They lost three in a row (including one to San Diego) before a 31–31 tie to the Boston Patriots saw Rymkus fired by owner Bud Adams in favor of Wally Lemm, who had been an assistant coach with the team in 1960 before being coaxed back from the sporting goods industry to serve the same position in 1961.
[5][6] At the end of the 1960 American Football League season, the Chargers elected to move down the California coast from Los Angeles to San Diego due to attendance problems.
San Diego had a tremendous start as the defending Western champion, winning their first eleven games of the season and clinching the division with room to spare (finishing (12–2)), doing so on the efforts numerous AFL All-Stars on both sides of the ball in players such as quarterback Jack Kemp and defensive end Earl Faison (who won AFL Rookie of the Year that year); the Chargers forced 66 turnovers on the season while ranking first in overall defense by allowing just 15 points per game.
Cannon jumped to make the catch, shrugged off a would-be tackler, and scampered into the end zone for a touchdown, his second in two straight low-scoring championship games.
San Diego head coach Sid Gillman was involved in a heated post-game discussion at mid-field with an official, field judge John Morrow, who was wrestled to the ground by Charger safety Bob Zeman.