1971 San Diego Chargers season

NFL team season November 2013 March 2026 San Diego Chargers 1971 6–8 3rd AFC West Sid Gillman (games 1-10)Harland Svare (games 11-14) Harland Svare Eugene V. Klein San Diego Stadium 2 WR Gary Garrison G Walt Sweeney None Did not qualify Chargers seasons The 1971 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 12th overall. The team improved on their 5–6–3 record in 1970. It was Harland Svare's first season as the team's head coach. After a 1–4 start, the Chargers would slightly improve, winning 3 of their next 4 games. However, they would lose 3 of their final 5 games en route to a 6–8 finish. Their record was 6-1 at home and 0-7 on the road. The only bright spot was quarterback John Hadl who completed 233 passes out of 431 attempts for 3,075 yards and 21 touchdowns and won the NFL Man of the Year award as well as leading the league in both passing yards and touchdown passes. Offseason NFL draft 1971 NFL draft 1971 San Diego Chargers 1 13 Leon Burns Running back Long Beach State no yes 3 65 Mike Montgomery Running back Kansas State no yes 5 115 Bryant Salter Safety Pittsburgh no yes 5 117 Ray White Linebacker Syracuse no yes 5 119 Phil Asack Defensive end Duke no no 6 143 Jacob Mayes Running back Tennessee State no no 7 169 Chuck Dicus Wide receiver Arkansas no yes 8 195 Leon Van Gorkum Defensive end San Diego State no no 9 221 John Tanner Linebacker Tennessee Tech no yes 10 247 Gary Nowak Linebacker Michigan State no yes 11 273 Don Pinson Defensive back Tennessee State no no 12 299 Wes Garnett Wide receiver Utah State no no 13 325 Sammy Milner Wide receiver Mississippi State no no 14 351 Edward O'Daniel Defensive end Texas Southern no no 15 377 Eric Humston Linebacker Muskingum no no 16 403 Ed Foote Center Hawaii no no 17 429 Chip Kell Center Tennessee no no no Roster 1971 San Diego Chargers 13 Wayne Clark quarterback 14 Marty Domres 21 John Hadl 38 Leon Burns y 20 Mike Garrett 23 Mike Montgomery American football y 47 Jeff Queen 36 Eddie Ray 28 Chuck Dicus y 27 Gary Garrison 84 Walker Gillette 25 Jerry LeVias 32 Billy Parks 88 Pettis Norman 89 Art Strozier 69 Ira Gordon T 58 Harris Jones G 55 Carl Mauck C 76 Terry Owens American football T 57 Jack Porter American football y C 78 Walt Sweeney G 70 Russ Washington T 63 Doug Wilkerson G 82 Steve DeLong DE 77 Ron East DT 86 Wes Grant DE 80 Kevin Hardy defensive tackle DT 75 Gary Nowak y DT 79 Andy Rice DT 85 John Tanner gridiron football, born 1945 y DE 73 Lee Thomas American football y DE 87 Tom Williams defensive lineman DE 60 Bob Babich linebacker MLB 59 Pete Barnes OLB 56 Bob Bruggers OLB 66 Rick Redman OLB 53 Mel Rogers OLB 81 Jeff Staggs OLB 52 Ray White American football y OLB 40 Joe Beauchamp CB 35 Chuck Detwiler SS 44 Chris Fletcher FS 39 Jim Hill broadcaster FS 24 Bob Howard American football CB 30 Bryant Salter y SS 43 Jim Tolbert SS 29 Dennis Partee K/P 64 Phil Asack y DE IR 49 Rick Eber WR IR 65 Sam Gruneisen C IR Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 August 7 Washington Redskins W 19–10 1–0 San Diego Stadium 2 August 14 Minnesota Vikings L 7–34 1–1 San Diego Stadium 3 August 22 at San Francisco 49ers L 17–28 1–2 Candlestick Park 4 August 28 New Orleans Saints W 22–7 2–2 San Diego Stadium 5 September 3 at Los Angeles Rams W 20–14 3–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 6 September 11 Atlanta Falcons W 21–14 4–2 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 19 Kansas City Chiefs W 21–14 1–0 San Diego Stadium 54,061 Recap 2 September 26 Oakland Raiders L 0–34 1–1 San Diego Stadium 54,084 Recap 3 October 3 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 17–21 1–2 Three Rivers Stadium 44,339 Recap 4 October 10 at Kansas City Chiefs L 10–31 1–3 Municipal Stadium 50,514 Recap 5 October 17 at Denver Broncos L 16–20 1–4 Mile High Stadium 51,200 Recap 6 October 23, 1971 Buffalo Bills W 20–3 2–4 San Diego Stadium 49,261 Recap 7 October 31 New York Jets W 49–21 3–4 San Diego Stadium 44,786 Recap 8 November 7 at New York Giants L 17–35 3–5 Yankee Stadium 62,905 Recap 9 November 15, 1971 St. Louis Cardinals W 20–17 4–5 San Diego Stadium 46,486 Recap 10 November 21 at Oakland Raiders L 33–34 4–6 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 54,681 Recap 11 November 28 at Cincinnati Bengals L 0–31 4–7 Riverfront Stadium 59,580 Recap 12 December 5 Minnesota Vikings W 30–14 5–7 San Diego Stadium 54,505 Recap 13 December 12 Denver Broncos W 45–17 6–7 San Diego Stadium 44,347 Recap 14 December 19 at Houston Oilers L 33–49 6–8 Houston Astrodome 35,959 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 19 1:00 p.m. PDT Chiefs 7 7 0 0 Chargers 0 0 7 14 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 54,061 73 °F 1, relative humidity 74%, wind 12 mph Ben Dreith Box score First quarter KAN – Warren McVea 6-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:29. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 1:36. Second quarter KAN – Ed Podolak 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 14:10. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:12. Third quarter SDG – Mike Montgomery 39-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 4:04. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, 2:56. Fourth quarter SDG – Jerry LeVias 37-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 9:34. Tied 14–14. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 1:01. SDG – Mike Garrett 26-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:20. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:17. Top passers KAN – Len Dawson – 11/22, 152 yards, 2 INT SDG – John Hadl – 17/37, 260 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers KAN – Ed Podolak – 17 rushes, 65 yards, TD SDG – Mike Garrett – 15 rushes, 59 yards, TD Top receivers KAN – Otis Taylor – 3 receptions, 76 yards SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 72 yards Week 2: vs. Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary September 26 1:00 p.m. PDT Raiders 3 3 14 14 Chargers 0 0 0 0 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 54,084 68 °F 1, relative humidity 57%, wind 11 mph Jack Vest Box score First quarter OAK – George Blanda 37-yard field goal, 4:26. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:29. Second quarter OAK – George Blanda 42-yard field goal, 5:01. Raiders 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 2:37. Third quarter OAK – Fred Biletnikoff 36-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 7:55. Raiders 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:48. OAK – Clarence Davis 2-yard run (George Blanda kick), 0:10. Raiders 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:44. Fourth quarter OAK – Fred Biletnikoff 13-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 4:27. Raiders 27–0. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 4:32. OAK – Ken Stabler 1-yard run (George Blanda kick), 0:21. Raiders 34–0. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:10. Top passers OAK – Daryle Lamonica – 11/17, 162 yards, 2 TD SDG – John Hadl – 14/29, 174 yards, 5 INT Top rushers OAK – Clarence Davis – 9 rushes, 75 yards, TD SDG – Jeff Queen – 9 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers OAK – Fred Biletnikoff – 5 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TD SDG – Billy Parks – 5 receptions, 70 yards Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary October 3 1:10 p.m. EDT Chargers 3 7 7 0 Steelers 7 0 7 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 44,339 68 °F 1, relative humidity 82%, wind 7 mph Jim Tunney Box score First quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 21-yard field goal, 6:26. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards. PIT – John Fuqua 5-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 4:15. Steelers 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards. Second quarter SDG – Billy Parks 16-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 4:19. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:02. Third quarter PIT – John Fuqua 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 8:47. Steelers 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 22 yards, 1:31. SDG – Mike Garrett 4-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 2:09. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:38. Fourth quarter PIT – Terry Bradshaw 5-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 12:02. Steelers 21–17. Drive: 13 plays, 82 yards, 5:07. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 25/36, 283 yards, TD, 2 INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 15/24, 175 yards Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 12 rushes, 72 yards, TD PIT – John Fuqua – 15 rushes, 60 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Billy Parks – 8 receptions, 111 yards, TD PIT – John Fuqua – 5 receptions, 53 yards Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary October 10 1:05 p.m. CDT Chargers 3 7 0 0 Chiefs 0 10 7 14 Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 50,514 53 °F 1, relative humidity 53%, wind 10 mph Jack Reader Box score First quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 43-yard field goal, 9:58. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards. Second quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 3-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 14:15. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards. KAN – Jim Otis 3-yard pass from Len Dawson (Jan Stenerud kick), 6:24. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards. KAN – Jan Stenerud 29-yard field goal, 1:13. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 1:52. Third quarter KAN – Otis Taylor 3-yard pass from Len Dawson (Jan Stenerud kick), 4:23. Chargers 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:23. Fourth quarter KAN – Warren McVea 15-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 11:15. Chargers 24–10. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:24. KAN – Ed Podolak 7-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:16. Chargers 31–10. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 8:28. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 12/23, 125 yards, TD, 2 INT KAN – Len Dawson – 16/23, 188 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 7 rushes, 44 yards KAN – Wendell Hayes – 11 rushes, 80 yards Top receivers SDG – Billy Parks – 2 receptions, 36 yardsSDG – Gary Garrison – 1 reception, 36 yards KAN – Otis Taylor – 6 receptions, 97 yards, TD Week 5: at Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary October 17 2:00 p.m. MDT Chargers 3 3 7 3 Broncos 7 13 0 0 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 51,200 50 °F 1, relative humidity 90%, wind 9 mph Dick Jorgensen Box score First quarter DEN – Bobby Anderson 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 11:58. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards. SDG – Dennis Partee 41-yard field goal, 9:15. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:43. Second quarter DEN – Jim Turner 49-yard field goal, 14:55. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 5:07. SDG – Dennis Partee 20-yard field goal, 11:20. Broncos 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 3:35. DEN – Floyd Little 2-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 3:54. Broncos 17–6. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 7:26. DEN – Jim Turner 10-yard field goal, 0:18. Broncos 20–6. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 0:39. Third quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 21-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 0:53. Broncos 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards. Fourth quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 35-yard field goal, 13:48. Broncos 20–16. Drive: 5 plays, -2 yards, 1:19. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 18/44, 236 yards, TD, INT DEN – Don Horn – 7/17, 71 yards, INT Top rushers SDG – Billy Parks – 1 rush, 54 yards DEN – Bobby Anderson – 25 rushes, 106 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 105 yards, TD DEN – Bobby Anderson – 3 receptions, 43 yards Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 23 6:00 p.m. PDT Bills 0 0 3 0 Chargers 7 3 3 7 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 49,261 64 °F 1, relative humidity 78%, wind 7 mph Bernie Ulman Box score First quarter SDG – Billy Parks 56-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 9:51. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:37. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 9-yard field goal, 4:13. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 70 yards, 7:28. Third quarter BUF – Grant Guthrie 36-yard field goal, 9:31. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:27. SDG – Dennis Partee 10-yard field goal, 6:31. Chargers 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 3:00. Fourth quarter SDG – Billy Parks 12-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 2:27. Chargers 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 3:14. Top passers BUF – James Harris – 4/8, 36 yards, INT SDG – John Hadl – 14/28, 215 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers BUF – O. J. Simpson – 18 rushes, 106 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 19 rushes, 94 yards Top receivers BUF – Ike Hill – 2 receptions, 20 yards SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 106 yards Week 7: vs. New York Jets San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: New York Jets at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 31 1:00 p.m. PST Jets 7 7 7 0 Chargers 0 21 7 21 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 44,786 57 °F 1, relative humidity 54%, wind 10 mph Fred Wyant Box score First quarter NYJ – Rich Caster 23-yard pass from Bob Davis (Bobby Howfield kick), 6:59. Jets 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:57. Second quarter SDG – John Hadl 2-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 10:32. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 6:09. NYJ – John Riggins 31-yard pass from Bob Davis (Bobby Howfield kick), 5:59. Jets 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:33. SDG – Mike Montgomery 37-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 2:45. Tied 14–14. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:32. SDG – Billy Parks 17-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 0:26. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 0:24. Third quarter NYJ – Emerson Boozer 6-yard run (Ralph Baker pass from Bob Davis), 12:52. Tied 21–21. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:35. SDG – Gary Garrison 49-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 9:44. Chargers 28–21. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:08. Fourth quarter SDG – Mike Montgomery 13-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 10:57. Chargers 35–21. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 1:52. SDG – Pettis Norman 21-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 9:10. Chargers 42–21. Drive: 2 plays, 21 yards, 0:17. SDG – Chris Fletcher 36-yard interception return (Dennis Partee kick), 3:30. Chargers 49–21. Top passers NYJ – Bob Davis – 8/18, 83 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT SDG – John Hadl – 19/27, 358 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers NYJ – John Riggins – 10 rushes, 63 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 9 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers NYJ – Rich Caster – 4 receptions, 53 yards, TD SDG – Gary Garrison – 6 receptions, 162 yards, TD Week 8: at New York Giants San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: San Diego Chargers at New York Giants – Game summary November 7 1:07 p.m. EST Chargers 0 3 14 0 Giants 7 14 0 14 Yankee Stadium, New York, New York 62,905 53 °F 1, relative humidity 69%, wind 19 mph Norm Schachter Box score First quarter NYG – Ron Johnson 1-yard run (Pete Gogolak kick), 0:47. Giants 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 8:09. Second quarter NYG – Charlie Evans 9-yard run (Pete Gogolak kick), 9:54. Giants 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:44. NYG – Rich Kotite 43-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Pete Gogolak kick), 1:10. Giants 21–0. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:34. SDG – Dennis Partee 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Giants 21–3. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:08. Third quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 7-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 7:14. Giants 21–10. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 6:31. SDG – Gary Garrison 21-yard pass from Mike Montgomery (Dennis Partee kick), 4:02. Giants 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:10. Fourth quarter NYG – Charlie Evans 1-yard run (Pete Gogolak kick), 14:58. Giants 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 4:04. NYG – Charlie Evans 1-yard run (Pete Gogolak kick), 0:55. Giants 35–17. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 4:24. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 16/31, 194 yards, TD, 2 INT NYG – Fran Tarkenton – 16/20, 83 yards, TD Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 6 rushes, 45 yards NYG – Ron Johnson – 12 rushes, 67 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Jeff Queen – 5 receptions, 85 yards NYG – Coleman Zeno – 4 receptions, 90 yards Week 9: vs. St. Louis Cardinals San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 15 6:00 p.m. PST Cardinals 7 3 0 7 Chargers 0 3 7 10 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 46,486 57 °F 1, relative humidity 66%, wind 9 mph John McDonough Box score First quarter STL – Jim McFarland 3-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick), 2:49. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:36. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 25-yard field goal, 13:36. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:11. STL – Jim Bakken 13-yard field goal, 0:30. Cardinals 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 4:28. Third quarter SDG – Jeff Queen 4-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:32. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:52. Fourth quarter SDG – Jeff Queen 4-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 3:16. Chargers 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 5:36. STL – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Jim Bakken kick), 0:17. Tied 17–17. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 1:08. SDG – Dennis Partee 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 20–17. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:16. Top passers STL – Jim Hart – 17/35, 214 yards, TD, 3 INT SDG – John Hadl – 20/28, 216 yards, TD, INT Top rushers STL – MacArthur Lane – 18 rushes, 82 yards SDG – Mike Montgomery – 17 rushes, 98 yards Top receivers STL – John Gilliam – 5 receptions, 76 yards SDG – Mike Montgomery – 6 receptions, 77 yards Week 10: at Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary November 21 1:00 p.m. PST Chargers 10 14 0 9 Raiders 3 7 14 10 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 54,681 50 °F 1, relative humidity 65%, wind 7 mph Jim Tunney Box score First quarter OAK – George Blanda 34-yard field goal, 7:42. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 51 yards, 7:18. SDG – Dennis Partee 14-yard field goal, 2:01. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:41. SDG – Jeff Queen 2-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 0:09. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:39. Second quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 11-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:43. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:53. OAK – Raymond Chester 16-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 4:48. Chargers 17–10. Drive: 3 plays, 61 yards, 0:55. SDG – Mike Garrett 18-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 1:10. Chargers 24–10. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:38. Third quarter OAK – Raymond Chester 13-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 11:37. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 2:02. OAK – Pete Banaszak 2-yard run (George Blanda kick), 2:10. Tied 24–24. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:52. Fourth quarter OAK – George Blanda 40-yard field goal, 11:05. Raiders 27–24. Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 3:55. OAK – Rod Sherman 32-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick), 6:49. Raiders 34–24. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:29. SDG – Walker Gillette 15-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 3:08. Raiders 34–31. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 3:30. SDG – Safety, Ray White tackled Jerry DePoyster in end zone, 0:00. Raiders 34–33. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 20/36, 321 yards, 2 TD, INT OAK – Daryle Lamonica – 16/26, 190 yards, 3 TD Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 13 rushes, 63 yards, TD OAK – Pete Banaszak – 10 rushes, 50 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Mike Garrett – 4 receptions, 81 yards, TD OAK – Fred Biletnikoff – 7 receptions, 80 yards Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary November 28 1:00 p.m. EST Chargers 0 0 0 0 Bengals 7 14 7 3 Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 59,580 36 °F 1, relative humidity 80%, wind 10 mph, wind chill 29 Bob Frederic Box score First quarter CIN – Fred Willis 2-yard run (Horst Muhlmann kick), 5:41. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:22. Second quarter CIN – Bob Trumpy 10-yard pass from Virgil Carter (Horst Muhlmann kick), 11:57. Bengals 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:05. CIN – Al Beauchamp 18-yard interception return (Horst Muhlmann kick), 3:42. Bengals 21–0. Third quarter CIN – Fred Willis 3-yard run (Horst Muhlmann kick), 1:59. Bengals 28–0. Drive: 17 plays, 86 yards, 9:21. Fourth quarter CIN – Horst Muhlmann 40-yard field goal, 13:06. Bengals 31–0. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:22. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 5/18, 49 yards, 4 INT CIN – Virgil Carter – 19/24, 174 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Montgomery – 7 rushes, 30 yards CIN – Fred Willis – 2 rushes, 90 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Pettis Norman – 1 reception, 28 yards CIN – Bruce Coslet – 5 receptions, 62 yards Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers – Game summary December 5 1:00 p.m. PST Vikings 7 7 0 0 Chargers 7 3 0 20 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 54,505 55 °F 1, relative humidity 45%, wind 8 mph Jack Reader Box score First quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 5-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 7:46. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 7:14. MIN – Oscar Reed 10-yard run (Fred Cox kick), 1:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:50. Second quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 12-yard field goal, 8:57. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:37. MIN – Clint Jones 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick), 6:31. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 2:26. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – Mike Garrett 5-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 13:14. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:52. SDG – Dennis Partee 43-yard field goal, 2:35. Chargers 20–14. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:51. SDG – Dennis Partee 22-yard field goal, 1:27. Chargers 23–14. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 0:39. SDG – Pete Barnes 36-yard interception return (Dennis Partee kick), 0:58. Chargers 30–14. Top passers MIN – Bob Lee – 8/20, 122 yards, INT SDG – John Hadl – 20/29, 165 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Clint Jones – 26 rushes, 96 yards, TD SDG – Jerry LeVias – 2 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers MIN – Bill Brown – 3 receptions, 61 yards SDG – Jerry LeVias – 7 receptions, 56 yards Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary December 12 1:00 p.m. PST Broncos 0 3 7 7 Chargers 7 7 14 17 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California 44,347 51 °F 1, relative humidity 52%, wind 8 mph Ben Dreith Box score First quarter SDG – Jeff Queen 9-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 2:20. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:28. Second quarter DEN – Jim Turner 13-yard field goal, 10:13. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:53. SDG – Chuck Dicus 13-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 5:08. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 5:05. Third quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 77-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 13:33. Chargers 21–3. Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 1:27. SDG – Jeff Queen 2-yard pass from John Hadl (Dennis Partee kick), 5:33. Chargers 28–3. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 5:51. DEN – Floyd Little 12-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 1:01. Chargers 28–10. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:18. Fourth quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 9-yard field goal, 10:15. Chargers 31–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:46. DEN – Fran Lynch 40-yard pass from Steve Ramsey (Jim Turner kick), 7:56. Chargers 31–17. Drive: 4 plays, 82 yards, 2:19. SDG – Mike Garrett 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 4:52. Chargers 38–17. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 3:04. SDG – Walker Gillette 25-yard pass from Marty Domres (Dennis Partee kick), 1:54. Chargers 45–17. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 1:44. Top passers DEN – Steve Ramsey – 10/25, 169 yards, TD, 3 INT SDG – John Hadl – 21/36, 332 yards, 4 TD Top rushers DEN – Floyd Little – 18 rushes, 96 yards, TD SDG – Mike Garrett – 15 rushes, 62 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Billy Masters – 4 receptions, 43 yards SDG – Jerry LeVias – 6 receptions, 83 yards Week 14: at Houston Oilers San Diego Chargers 1971 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: San Diego Chargers at Houston Oilers – Game summary November 28 1:00 p.m. CST Chargers 0 23 7 3 Oilers 0 7 28 14 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 35,959 N/A (game played indoors) Box score First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – Jeff Queen 4-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 11:57. Chargers 7–0. SDG – Dennis Partee 50-yard field goal, 11:57. Chargers 10–0. HOU – Charlie Joiner 14-yard pass from Woody Campbell (Mark Moseley kick), 3:42. Chargers 10–7. SDG – Jeff Queen 5-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 11:57. Chargers 17–7. SDG – Bob Babich 27-yard defensive fumble return (kick failed), 11:57. Chargers 23–7. Third quarter HOU – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 1:59. Chargers 23–14. SDG – Leon River 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 1:59. Chargers 30–14. HOU – Ken Burrough 62-yard pass from Dan Pastorini (Mark Moseley kick), 3:42. Chargers 30–21. HOU – Ken Houston 35-yard interception return (Mark Moseley kick), 3:42. Chargers 30–28. HOU – Ken Houston 29-yard interception return (Mark Moseley kick), 3:42. Houston 35–30. Fourth quarter SDG – Dennis Partee 20-yard field goal, 11:57. Houston 35–33. HOU – Robert Holmes 2-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 1:59. Houston 42–33. HOU – Bob Atkins 25-yard interception return (Mark Moseley kick), 1:59. Houston 49–33. Top passers SDG – John Hadl – 12/29, 147 yards, 3 INT HOU – Dan Pastorini – 14/22, 212 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers SDG – Jeff Queen – 13 rushes, 53 yards, 2 TD HOU – Robert Holmes – 16 rushes, 92 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Jerry LeVias – 5 receptions, 68 yards HOU – Ken Burrough – 4 receptions, 122 yards, TD Standings Awards Walt Sweeney and Gary Garrison were named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad;1971 NFL Pro Bowlers https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1971/probowl.htm pro-football-reference.com April 18, 2025 No Chargers were named All-Pro by the Associated Press, though Sweeney was named the best in his Conference.1971 NFL All-Pros https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1971/allpro.htm pro-football-reference.com April 18, 2025 Hadl was a runner-up for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award, receiving one of the sixty available votes.1971 awards voting https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/awards_1971.htm pro-football-reference.com April 18, 2025 References San Diego Chargers Category:San Diego Chargers seasons San Diego Chargers f