The 2014 season was the San Diego Chargers' 45th in the National Football League (NFL), their 55th overall and their second under head coach Mike McCoy.
The team lost center Nick Hardwick and running back Danny Woodhead early in the season when they were placed on injured reserve.
Arizona Cardinals rookie receiver John Brown scored on a 13-yard pass from Carson Palmer with 2:25 left in the game to defeat San Diego 18–17 on Monday night.
San Diego trailed 6–3 at halftime when Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers went 6-for-6 for 82 yards and threw a 6-yard touchdown to Malcom Floyd for a 10–6 lead.
Attaochu forced a Palmer fumble on a strip sack to set up a 20-yard touchdown run by Ryan Mathews for a 17–6 Charger advantage.
[8] On San Diego's following drive, they were in field-goal range at the Arizona 29-yard line when a mishandled snap from backup center Rich Ohrnberger—replacing an injured Nick Hardwick who left the game—to Rivers pushed the Chargers back to the 43 and forced a punt.
Arizona's late field goal in the second quarter came after a Chargers interception set up by Eddie Royal stopping on his route as a Rivers pass went to the Chiefs Jerraud Powers.
Antonio Gates caught three touchdowns from Rivers to lead the Chargers to a 30–21 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
[12] Gates' third touchdown came after he split two defenders and made a spectacular one-handed grab to give the Chargers a 27–14 lead late in the third quarter.
Rivers threw two touchdowns to Royal and spread the ball to multiple receivers to lead San Diego to a 22–10 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
[14] After losing running back Mathews to a sprained ankle the previous week, the Chargers' Danny Woodhead did not return after his first carry of the game 3+1⁄2 minutes into the contest.
Novak extended his streak of consecutive successful field goal attempts to 23, passing Nate Kaeding for second in team history.
[15] After Jacksonville took a 7–3 lead on a Toby Gerhart 1-yard TD run early in the second quarter, Rivers spotted Royal—guarded by linebacker Geno Hayes—who got open for a 47-yard touchdown reception.
Before halftime, Rivers found Royal on third-and-10 as the receiver outran defenders for 43-yard TD pass, staking San Diego to a 17–14 lead.
[15] Rivers connected with Floyd on a 24-yard TD pass to open the third quarter, and the Chargers' defense held the Jaguars scoreless in the second half.
Cornerback Brandon Flowers and safety Eric Weddle each intercepted Bortles in the second half after the Jacksonville quarterback began the game 13-for-15 with 144 yards.
[25][26] San Diego was limited to just one offensive drive in the third quarter, a three-and-out series that lasted just 1:02,[26] and Kansas City led 20–14 after an Alex Smith 11-yard TD pass to Anthony Sherman with 14:50 left in the fourth.
[28] Denver kicker Brandon McManus missed a 53-yard attempt with six minutes remaining, and the Chargers received the ball with excellent field position.
[30] San Diego remained winless in South Florida since the Epic in Miami in January 1982, a string of eight straight losses to the Dolphins.
Floyd caught a 22-yard touchdown from Rivers on the game's third play from scrimmage, and San Diego held on for a lackluster 13–6 win over Oakland.
[32] San Diego linebacker Donald Butler recovered a fumble on the opening play of the game after Carr mishandled the snap from the shotgun formation.
Gilchrist intercepted St. Louis Rams quarterback Shaun Hill's pass at the Chargers' goal line with a minute left in the game to secure a 27–24 win for San Diego.
Rivers passed to Royal for the go-ahead touchdown with 38 seconds left in the game to defeat the Baltimore Ravens on the road, 34–33, for their third straight win.
Jacoby Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the San Diego 30, setting up Justin Tucker's fourth field goal of the game for the Ravens.
After Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski's second field goal, Brandon Bolden blocked a punt by Scifres, and New England recovered the ball at the San Diego 28.
In the third quarter, Devin McCourty returned a Rivers interception for a touchdown, but the play was wiped out by a personal foul on Brandon Browner for San Diego's Ladarius Green in the head.
Their defense held New England to just 35 yards in the third quarter, forcing a three-and-out on four consecutive drives, before Brady engineered the 32nd fourth-quarter comeback of his career.
[50] On the opening drive in overtime, Weddle forced a fumble by receiver Quinton Patton, which was recovered by San Diego's Sean Lissemore.
Needing a win to secure a playoff spot, San Diego lost 19–7 to Kansas City, who started backup quarterback Chase Daniel in place of an injured Alex Smith.
The Chargers lost right tackle D. J. Fluker, safety Michael Gilchrist, cornerback Shareece Wright, and receiver Royal to injuries during the game.