en.wikipedia.org

2004 San Diego Chargers season - Wikipedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2004 San Diego Chargers season
OwnerAlex Spanos
General managerA.J. Smith
Head coachMarty Schottenheimer
Home fieldQualcomm Stadium
Results
Record12–4
Division place1st AFC West
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Jets) 17–20 (OT)
Pro Bowlers
All-Pros

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 would be the first season the franchise would have 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.

Additions Subtractions
WR Keenan McCardell (Buccaneers) DE Raylee Johnson (Broncos)
T Roman Oben (Buccaneers) C Cory Raymer (Redskins)
LB Randall Godfrey (Seahawks) G Kelvin Garmon (Browns)
WR David Boston (Dolphins)

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 would strike 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. The Giants would then draft quarterback Philip Rivers of North Carolina State, and then swap him and two 2005 draft picks for Manning.

2004 San Diego Chargers draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 1 Eli Manning *  QB Ole Miss traded to NY Giants
2 35 Igor Olshansky  DT Oregon
3 65 Nate Kaeding *  K Iowa From NY Giants
3 66 Nick Hardwick *  C Purdue
4 98 Shaun Phillips *  DE Purdue
5 133 Dave Ball  DE UCLA
5 154 Michael Turner *  RB NIU from Miami
6 169 Ryan Krause  TE Nebraska-Omaha
7 204 Ryon Bingham  DT Nebraska
7 209 Shane Olivea  OT Ohio State from Atlanta
7 254 Carlos Joseph  OT Miami (FL)
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career
2004 San Diego Chargers staff

Front office

  • 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 coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Dave Redding
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Matt Schiotz

[3]

2004 San Diego Chargers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Rookies in italics
53 active, 9 reserve, 7 practice squad

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.

Week 1: at Houston Texans

[edit]

Game information

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

[edit]

Game information

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

[edit]

Game information

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

Top receivers

  • SDG – Reche Caldwell – 3 receptions, 39 yards
  • DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 75 yards, TD

Week 4: vs. Tennessee Titans

[edit]

Game information

First quarter

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

[edit]

Week 5: Jacksonville Jaguars at San Diego Chargers

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

  • Date: October 10
  • Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), humidity 76 percent, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
  • Game attendance: 52,101
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (CBS (Blacked out locally)): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan
  • Box score
Game information

First quarter

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

[edit]

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

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

Week 7: at Carolina Panthers

[edit]

Week 7: San Diego Chargers at Atlanta Falcons

  • Date: October 24
  • Game time: 1:02 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), humidity 90 percent, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
  • Game attendance: 73,096
  • Referee: Ron Winter
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
  • Box score
Game information

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

Top rushers

  • SDG – Jesse Chatman – 8 rushes, 69 yards, TD
  • CAR – Brad Hoover – 24 rushes, 99 yards

Top receivers

Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders

[edit]

Week 8: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

  • Date: October 31
  • Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 69 °F (20.6 °C), humidity 57 percent, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
  • Game attendance: 66,210
  • Referee: Bill Carollo
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson, Brent Jones and Scott Kaplan
  • Box score
Game information

First quarter

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

Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints

[edit]

Game information

First quarter

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

[edit]

Game information

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

[edit]

Game information

First quarter

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 TD
    SDG – Kassim Osgood – 2 receptions, 92 yards
  • KAN – Tony Gonzalez – 8 receptions, 105 yards

Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

[edit]

Game information

First quarter

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

Top rushers

  • DEN – Reuben Droughns – 14 rushes, 38 yards, TD
  • SDG – LaDainian Tomlinson – 30 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

Week 14: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[edit]

Week 14: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego Chargers

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 69 °F (20.6 °C), humidity 63 percent, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
  • Game attendance: 65,858
  • Referee: Mike Carey
  • TV announcers (FOX): Thom Brennaman, JC Pearson and C. S. Keys
  • Box score
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

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

[edit]

Week 15: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: December 19
  • Game time: 1:03 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 18 °F (−7.8 °C), humidity 68 percent, wind 30 miles per hour (48 km/h; 26 kn), wind chill −10 °F or −23.3 °C
  • Game attendance: 72,489
  • Referee: Tom White
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
  • Box score
Game information

First quarter

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

[edit]

Week 16: San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: December 26
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
  • Game attendance: 57,330
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
  • Box score
Game information

First quarter

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

[edit]

Week 17: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

  • Date: January 2
  • Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), humidity 87 percent, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
  • Game attendance: 64,920
  • Referee: Bill Leavy
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan
  • Box score
Game information

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
AFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) San Diego Chargers 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 446 313 W1
(6) Denver Broncos 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 381 304 W2
Kansas City Chiefs 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 483 435 L1
Oakland Raiders 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 320 422 L2
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Pittsburgh Steelers North 15 1 0 .938 5–1 11–1 .484 .479 W14
2 New England Patriots East 14 2 0 .875 5–1 10–2 .492 .478 W2
3[a] Indianapolis Colts South 12 4 0 .750 5–1 8–4 .500 .458 L1
4[a] San Diego Chargers West 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 .477 .411 W1
Wild cards
5[b] New York Jets East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .523 .406 L2
6[b] Denver Broncos West 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .484 .450 W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[c][d] Jacksonville Jaguars South 9 7 0 .563 2–4 6–6 .527 .479 W1
8[c][d] Baltimore Ravens North 9 7 0 .563 3–3 6–6 .551 .472 W1
9[c] Buffalo Bills East 9 7 0 .563 3–3 5–7 .512 .382 L1
10 Cincinnati Bengals North 8 8 0 .500 2–4 4–8 .543 .453 W2
11[e] Houston Texans South 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 .504 .402 L1
12[e] Kansas City Chiefs West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .551 .509 L1
13[f] Oakland Raiders West 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 .570 .450 L2
14[f] Tennessee Titans South 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 .512 .463 W1
15[g] Miami Dolphins East 4 12 0 .250 1–5 2–10 .555 .438 L1
16[g] Cleveland Browns North 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 .590 .469 W1
Tiebreakers[h]
  1. ^ a b Indianapolis clinched the AFC #3 seed instead of San Diego based upon head-to-head victory.
  2. ^ a b New York Jets clinched the AFC #5 seed instead of Denver based upon better record against common opponents (New York Jets were 5–0 to Denver’s 3–2 against San Diego, Cincinnati, Houston, and Miami).
  3. ^ a b c Jacksonville and Baltimore finished ahead of Buffalo because they each defeated Buffalo head-to-head.
  4. ^ a b Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based upon better record against common opponents (Jacksonville were 3–2 against Baltimore’s 2–3 versus Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Buffalo and Kansas City).
  5. ^ a b Houston finished ahead of Kansas City based upon head-to-head victory.
  6. ^ a b Oakland finished ahead of Tennessee based upon head-to-head victory.
  7. ^ a b Miami finished ahead of Cleveland based upon head-to-head victory.
  8. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
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

AFC Wild Card playoffs: vs. New York Jets

[edit]

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

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

Top receivers

  • NYJ – Santana Moss – 4 receptions, 100 yards, TD
  • SDG – Eric Parker – 9 receptions, 93 yards
  1. ^ "2004 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. ^ "2004 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  3. ^ 2012 San Diego Chargers Media Guide. pp. 263–264. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  4. ^ "2004 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.