1972 San Diego Chargers season

1972 NFL team season March 2026 May 2023 November 2013 San Diego Chargers 1972 4–9–1 4th AFC West Harland Svare Harland Svare Eugene V. Klein San Diego Stadium 4 WR Gary Garrison QB John Hadl DE Deacon Jones G Walt Sweeney None Did not qualify Chargers seasons The 1972 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's third season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 13th overall. The team failed to improve on their 6–8 record in 1971. The Chargers would get off to a poor start, as they were devoured 34–3 in their season opener at San Francisco. After their week 2 win against the Denver Broncos, the Chargers would play to a 17–17 draw with another cross-state rival, the Oakland Raiders. It was San Diego's fourth tie in 3 seasons (they tied 3 times in 1970). Even after they defeated the Baltimore Colts in the week following the tie, the Bolts would stumble the rest of the year, winning only 2 more games en route to a 4–9–1 season. This squad featured several players like Duane Thomas, Tim Rossovich, Dave Costa and John Mackey who were unwanted by most of the other NFL teams.Anderson, Dave. "Sports of The Times: John Mackey's Week," The New York Times, Tuesday, September 19, 1972. Retrieved October 22, 2020 Offseason NFL draft 1972 NFL draft 1972 San Diego Chargers 2 36 Pete Lazetich Defensive end Stanford no yes 3 61 Bill McClard Kicker Arkansas no yes 5 116 Jim Bishop Tight end Tennessee Tech no no 5 130 Harry Gooden Defensive end Alcorn State no no 6 141 Bruce Ward Guard San Diego State no no 9 221 Fran Schmitz Defensive tackle St. Norbert no no 10 246 Lon Kolstad Linebacker Wisconsin–Whitewater no no 11 270 John Turner Tight end Long Beach State no no 12 295 Sam Key Linebacker Elon no no 13 321 Andy Selfridge Linebacker Virginia no no 14 351 John Van Reenen Defensive end Washington State no no 15 376 Charles Neugent Defensive back Tuskegee no no 16 401 James Shaw Defensive back Tulsa no no 17 423 Oscar Dragon Running back Arizona State University no yes 17 426 Bob Tackett Tackle Texas at El Paso no no no Roster 1972 San Diego Chargers 13 Wayne Clark quarterback 21 John Hadl 34 Oscar Dragon y 35 Cid Edwards 20 Mike Garrett 46 John Sykes American football y 42 Jesse Taylor American football 38 Lee White American football 83 Mike Carter American football 28 Chuck Dicus 27 Gary Garrison 84 Dave Williams wide receiver 81 John Andrews American football 89 John Mackey American football 88 Pettis Norman 69 Ira Gordon T 65 Sam Gruneisen C 55 Carl Mauck C 76 Terry Owens American football T 78 Walt Sweeney G 70 Russ Washington T 54 Ralph Wenzel guard G 63 Doug Wilkerson G 79 Ernie Wright T 87 Lionel Aldridge DE 64 Dave Costa DT 77 Ron East DT 80 Kevin Hardy defensive tackle DT 75 Deacon Jones DE 57 Cal Snowden DE 73 Lee Thomas American football DE 68 Greg Wojcik DT 60 Bob Babich linebacker OLB 59 Pete Barnes OLB 50 Lee Roy Caffey OLB 51 Pete Lazetich y MLB 66 Rick Redman OLB 82 Tim Rossovich MLB 56 Ray White American football OLB 40 Joe Beauchamp FS/CB 45 Reggie Berry y SS 35 Chuck Detwiler FS 39 Lenny Dunlap CB 23 Ray Jones American football CB 30 Bryant Salter SS 10 Bill McClard y K 29 Dennis Partee P 44 Chris Fletcher S IR 24 Bob Howard American football CB IR 58 Harris Jones G IR 25 Jerry LeVias WR IR -- Clancy Oliver CB IR 53 Mel Rogers LB IR 33 Duane Thomas RB Susp. Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 August 5 Atlanta Falcons W 30–7 1–0 San Diego Stadium 2 August 12 at Minnesota Vikings L 13–24 1–1 Metropolitan Stadium 3 August 19 San Francisco 49ers W 17–16 2–1 San Diego Stadium 4 August 26 at New Orleans Saints W 16–14 3–1 Tulane Stadium 5 September 2 Los Angeles Rams W 14–13 4–1 San Diego Stadium 6 September 6 New York Jets T 20–20 4–1–1 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 17 at San Francisco 49ers L 3–34 0–1 Candlestick Park 59,438 Recap 2 September 24 Denver Broncos W 37–14 1–1 San Diego Stadium 49,048 Recap 3 October 1 at Oakland Raiders T 17–17 1–1–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,455 Recap 4 October 8 at Baltimore Colts W 23–20 2–1–1 Memorial Stadium 55,459 Recap 5 October 15 at Miami Dolphins L 10–24 2–2–1 Miami Orange Bowl 80,010 Recap 6 October 22 at Detroit Lions L 20–34 2–3–1 Tiger Stadium 54,371 Recap 7 October 29 Kansas City Chiefs L 14–26 2–4–1 San Diego Stadium 54,533 Recap 8 November 5 Dallas Cowboys L 28–34 2–5–1 San Diego Stadium 54,476 Recap 9 November 13, 1972 Cleveland Browns L 17–21 2–6–1 San Diego Stadium 54,205 Recap 10 November 19 at Kansas City Chiefs W 27–17 3–6–1 Arrowhead Stadium 79,011 Recap 11 November 26 Houston Oilers W 34–20 4–6–1 San Diego Stadium 46,289 Recap 12 December 3 Oakland Raiders L 19–21 4–7–1 San Diego Stadium 54,611 Recap 13 December 10 at Denver Broncos L 13–38 4–8–1 Mile High Stadium 51,478 Recap 14 December 17 Pittsburgh Steelers L 2–24 4–9–1 San Diego Stadium 52,873 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: San Diego Chargers at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary September 17 1:00 p.m. PDT Chargers 3 0 0 0 49ers 7 17 7 3 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 59,438 59 °F 1, relative humidity 74%, wind 10 mph Bernie Ulman Box score First quarter SF – Gene Washington 13-yard pass from John Brodie (Bruce Gossett kick), 8:28. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards. SDG – Dennis Partee 30-yard field goal, 2:06. 49ers 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:22. Second quarter SF – Bruce Gossett 43-yard field goal, 12:10. 49ers 10–3. Drive: 13 plays, 39 yards, 4:56. SF – Gene Washington 23-yard pass from John Brodie (Bruce Gossett kick), 3:23. 49ers 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:13. SF – Gene Washington 45-yard pass from John Brodie (Bruce Gossett kick), 0:42. 49ers 24–3. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 0:38. Third quarter SF – Jimmy Thomas 4-yard run (Bruce Gossett kick), 7:36. 49ers 31–3. Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:07. Fourth quarter SF – Bruce Gossett 20-yard field goal, 10:28. 49ers 34–3. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:12. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 11/25, 109 yards, 2 INT SF – John Brodie – 11/19, 156 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 19 rushes, 80 yards SF – Jimmy Thomas – 13 rushes, 64 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Dave Williams – 3 receptions, 83 yards SF – Gene Washington – 8 receptions, 140 yards, 3 TD Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 24 1:00 p.m. PDT Broncos 7 0 0 7 Chargers 13 21 0 3 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 49,048 68 °F 1, relative humidity 74%, wind 13 mph Jim Tunney Box score First quarter DEN – Randy Montgomery 94-yard kickoff return (Jim Turner kick), 14:45. Broncos 7–0. SDG – Dennis Partee 45-yard field goal, 9:29. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 40 yards, 5:16. SDG – Dennis Partee 11-yard field goal, 6:24. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 1:22. SDG – Mike Garrett 41-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 4:42. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 0:28. Second quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 9-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 9:21. Chargers 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 4:21. SDG – Dave Williams 31-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 3:05. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 1:47. SDG – Joe Beauchamp 47-yard interception return (Dennis Partee kick), 2:07. Chargers 34–7. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DEN – Steve Ramsey 8-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 4:47. Chargers 34–14. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:14. SDG – Bill McClard 47-yard field goal, 0:55. Chargers 37–14. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:52. Top passers DEN – Steve Ramsey – 14/25, 192 yards, 3 INT SDG – John Hadl – 15/32, 188 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers DEN – Fran Lynch – 5 rushes, 43 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 21 rushes, 104 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Rod Sherman – 6 receptions, 95 yards SDG – Gary Garrison – 6 receptions, 69 yards, TD Week 3: at Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary October 1 1:00 p.m. PDT Chargers 0 7 0 10 Raiders 14 0 0 3 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 53,455 61 °F 1, relative humidity 83%, wind 10 mph Dick Jorgensen Box score First quarter OAK – Raymond Chester 23-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 7:26. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:16. OAK – Marv Hubbard 1-yard run (George Blanda kick), 3:20. Raiders 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:10. Second quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 2:10. Raiders 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 6:54. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – Carl Mauck offensive fumble recovery in end zone (Dennis Partee kick), 14:12. Tied 14–14. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 5:18. SDG – Dennis Partee 41-yard field goal, 7:02. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 5:43. OAK – George Blanda 40-yard field goal, 4:28. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:34. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 9/13, 156 yards, INT OAK – Daryle Lamonica – 14/26, 152 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 18 rushes, 97 yards, TD OAK – Marv Hubbard – 16 rushes, 58 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Cid Edwards – 6 receptions, 100 yards OAK – Fred Biletnikoff – 5 receptions, 75 yards Week 4: at Baltimore Colts San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Colts – Game summary October 8 2:00 p.m. PDT Chargers 0 7 0 10 Colts 14 0 0 3 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 55,459 60 °F 1, relative humidity 52%, wind 15 mph Fred Wyant Box score First quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 7:40. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:20. Second quarter BAL – Jim O'Brien 22-yard field goal, 7:28. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 3:55. SDG – Dennis Partee 51-yard field goal, 2:55. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 4:33. Third quarter BAL – Don Nottingham 13-yard run (Jim O'Brien kick), 10:19. Tied 10–10. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:41. BAL – Jim O'Brien 20-yard field goal, 6:06. Colts 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 2:08. BAL – Don Nottingham 3-yard run (Jim O'Brien kick), 0:11. Colts 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:39. Fourth quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 2-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 10:05. Colts 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:52. SDG – Dennis Partee 40-yard field goal, 2:14. Tied 20–20. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 1:46. SDG – Dennis Partee 28-yard field goal, 0:04. Chargers 23–20. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 1:04. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 12/20, 148 yards, 3 INT BAL – Johnny Unitas – 14/22, 130 yards Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 27 rushes, 132 yards, 2 TD BAL – Don Nottingham – 17 rushes, 85 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 59 yards BAL – Cotton Speyrer – 3 receptions, 34 yards Week 5: at Miami Dolphins San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins – Game summary October 15 1:00 p.m. EDT Chargers 3 0 0 7 Dolphins 3 14 7 0 Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida 80,010 78 °F 1, relative humidity 72%, wind 10 mph Chuck Heberling Box score First quarter MIA – Garo Yepremian 37-yard field goal, 5:18. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:00. SDG – Dennis Partee 12-yard field goal, 0:56. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 4:22. Second quarter MIA – Dick Anderson 35-yard fumble return (Garo Yepremian kick), 13:51. Dolphins 10–3. MIA – Howard Twilley 18-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Garo Yepremian kick), 4:25. Dolphins 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 2:10. Third quarter MIA – Paul Warfield 19-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Garo Yepremian kick), 9:25. Dolphins 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 5:35. Fourth quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 3-yard pass from John Hadl (Bill McClard kick), 4:56. Dolphins 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:58. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 12/22, 117 yards, TD, 2 INT MIA – Earl Morrall – 8/10, 86 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 22 rushes, 68 yards MIA – Larry Csonka – 13 rushes, 70 yards Top receivers SDG – Cid Edwards – 4 receptions, 39 yards, TD MIA – Howard Twilley – 2 receptions, 41 yards, TD Week 6: at Detroit Lions San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions – Game summary October 22 1:00 p.m. EDT Chargers 6 0 0 14 Lions 6 7 14 7 Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan 54,371 47 °F 1, relative humidity 96%, wind 9 mph Box score First quarter DET – Errol Mann 25-yard field goal, 8:49. Lions 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 4:17. SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (kick blocked), 1:55. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:54. DET – Errol Mann 41-yard field goal, 0:47. Tied 6–6. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:08. Second quarter DET – Mel Farr 1-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 6:54. Lions 13–6. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 7:53. Third quarter DET – Mel Farr 2-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 7:55. Lions 20–6. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 7:05. DET – Larry Walton 24-yard pass from Greg Landry (Errol Mann kick), 4:21. Lions 27–6. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:04. Fourth quarter DET – Greg Landry 5-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 12:03. Lions 34–6. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:16. SDG – Gary Garrison 15-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 10:08. Lions 34–13. Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:55. SDG – Gary Garrison 5-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 6:40. Lions 34–20. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 0:56. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 12/27, 161 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT DET – Greg Landry – 12/24, 151 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 9 rushes, 42 yards, TD DET – Mel Farr – 22 rushes, 96 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 7 receptions, 119 yards, 2 TD DET – Larry Walton – 7 receptions, 101 yards, TD Week 7: vs. Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 29 1:00 p.m. PST Chiefs 0 3 10 13 Chargers 0 7 0 7 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 54,533 62 °F 1, relative humidity 75%, wind 8 mph Norm Schachter Box score First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 33-yard field goal, 8:52. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 54 yards, 9:05. SDG – Mike Garrett 27-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 3:41. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:11. Third quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 50-yard field goal, 12:37. Chargers 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards, 2:23. KAN – Ed Podolak 6-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:40. Chiefs 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 3:18. Fourth quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 15-yard field goal, 9:20. Chiefs 16–7. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:46. SDG – Mike Garrett 3-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 3:17. Chiefs 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:03. KAN – Robert West 8-yard offensive fumble return (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:49. Chiefs 23–14. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:28. KAN – Jan Stenerud 37-yard field goal, 0:31. Chiefs 26–14. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards, 0:40. Top passers KAN – Len Dawson – 14/27, 154 yards, 2 INT SDG – John Hadl – 18/36, 231 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers KAN – Ed Podolak – 18 rushes, 71 yards, TD SDG – Cid Edwards – 12 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers KAN – Otis Taylor – 5 receptions, 86 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 7 receptions, 93 yards Week 8: vs. Dallas Cowboys San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 5 1:00 p.m. PST Cowboys 10 14 7 3 Chargers 0 0 7 21 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 54,476 64 °F 1, relative humidity 75%, wind 9 mph Bernie Ulman Box score First quarter DAL – Mike Montgomery 54-yard fumble return (Toni Fritsch kick), 13:16. Cowboys 7–0. DAL – Toni Fritsch 25-yard field goal, 7:32. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:39. Second quarter DAL – Walt Garrison 9-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 10:25. Cowboys 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 2:22. DAL – Mike Ditka 1-yard pass from Craig Morton (Toni Fritsch kick), 0:43. Cowboys 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:26. Third quarter DAL – Craig Morton 7-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 6:31. Cowboys 31–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:47. SDG – Chuck Dicus 46-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 3:56. Cowboys 31–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 42-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 13:39. Cowboys 31–14. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:26. SDG – Chuck Dicus 20-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 10:09. Cowboys 31–21. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:36. DAL – Toni Fritsch 31-yard field goal, 3:47. Cowboys 34–21. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 6:22. SDG – Dave Williams 47-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 0:00. Cowboys 34–28. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards. Top passers DAL – Craig Morton – 15/21, 161 yards, TD, INT SDG – John Hadl – 11/26, 211 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT Top rushers DAL – Walt Garrison – 13 rushes, 44 yards, TD SDG – Mike Garrett – 17 rushes, 88 yards Top receivers DAL – Ron Sellers – 3 receptions, 79 yards SDG – Chuck Dicus – 4 receptions, 77 yards, 2 TD Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Cleveland Browns at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 13 6:00 p.m. PST Browns 0 7 0 14 Chargers 0 3 7 7 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 54,205 58 °F 1, relative humidity 65%, wind 6 mph Box score First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 26-yard field goal. Chargers 3–0. CLE – Mike Phipps 1-yard run (Don Cockroft kick). Browns 7–3. Third quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 4-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 10–7. Fourth quarter CLE – Ken Brown 2-yard run (Don Cockroft kick). Browns 14–10. SDG – Mike Garrett 3-yard run (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 17–14. CLE – Frank Pitts 38-yard pass from Mike Phipps (Don Cockroft kick). Browns 21–17. Top passers CLE – Mike Phipps – 13/21, 186 yards, TD, INT SDG – John Hadl – 12/21, 140 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Leroy Kelly – 17 rushes, 67 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 17 rushes, 91 yards Top receivers CLE – Frank Pitts – 5 receptions, 96 yards, TD SDG – Pettis Norman – 3 receptions, 47 yards Week 10: at Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 19 1:00 p.m. CST Chargers 7 17 3 0 Chiefs 7 0 3 7 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 79,011 32 °F 1, relative humidity 81%, wind 11 mph, wind chill 23 Jack Reader Box score First quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 3-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:54. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 63 yards, 1:38. KAN – Wendell Hayes 4-yard pass from Len Dawson (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:08. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 4:46. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 46-yard field goal, 10:37. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 3:08. SDG – John Hadl 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 6:31. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:06. SDG – Gary Garrison 20-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 0:22. Chargers 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 1:26. Third quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 24-yard field goal, 11:17. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:14. KAN – Jan Stenerud 28-yard field goal, 1:47. Chargers 27–10. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:37. Fourth quarter KAN – Robert West 36-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 4:11. Chargers 27–17. Drive: 11 plays, 37 yards, 4:14. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 17/28, 216 yards, TD KAN – Mike Livingston – 19/30, 231 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 12 rushes, 62 yards KAN – Ed Podolak – 18 rushes, 71 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Cid Edwards – 6 receptions, 82 yards KAN – Mike Adamle – 9 receptions, 34 yards Week 11: vs. Houston Oilers San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Houston Oilers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 26 1:00 p.m. PST Oilers 0 3 0 17 Chargers 10 10 7 7 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 46,289 61 °F 1, relative humidity 51%, wind 7 mph Box score First quarter SDG – Jesse Taylor blocked punt recovery in end zone (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 7–0. SDG – Dennis Partee 31-yard field goal. Chargers 10–0. Second quarter HOU – Skip Butler 49-yard field goal. Chargers 10–3. SDG – Dennis Partee 11-yard field goal. Chargers 13–3. SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 20–3. Third quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 31-yard run (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 27–3. Fourth quarter HOU – Skip Butler 47-yard field goal. Chargers 27–6. SDG – Dave Williams 3-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick). Chargers 34–6. HOU – Rhett Dawson 3-yard pass from Dan Pastorini (Skip Butler kick). Chargers 34–13. HOU – Fred Willis 7-yard pass from Kent Nix (Skip Butler kick). Chargers 34–20. Top passers HOU – Dan Pastorini – 17/35, 166 yards, TD, INT SDG – John Hadl – 13/24, 141 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – Paul Robinson – 17 rushes, 67 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 17 rushes, 102 yards Top receivers HOU – Ken Burrough – 4 receptions, 52 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 3 receptions, 44 yards Week 12: vs. Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary December 3 1:00 p.m. PST Raiders 7 7 0 7 Chargers 0 10 6 3 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 54,611 60 °F 1, relative humidity 71%, wind 9 mph Ed Marion Box score First quarter OAK – Raymond Chester 16-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 5:01. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:39. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 15-yard field goal, 14:14. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:47. SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:00. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:28. OAK – Fred Biletnikoff 36-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 1:49. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:11. Third quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 52-yard pass from John Hadl (kick blocked), 6:09. Chargers 16–14. Drive: 1 play, 52 yards, 0:08. Fourth quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 18-yard field goal, 12:31. Chargers 19–14. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 2:43. OAK – Charlie Smith 9-yard run (George Blanda kick), 1:18. Raiders 21–19. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:13. Top passers OAK – Daryle Lamonica – 14/23, 223 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT SDG – John Hadl – 15/26, 221 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers OAK – Marv Hubbard – 15 rushes, 68 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 28 rushes, 145 yards Top receivers OAK – Mike Siani – 4 receptions, 71 yards SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD Week 13: at Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary December 10 12:00 p.m. MST Chargers 0 3 3 7 Broncos 7 14 17 0 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 51,478 7 °F 1, relative humidity 52%, wind 7 mph, wind chill -20 Box score First quarter DEN – Floyd Little 2-yard run (Jim Turner kick). Broncos 7–0. Second quarter SDG – Bill McClard 26-yard field goal. Broncos 7–3. DEN – Joe Dawkins 4-yard run (Jim Turner kick). Broncos 14–3. DEN – Charlie Greer 65-yard punt return (Jim Turner kick). Broncos 21–3. Third quarter SDG – Bill McClard 48-yard field goal, 9:29. Broncos 21–6. DEN – Jim Turner 12-yard field goal, 4:47. Broncos 24–6. DEN – Haven Moses 11-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 4:47. Broncos 31–6. DEN – Haven Moses 7-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 4:47. Broncos 38–6. Fourth quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 23-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 9:21. Broncos 38–13. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 22/44, 288 yards, TD, 2 INT DEN – Charley Johnson – 6/10, 85 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 15 rushes, 59 yards DEN – Jim Krieg – 1 rush, 63 yards Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 10 receptions, 156 yards, TD DEN – Haven Moses – 3 receptions, 43 yards, 2 TD Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers San Diego Chargers 1972 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary December 17 1:00 p.m. PST Steelers 7 7 3 7 Chargers 2 0 0 0 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 52,873 60 °F 1, relative humidity 37%, wind 6 mph Pat Haggerty Box score First quarter PIT – Franco Harris 2-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 11:51. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 1:19. SDG – Safety, Dave Costa sacked Terry Bradshaw in end zone, 6:42. Steelers 7–2. Second quarter PIT – John Fuqua 2-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 6:05. Steelers 14–2. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:29. Third quarter PIT – Roy Gerela 26-yard field goal, 1:57. Steelers 17–2. Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 1:26. Fourth quarter PIT – Ron Shanklin 17-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick), 6:03. Steelers 24–2. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 4:01. Top passers PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 12/23, 152 yards, TD, INT SDG – John Hadl – 11/26, 122 yards, 4 INT Top rushers PIT – John Fuqua – 17 rushes, 51 yards, TD SDG – Cid Edwards – 13 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers PIT – John Fuqua – 3 receptions, 50 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 3 receptions, 42 yards Standings Notable events In their last game for the year, the Chargers became the thirty-third team in the NFL or leagues that merged with the NFL to score only a safety in a full game. This unusual occurrence has been repeated only six times since: by the 1980 Buffalo Bills, the 1983 Minnesota Vikings, the 1993 Cincinnati Bengals, the 2011 Atlanta Falcons (the only team to do so in a playoff game), the 2013 Jacksonville Jaguars, and the 2024 Houston Texans. Awards Deacon Jones, John Hadl, Walt Sweeney and Gary Garrison were named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad;1972 NFL Pro Bowlers https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1972/probowl.htm pro-football-reference.com April 18, 2025 No Chargers were named All-Pro by the Associated Press, nor were any named the best in his Conference.1972 NFL All-Pros https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1972/allpro.htm pro-football-reference.com April 18, 2025 References San Diego Chargers Category:San Diego Chargers seasons Category:1970s in San Diego San Diego Chargers f