 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Jerry Simmons – 1 reception, 53 yards SDG – Jerry LeVias – 5 receptions, 149 yards, TD Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers 1973 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary December 16 1:00 p.m. CST Chargers 3 0 3 0 Chiefs 10 3 10 10 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 43,755 20 °F 1, relative humidity 73%, wind 11 mph, wind chill 8 Box score First quarter KAN – Ed Podolak 5-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 10:12. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards. SDG – Ray Wersching 22-yard field goal, 5:04. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:08. KAN – Jan Stenerud 45-yard field goal, 0:12. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 4:52. Second quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 36-yard field goal, 11:59. Chiefs 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards. Third quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 20-yard field goal, 12:03. Chiefs 16–3. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:58. SDG – Ray Wersching 26-yard field goal, 9:44. Chiefs 16–6. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 2:19. KAN – Jeff Kinney 5-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:06. Chiefs 23–6. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:38. Fourth quarter KAN – Wendell Hayes 2-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 7:17. Chiefs 30–6. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 4:46. KAN – Jan Stenerud 27-yard field goal, 2:10. Chiefs 33–6. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 4:29. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 9/14, 97 yards KAN – Mike Livingston – 11/22, 123 yards Top rushers SDG – Robert Holmes – 9 rushes, 27 yards KAN – Ed Podolak – 13 rushes, 50 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Robert Holmes – 5 receptions, 50 yards KAN – Jeff Kinney – 2 receptions, 42 yards Standings Awards The AFC Pro Bowl squad did not feature any Chargers.1973 NFL Pro Bowlers https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1973/probowl.htm pro-football-reference.com April 18, 2025 Also, no Chargers were named All-Pro by the Associated Press, nor were any named the best in his Conference.1973 NFL All-Pros https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1973/allpro.htm pro-football-reference.com April 18, 2025 References 2 San Diego Chargers Category:San Diego Chargers seasons Category:1970s in San Diego San Diego Chargers