1979 San Diego Chargers season
Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts threw for 4,082 yards to break Joe Namath's professional record of 4,007 in 1967 (albeit with the benefit of two extra regular season games).
Kicker Rolf Benirschke began the year well, making all four of his kicks, but collapsed on the plane home from the Week 4 game at New England.
[6] Three-time Super Bowl winner Roy Gerela was brought in as replacement, but made only one kick from seven before making way for Mike Wood, who finished 11 of 14, with all three misses coming from 50+ yards.
Said Pro Football Prospectus of the team, "the creative [head coach] Don Coryell always designed potent offenses, but the San Diego defense didn't catch up until 1979.
In their first playoff game, the Chargers hosted a Houston Oilers team missing running back Earl Campbell and quarterback Dan Pastorini and fell on their faces.
The first half was evenly contested, with Clarence Williams scoring from a yard out and San Diego leading 13-10, but the Seahawks had five consecutive possessions terminated by turnovers starting from midway through the 3rd quarter.
On the next play, Zorn was intercepted by Ray Preston; a running into the punter penalty prolonged the subsequent Charger drive, and Williams ran in another touchdown.
A fumble recovery by Wilbur Young and Preston's second interception would later set up a Mike Thomas touchdown run and Benirschke's 4th field goal.
Following a Raider field, San Diego wasted a red zone opportunity when Fouts fumbled the snap, but Woodrow Lowe picked off a Ken Stabler pas only three plays later and ran it back 32 yards for a game-breaking score.
In a back-and-forth game, Buffalo led 6-0 before San Diego had back-to-back touchdown drives of 80 and 73 yards, featuring a combined 16 runs against only 1 pass.
Punter Jeff West struggled badly throughout the 1st quarter, punts of 21, 28 and 30 yards setting up New England in Charger territory on three consecutive drives, which they converted into seventeen points.
Though Fouts was intercepted deep in 49er territory in the opening quarter, three scores in the final 5:04 of the half put San Diego in command.
A field goal by Roy Gerela (in for the ailing Rolf Benirschke) followed with 42 seconds on the clock; two plays later, Horn intercepted an ill-advised pass, and Fouts immediately found Charlie Joiner for a 17-3 lead.
An end zone interception thwarted the threat, and a 37-yard pass interference penalty against Mike Williams helped Los Angeles to quickly tie the scores.
Shortly after half time, Dean's quarterback sack caused the ball to pop up in the air for Wilbur Young to gather as he stepped into the end zone.
Wood made a short field goal, then followed up with a surprise onside kick, which the Raiders unnecessarily touched despite it lacking the power to go ten yards.
Bob Klein pulled San Diego back within nine points with a quarter still to play, but they didn't cross midfield again until the final minutes, by which time Oakland had safely padded their lead.
For the second consecutive game, both starting wide receivers crossed the 100-yard mark: Joiner caught 9 passes for 107 yards; Jefferson had 4 for 109 and a touchdown.
The Chiefs then prolonged San Diego's second drive with a penalty for running into the punter, and Fouts teamed with Jefferson for the opening score.
Fouts threw another pick at the start of the 3rd quarter; Kansas City drove into the red zone before Ray Preston made an interception of his own.
San Diego appeared poised to tie the scores later in the quarter after Cliff Thrift blocked a punt, setting up the offense on the 8-yard line.
Gary Johnson had two sacks on a day of defensive dominance; Bradshaw finished with no touchdowns and five interceptions for the only time in his Hall of Fame career.
The Chiefs led 7-0 after the game's opening possession, but San Diego responded in kind: Fouts twice converted on 3rd and long, with 29-yard completions to Artie Owens and Joiner, the latter for a touchdown.
However, Falcons QB Steve Bartkowski moved his team 56 yards in only four plays shortly before halftime, and an interception with 11 seconds on the clock foiled the Chargers after they had driven into the red zone.
In the second half, Willian Buchanan ripped the ball from the hands of a Falcons receiver, and Fouts found rookie John Floyd for a 17-14 lead.
When New Orleans finally managed to force a punt, Mike Fuller won the ball straight back with an interception, setting up another Bauer score.
Buoyed by a defense which forced five turnovers from Denver quarterback Craig Morton, the Chargers clinched the AFC West on the final Monday night of the season.
Hampered by a Fouts interception and a missed field goal, San Diego trailed 7-0 early in the 2nd quarter when Morton was sacked by Fred Dean, forcing a fumble which Leroy Jones recovered.
Next it was the Broncos’ turn to miss an opportunity — they drove 81 yards, reaching 2nd and 4 at the 9 before Pete Shaw came up with a goal line interception to keep the game tied.
For the season, San Diego's standard game method was for offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs to stay upstairs in the booth and phone plays down to Head Coach Don Coryell and Jim Hanifan on the sidelines.
