[3] Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve In addition to their regular games with AFC West rivals, the Chargers played teams from the AFC East and NFC West as per the schedule rotation, and also played intraconference games against the Texans and the Bengals based on divisional positions from 2001.
The Chargers took the opening kickoff and drove 78 yards to take the lead; Tomlinson converted a 3rd and 2 with a 6-yard run, and Conway pulled in a Brees pass up the left sideline for a 35-yard touchdown two plays later.
Bennett pinned the Texans at their own 7 with a punt late in the half, and Seau sacked David Carr in the end zone, though the quarterback was ruled to have reached the ball over the goal line and avoided a safety.
Houston were forced to punt from their own 1 yard line; San Diego took over at their own 46 and Conway's 23- and 14-yard receptions moved them into position for Christie's field goal.
Bennett pinned the Texans at their own 5 and Leber sacked Carr in the end zone two plays later; the quarterback fumbled, and Raylee Johnson recovered.
In the final five minutes, Vernon Fox intercepted Carr and Leber sacked him on 4th down as the Charger defense conceded no touchdowns for the second game in a row.
Late in the half, Wiley sacked Jake Plummer to push the Cardinals out of field goal range, keeping the San Diego lead at 14–7.
A Fred McCrary fumble soon set the Patriots up at the San Diego 39, but the Charger defense allowed only three yards and forced a punt.
He cut to the right to evade two Patriots at the line of scrimmage, slipped a tackle ten yards upfield and benefitted from a Dwight block up the right sideline to complete the run.
The Patriots converted a 4th and 1 and crossed midfield again, but Kevin Faulk's attempted lateral went loose at the Charger 42, and Molden recovered with 8 seconds left to clinch the win.
Bennett batted his own blocked punt out of the end zone for the safety, before Jason Elam's field goal made it 19–0 at halftime.
[18] Tamarick Vanover returned the opening kickoff of the second half for 39 yards, and San Diego advanced to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 33 before Jason Belser intercepted Brees at the goal line.
After Tony Gonzalez extended the Kansas City lead back to 10 points, San Diego drove 65 yards without facing a 3rd down, and scored with four minutes left when Dwight took a short pass over the middle and dove over a would-be tackler.
Following a squib kick by Richey, Kansas City started at their own 47 with 10 seconds still to play, but the game ended with an incompletion and an interception by Edwards at his 2-yard line.
The Raiders missed another scoring chance on their next drive, reaching 2nd and goal at the 11 before Rich Gannon's shovel pass was deflected and intercepted by Edwards.
San Diego did manage a 67-yard touchdown drive late in the half, helped by 30 yards on two Jets penalties and finished by Conway.
Leber then forced Bruce to fumble, Edwards recovered and, aided by a block from Jammer, returned the ball 82 yards for another defensive touchdown.
After Dwight dropped a pass at the Rams 10, Schottenheimer opted to punt from the St. Louis 32 rather than have Christie attempt a long field goal.
On their next possession, Tomlinson's 30-yard run gave San Diego a 1st down at the St. Louis 24, but they were pushed back by two offensive holding penalties and eventually punted from the 33.
After each side punted on their opening possession, San Diego drove 80 yards to take the lead through Caldwell: Conway's 31-yard catch was the longest play.
Brees completed 3 passes for 33 yards as he drove San Diego into field goal range, but Christie's 44-yard attempt was blocked as the half ended.
San Diego opened their next drive with a 21-yard run for Tomlinson and a 47-yard catch for Conway, but Brees underthrew a pass and was intercepted on 2nd and goal from the 4.
[34] San Diego won the overtime coin toss and received, but Brees threw three consecutive incompletions and they were forced to punt.
In the 2nd quarter, their defense forced three consecutive incompletions by Gannon from his own 11 yard line, and a 34-yard punt set the Chargers up in Oakland territory.
San Diego drove inside the Oakland 10 twice in the final minutes, but Brees threw incomplete on 4th down and Jesse Chatman was tackled at the 1 as time expired.
[47] San Diego reached the Bills 48 on the first possession of the second half, but Brees was sacked no consecutive plays and they were forced to punt.
Doug Flutie came in for Brees with 8 minutes to play as he received a mixed reaction of boos and cheers from the Buffalo fans, and immediately went deep for Conway, who juggled the ball before bring it in for a 47-yard gain.
Brees responded by going 5 of 5 for 52 yards and a touchdown to Dwight; Caldwell was stopped short of the goal line on a two-point conversion try, leaving the deficit at nine points.
The Chiefs reached a 4th and 1 at the Charger 37 and went for it; Mike Cloud was judged to have gained the necessary yardage by about an inch, and San Diego were charged their final time-out after unsuccessfully challenging the call.
Christie added a field goal on the next drive, and San Diego led at halftime after Lyle forced a fumble that Molden recovered at the Charger 11.