Football Outsiders nonetheless rated the 1993 Chargers as the fourth-best team that season, and the second best in the AFC behind their conference rival Chiefs.
Humphries returned for the final six games with a greatly improved rating of 90.7, and San Diego won four of them, but missed the playoffs by a single win.
Anthony Miller led the team in all major receiving categories (84 receptions, 1,162 yards, 7 touchdowns), while Ronnie Harmon had 73 catches out of the backfield.
On defense, the leaders were Leslie O'Neal (12.0 sacks), Junior Seau (129 tackles), and Darren Carrington (7 interceptions, plus 1 fumble recovery).
In a game with no offensive touchdowns, John Carney's six field goals brought San Diego their first opening day win for seven years.
They had to overcome a terrible start, Stan Humphries' second pass attempt of the season being batted in the air by Cortez Kennedy for Joe Nash to intercept and return 13 yards for a touchdown.
Cornerback Marquez Pope played a key role in shifting momentum after the break, intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble on consecutive Bronco possessions.
Both turnovers set the Chargers up with excellent field position, and both chances were converted, Humphries hitting Derrick Walker and Nate Lewis for touchdowns.
Humphries continued to struggle in the 3rd quarter, and was pulled for John Friesz, who completed a 47-yard pass downfield to Nate Lewis on his very first play.
Moon was intercepted on the next two Houston possessions: the first of these, by Sean Vanhorse, ended an Oiler threat; the second was Seau again, and led to Carney's fifth field goal and a 15–14 lead.
Moon was also benched at this point - his backup Cody Carlson drove Houston to a 3rd and 2 at the San Diego 8, whereupon a touchdown pass to Haywood Jeffires was incorrectly ruled to have been out of bounds.
However, Kevin Greene hit Friesz as he threw on the next play, causing a goal line interception and knocking the quarterback out of the game with a concussion.
Humphries came in, but was soon sacked by Greg Lloyd, causing a fumble which Levon Kirkland recovered and ran in for the game's only touchdown.
Shortly after Anthony Miller had an 89-yard touchdown reception chalked off for a Harry Swayne hold, the Chiefs opened the scoring, veterans Joe Montana and Marcus Allen combing from 15 yards out.
A 66-yard strike from Friesz to Miller extended the advantage, but John Carney missed the conversion, and back-to-back touchdown drives by Minnesota put the Vikings up by a point.
On the ensuing kickoff, Marquez Pope forced a fumble, and Friesz found Shawn Jefferson for the Chargers' second score in barely a minute.
Stan Humphries came in at halftime, but saw a 44-yard completion to Shawn Jefferson wiped out by an offensive pass interference penalty, and couldn't breech the Raider red zone until late on in the game.
After the fourth Raider field goal, Humphries threw six straight completions for 73 yards, the final nine coming on a touchdown to Nate Lewis.
However, there was only 1:53 to play - the Raiders recovered an onside kick and only 14 seconds remained when San Diego got the ball back, whereupon Humphries was intercepted.
Indianapolis drove to a first down at the Charger 26 on the game's first possession, but Stanley Richard intercepted an underthrown HB option pass, and there were few threats thereafter.
In the second half, Chris Mims and Junior Seau recovered a pair of fumbles, which San Diego turned into rushing touchdowns by Butts and Eric Bieniemy.
Darren Carrington intercepted John Elway on the first play of the second half, and the tide began to turn, the turnover leading to a successful field goal, before Means tied the scores early in the 4th quarter.
The Packers took an early 7–0 lead, after which both sides kicked two field goals, and Brett Favre and Stan Humphries were intercepted on consecutive plays - it was 13–6 at the break.
Humphries was knocked out of the game with a concussion, but the big plays kept coming, Plummer forcing a fumble which Mims recovered, setting up a Carney field goal.
When blocking tight end Duane Young caught his first career touchdown pass from Friesz, it was 17–0 three seconds into the 2nd quarter.
The Chiefs responded quickly, scoring 14 points on their next two drives, and turning a Gordon fumble and Friesz interception into 14 more after half time.
Friesz completed four consecutive passes to reach a first down at the Kansas City 32, but threw straight at Albert Lewis on the next play for a game-sealing interception.
After scoring only six touchdowns in their previous seven home games, the Chargers exploded for six in a single night, routing the playoff-chasing Dolphins and avenging their recent playoff defeat.
Humphries lofted a Hail Mary that was deflected in the air and grabbed by Anthony Miller just before he stepped out of the end zone.
John Carney's fourth field goal of the game restored the Chargers lead, before they converted a pair of interceptions into touchdowns by Duane Young and Natrone Means.