1980 San Diego Chargers season

The majority of these came from their starting defensive linemen, Fred Dean, Louie Kelcher, Leroy Jones and Gary "Big Hands" Johnson, known collectively as the “Bruise Brothers”.

[15] San Diego also made a significant signing after the season had begun, when they traded their 2nd-round draft pick in 1981 for running back Chuck Muncie.

[17] San Diego had no picks in the first three rounds, due to previous trades for Willie Buchanon and Bob Klein,[20][21][22] as well as for the right to sign head coach Don Coryell.

Neither team were able to score before the game was called with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter for player safety, although the Chargers had been poised to attempt a field goal with the ball at the Green Bay 25.

Luther threw for 124 yards and a touchdown in the second half, but his pass from the San Francisco 40 was intercepted in the end zone as time expired and the Chargers lost 17–14.

[47] The Charger offense struggled with turnovers; they threw 26 interceptions, lost 22 fumbles and led the league with 48 total giveaways, including 7 in three separate games.

[32] While San Diego ranked only 18th in the NFL for points conceded, the defensive unit finished sixth in total yards and led the league with 60 sacks.

[32] Kicker Benirschke returned from his illness of the previous season[62] but had the lowest field goal conversion percentage of his career to that point, making 24 of 36 and finishing joint-11th in the NFL with 67%.

Following an exchange of punts, San Diego reached a 2nd and goal from the Oakland 4-yard line, and Jefferson made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch with 48 seconds left in the half.

He lost a fumble that was run back for a Raiders touchdown and threw four interceptions, three in Oakland territory to end scoring chances and a fourth which set up a field goal try for Bahr.

Trailing 24–17, Oakland reached a 1st and 10 from the San Diego 16-yard line, from where Pastorini threw two incompletions before Gary Johnson sacked him for a loss of 7 and temporarily knocked him out of the game.

While Oakland defensive back Lester Hayes lost the ball in the sun, Jefferson leapt to make the catch, fell just outside the end zone and rolled over the goal line untouched for the winner, 8:09 into overtime.

On the opening possession, Benirschke broke the Charger record for longest field goal for the second consecutive week, this time converting from 53 yards out.

Kansas City didn't cross midfield on their next four drives; when they did reach the Chargers 30-yard line late in the game, Horn recovered a fumble to end the threat.

New York's lone touchdown was set up by a special teams error, Partridge mishandling a snap near his goal line; Cappelletti found the end zone again four plays into the Chargers' response.

The first of these was a one-handed catch set up by Winslow's 47-yard gain; the second came after a Shaw interception, and was aided by a Bengals' miscommunication that left him completely unmarked at the line of scrimmage.

Terry Robiskie put Miami ahead on the game's opening drive, but San Diego responded in kind, Fouts converting 3rd downs with completions to Joiner and Williams, the latter for a touchdown.

[100] San Diego won the toss in overtime, but their opening drive stalled at the Dolphins 42-yard line, and Partridge's punt went into the end zone for a touchback.

The Eagles wasted two drives into Chargers territory: Tony Franklin missed a 49-yard field goal and Ron Jaworski mishandled a snap that Kelcher recovered.

The Charger defense then appeared to have made a red zone stop, but Young jumped offside on a field goal attempt, and Washington scored the crucial touchdown a play later.

Despite the surprising loss to a 3–10 team, San Diego remained tied atop the AFC West, as Oakland lost to Dallas later in the day.

The Seahawks went three-and-out on their next two possessions; after the second of these, San Diego made sure of the win with a 15-play, 86-yard drive that took nine minutes off the clock and ended with Benirschke missing from 23 yards out with 1:09 to play.

[112] The reduced margin of victory proved not to matter, as Oakland could only beat Denver by three points the following day, leaving San Diego top of the AFC West on the tiebreakers.

The Steelers needed barely three minutes to respond with Sidney Thornton's touchdown, before San Diego converted three 3rd downs but failed on a fourth, leading to another field goal.

The first two drives of the game ended with field goal attempts: Buffalo kicker Nick Mike-Mayer struck the upright from 44 yards, while Benirschke was successful from 22.

A 24-yard Jefferson catch moved San Diego into Buffalo territory, but Fouts was intercepted after his overthrown pass glanced off Ron Smith's fingertips inside the 10.

San Diego reached a 3rd and 10 at midfield, from where Fouts found Smith in stride over the middle at the Buffalo 25-yard line en route to a 50-yard game-winning touchdown with 2:08 to play.

Three plays into the game, Jim Plunkett's 3rd-down pass deflected off his intended receiver Kenny King and was caught instead by Raymond Chester, who broke away to complete a 65-yard touchdown.

The offense tied the score three plays later; from the Raiders 48-yard line, Fouts threw to Joiner in the end zone, who made the catch despite being double covered.

Thomas fumbled the next time San Diego had the ball, with Oakland recovering at the Charger 29-yard line, leading to the fourth Raiders touchdown.