1991 San Diego Chargers season
Second-year quarterback John Friesz won a preseason battle with Billy Joe Tolliver for the starting role, but struggled throughout the season, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns.
The Chargers' passing offense was among the NFL's weakest, but their running game, featuring Marion Butts, Rod Bernstine and Ronnie Harmon, ranked second in the league with over 2,200 yards.
[10] Only five days later, Tolliver was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for their fifth-round pick in the 1992 draft,[11][12] Another quarterback, Mark Vlasic, was left unprotected from Plan B free agency, and signed for the Kansas City Chiefs in March.
[14] Other offensive departures included wide receiver Quinn Early, a 2nd-round pick in 1988 who was left exposed to Plan B free agency after catching 55 passes in three seasons, and claimed by the New Orleans Saints.
Glenn, a starter in 65 of the previous 67 games, was left unprotected in Plan B free agency, amid rumors of a lack of attention to conditioning, and a failure to report to training camp while negotiating a contract.
[23] Shawn Jefferson, who came to San Diego in the Lee Williams trade,[9] caught only twelve passes in his first season as a Charger, but would increase his production in each of the next four years, and was another 1991 acquisition who went on to start every game in 1994.
Tolliver's main rival for the starting quarterback role, John Friesz, connected with Yancey Thigpen for a touchdown of his own in the second half (neither passer was intercepted).
Houston led 29–28 late in the game, but Donnie Elder's interception set up John Carney to hit the winning field goal from 27 yards out with 2:04 to play.
Junior Seau, who made the first of twelve consecutive Pro Bowls,[53] was second with 7 sacks and was credited by the Chargers with a team-leading 129 tackles, ahead of his fellow inside linebacker Gary Plummer with 111.
[57] Newly installed starting quarterback John Friesz lost a fumble on the game's third play, and Gary Anderson put the Steelers ahead with a 38-yard field goal.
San Francisco drove into Charger territory on their next three drives: on two of them, they settled for field goal tries, one of which was missed; on the third, Burt Grossman stopped Tom Rathman for no gain on 4th and inches from the 2.
Atlanta drove into San Diego territory shortly before halftime, but a holding penalty caused the final seconds to be run off the clock, denying them a field goal attempt and keeping the score at 10–7.
However, Burt Grossman had jumped offside, negating the score and enabling Denver to continue their drive, which ended with a touchdown run by Green which put the Broncos ahead to stay.
[67] Rookie Kansas City running back Harvey Williams returned the opening kickoff for 76 yards, setting up a Christian Okoye touchdown only 79 seconds into the game.
San Diego responded with two drives into Kansas City territory, but Friesz threw incomplete on 4th and 4 from the 37, and Carney hit the right upright on a 36-yard field goal attempt.
Three plays later, Friesz was sacked and fumbled; Derrick Walker was able to recover, enabling Carney to hit a second field goal and pull the Chargers within a point.
The Raiders needed less than three minutes to respond, Jay Schroeder throwing a touchdown shortly after Stanley Richard was flagged for a 36-yard defensive pass interference penalty.
After three plays gained only one yard, Dan Henning opted to go for it on fourth down, and Butts forced his way through the middle of the line for a touchdown and a 14–10 lead, with just two seconds remaining in the half.
[72] Los Angeles scored a field goal on the opening possession of the second half and were threatening to take the lead early in the final quarter, having gained a first down at the Charger 33.
[74] San Diego then misplayed a squib kick, which bounced between two Chargers and over the head of Lewis, who chased the loose ball backwards and managed to recover it at his own 1 yard line, with 14 seconds left.
Of the safety, he explained that the Chargers did not run quarterback sneaks and that they didn't consider trying a deliberate incompletion, believing that the 250-pound Butts could avoid being tackled for a loss.
[76] The Chargers opened the scoring after Kitrick Taylor's 48-yard punt return set them up at the Cleveland 12; their offense gained only 2 yards from there, but Carney made a 27-yard field goal.
San Diego pulled three points back early in the 2nd quarter, when Miller drew a 37-yard pass interference penalty, negating an interception and moving the ball to the Seattle 11.
They were unable to get any closer to the end zone, and Carney kicked a 29-yard field goal; barely three minutes later, Seattle kicker John Kasay hit a 51-yarder to restore his team's seven-point lead.
[79] Carney was short from 56 yards early in the 3rd quarter (Henning mistakenly believed the kick would be a 51-yarder), and Seattle drove to the Charger 29 before Billy Ray Smith intercepted Dave Krieg.
[82] New Orleans, 9–1 coming into the game, drove 78 yards in 12 plays after receiving the opening kickoff, taking over seven minutes off the clock and scoring on a short touchdown pass by Steve Walsh.
New Orleans then crossed midfield, but lost another fumble, this time forced by Sam Seale, recovered by Bayless and lateraled to Byrd, who returned the ball to the Charger 37 with 6:31 to play.
[85] The game's opening kickoff was short; Mitchell Benson, a defensive lineman who usually blocked on kick returns, fielded the ball at his own 24 but fumbled, with the Jets recovering.
On the next play from scrimmage, Leslie O'Neal broke through on Marino's blindside to sack the quarterback, forcing a fumble that Joe Phillips recovered on the Miami 13.
The Chargers responded immediately, Harmon (with a 16-yard carry) and Taylor (with a 19-yard reception), again had the biggest gains, before Bernstine scored on 3rd and goal from the 1 to pull the deficit back down to three points with 10:25 to play.
