The 1987 San Diego Chargers was the franchise's 18th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 28th overall. The team improved on their 4–12 record in 1986, finishing 8–7 but missing the playoffs. The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from sixteen to fifteen games. The Chargers started the season 8–1, with victories over eventual division winners Indianapolis and Cleveland, before collapsing to lose their final six games of the season, narrowly missing the playoffs. All but one of their final six losses came to teams that made the postseason in 1987.

As was the case with all NFL teams in 1987, the Chargers were obliged to field a replacement team for three weeks due to the NFLPA strike. This team, dubbed the 'Re-Chargers' by head coach Al Saunders, was made up primarily of players who had missed the final cut for an NFL squad in preseason. While the regular players picketed outside San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium, the new Chargers won three games out of three against other replacement teams. After the strike ended, most of the regular Chargers reclaimed their jobs, though some replacements were able to keep their places in the squad beyond the end of the 1987 season.

In the twelve non-strike games, San Diego performed fairly well on defense, with defensive end Lee Williams, linebacker Billy Ray Smith and safety Vencie Glenn among the leaders. The offense, however, struggled increasingly as the season wore on. With the run game contributing little, it fell to quarterback Dan Fouts and the passing attack to produce points, but they were hampered by sacks, turnovers and Fouts' struggle to recapture his mid-career form. It would be his final season in the NFL, having spent his entire fifteen-year career in San Diego. Also retiring after the season was tight end Kellen Winslow, ending his nine-year career with a fifth Pro Bowl berth.

Offseason

Departures and arrivals
San Diego lost a future Hall of Fame wide receiver during the offseason when Charlie Joiner announced his retirement. Joiner finished as the NFL career leader in receptions (750) and receiving yards (12,146). At 39, he considered himself too old to play on, but switched to a new role as the Chargers' receiving coach. The Chargers also traded their third-leading wide receiver from 1986, Trumaine Johnson, to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for linebacker David Brandon and a 3rd-round draft pick. They also switched backup running backs, trading Buford McGee and two future draft picks to the Rams in exchange for Barry Redden. McGee had scored seven touchdowns in the first nine weeks in 1986, but missed the final seven games after a double knee surgery; Redden was a former 1st-round draft pick, but went on to have only 30 carries during his two years with the Chargers. On the offensive line, the Chargers added Broderick Thompson, a former Cowboy who started only 3 games in 1987, but 76 out of a possible 80 from 1988 to 1992.

An established defensive player also left the active squad when linebacker Woodrow Lowe was placed on injured reserve during preseason; he did not play again, and was eventually released on  11 March 1988. Lowe spent his entire playing career with the Chargers, appearing in 164 out of a possible 165 games from 1976 to 1986. San Diego also added an established linebacker in Chip Banks, who had made the Pro Bowl in four of his five seasons with the Browns, though he had held out while in Cleveland. After playing a single season in San Diego, he did so once more, and never played for the Chargers again after 1987. On the defensive line, San Diego picked up Mike Charles, a nose tackle recently cut by Miami. He went on to start 25 games during three years with the Chargers. Meanwhile, defensive end Earl Wilson, who had started 15 games over the past two seasons, was cut after week 1. He was arrested as part of a drug investigation later the same day, though the Chargers stated the timing was coincidental and his release was based purely on performance. In the defensive backfield, San Diego traded cornerback Wayne Davis for Buffalo safety Martin Bayless. Bayless started every non-strike game for the Chargers in 1987, and went on to start 66 times in total during five seasons in San Diego.

The Chargers held a battle for the placekicker position through training camp and preseason, eventually won by free agent acquisition Vince Abbott, who secured his first NFL job after losing four previous training camp battles. This meant that veteran Rolf Benirschke lost his job after ten years in San Diego; he was traded to Dallas for a draft pick. Benirschke felt he wasn't given a fair chance to compete for the job after attempting no field goals in preseason. He left as the team's leading scorer (766 points), and the third-best kicker in league history by career field goal percentage (70.2%), though his accuracy had diminished through the past four seasons.

NFL draft

Despite having three veteran tight ends on their roster, the Chargers added more depth at that position with their 1st-round draft pick; Rod Bernstine had played at running back in high school, but converted to tight end under the advice of Texas A&M coach Jackie Sherrill. He had only 10 catches as a rookie, and eventually switched back to the running back position. Bernstine would finish his time with the Chargers having scored 19 touchdowns and rushed for over 2,000 yards, with a further 888 receiving yards.

Except for Bernstine, the Chargers received little production from their 1987 draft class, with all but four having left the team within two years. 2nd-round pick Lou Brock was placed on injured reserve with an infection of the lymphatic system after only one game, and released before the following season without playing again. Defensive end Karl Wilson started only twice in two years, while quarterback Mark Vlasic started three times in three years. Wide receiver Jamie Holland started in 12 games and also featured as a kickoff returner, but scored only twice in three seasons with the team.

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Preseason

For the second consecutive season, the Chargers opened their preseason schedule by shutting out the Cowboys. They allowed only 11 first downs and 208 yards, while scoring on a Mark Herrmann touchdown pass to Lionel James and runs by Frank Middleton and Kevin Scott. In the following game, three different quarterbacks (Herrmann, Rick Neuheisel and Vlasic) threw touchdowns to three different receivers (Tim Spencer, Bernstine and Holland). The last of these put San Diego ahead 21–20 with 2:47 to play, but the Rams drove into position for a game-winning field goal with four seconds left.

Starting quarterback Dan Fouts hadn't played at all in the first two games. He did so at San Francisco, completing only 3 of 11 passes for 14 yards while getting sacked three times in a quarter of action, but leading the Chargers to their only points, an Abbott field goal. Fouts played into the 3rd quarter in the final game, leading three touchdown drives. He threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Wes Chandler and a 1-yarder to Sam Claphan on a tackle-eligible play, before Spencer scored his second touchdown of the preseason on a 4-yard run.

Regular season

Overview
San Diego lost their opening game and won the next, leaving them at 1–1 heading into the players' strike (see following section). Their replacement players won all three of their games, before the regulars returned and extended the Charger winning streak to eight games in total, including seven wins by six points or fewer. At 8–1, San Diego had the best record in the NFL, and a two-game lead in the AFC West. However, they lost their remaining six games and missed the playoffs, being outscored 162–61 during the losing streak. , the 1987 Chargers remain the only post-merger team to miss the playoffs after starting 8–1. On a 2012 episode of NFL Top 10, theirs was named the #5 worst single season collapse in NFL history.

A weak offense increasingly hampered the Chargers as the season wore on – they scored only seven offensive touchdowns in their final eight games. They finished the season ranked 27th out of 28 teams for points scored, and 21st for yards gained, while converting a league-worst 30% of their third downs. Fouts struggled with injuries, missing two non-strike games, and posted a passer rating of 70.0, below the league average of 75.2 and his worst for 12 years. Chandler led the team with 617 receiving yards, while James, Kellen Winslow and Gary Anderson had over 500 each. Winslow's 53 catches were the second most in the league for a tight end, earning him a fifth Pro Bowl appearance in his ninth and final season, though his yards per catch dropped to a career-low 9.8. While San Diego's passing yardage was the 8th-best in the league, their rushing yardage ranked 27th, and their average yards-per-carry of 3.3 ranked dead last. Curtis Adams led the team, but his 343 yards ranked only 44th in the league.

The defense was middling, finishing 15th in the NFL for both points conceded and yards allowed. This represented an improvements on recent years – San Diego had ranked 23rd or worse in both categories for six consecutive seasons. They were stronger against the pass than the run (4th-ranked vs. 24th-ranked). Defensive end Leslie O'Neal, who had been named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year the previous season, missed all of 1987 with an injury. In his absence, the team's sack total dropped from 62 to 45; Lee Williams repeated as sack leader, though his total dropped from 15 in 16 games to 8 in 12 games. Linebacker Billy Ray Smith led the team with 5 interceptions (he also had 3 sacks), while safety Vencie Glenn was second with 4, one of which he returned 103 yards for a touchdown. On special teams, James ranked 5th in the league with 12.5 yards per punt return, including a touchdown, while Anderson was 17th with 19.7 yards per kickoff return. New kicker Abbott made 13 of his first 17 field goals, but missed his last five attempts and finished 25th in the league with a 59.1% conversion rate. Punter Ralph Mojsiejenko averaged 42.9 yards per kick, earning the lone Pro Bowl nomination of his career.

NFLPA strike

The strike begins

The 1987 NFL season began under the shadow of a potential National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) strike, with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire and talks stalling as the players pushed for improved free agency rights. The NFLPA set a date of September 22 to strike, two weeks into the season; in response, the owners threatened to field replacement teams stocked with free agents. With this possibility in mind, San Diego was one of several teams who offered optional agreements to players they waived in the build-up to the season, allowing them to rejoin the Chargers in the event of a strike.

With no agreement having been reached, the strike went ahead as planned. Chandler, the Chargers' player representative, described the situation as disappointing, but derided existing free agency restrictions as a "form of slavery". Head coach Al Saunders sympathized with the fans and stated that he could see both sides of the disagreement. He noted that it was his job to coach replacement players if instructed to do so by the league. At a meeting with his players on the eve of the strike, Saunders encouraged them to continue to stay in shape; the players were in agreement, and scheduled group training sessions at the University of California, San Diego. All 45 regular Chargers refused to play for the team once the strike began. This included Fouts, who was not a member of the NFLPA union and stated that he did not consider himself to be on strike. He declined to play on a team stocked with replacement players, noting that he would be risking injury behind an inexperienced offensive line.

Forming the "Re-Chargers"

The NFL cancelled its slate of week 3 games, and proceeded to form teams of non-union players to replace the regulars from week 4 onwards; director of football operations Steve Ortmayer was primarily responsible for building the Chargers' replacement squad. On September 22, they announced the first 18 players in their new team, including eight they had cut in preseason. By the following day's first practice session, the squad had grown to 38, and 5 more appeared for a later session. While many of the new players had little or no NFL experience, cornerback Elvis Patterson had won the Super Bowl with the New York Giants; he had been released one game into the 1987 season after being badly beaten on a touchdown catch by Chicago Bears receiver Willie Gault. Patterson described his signing as a second chance, and expressed optimism that he could keep his place after the strike was over. At quarterback, the Chargers quickly signed Mike Kelley, formerly of the USFL, but since they also hoped to add someone familiar with their offensive scheme they approached Rick Neuheisel and Tom Flick, both of whom they had cut in training camp. Neuheisel struggled with the choice: on September 22, he decided to play, but changed his mind through loyalty to the striking players, and announced on September 23 that he would continue his studies at USC Law School instead. On September 28, Neuheisel met with both Charger officials and striking players to try and get both sides of the story; the following day, he reaffirmed his decision not to play. Finally, he agreed to sign with the Chargers on September 30, noting that some established NFL veterans had crossed the picket lines.

Many of the established players responded with hostility to their replacements. A group of 39 striking Chargers established a picket line at the new players' first practice session. They gathered on a hill overlooking the facility and jeered the performers throughout; Patterson was greeted with cries of "Where's Willie Gault?" Chandler stated that the real players were picketing, and their replacements were "stunt men". Linebacker Gary Plummer said that he couldn't blame the replacements for taking advantage of the situation, but that it was the picketers' job to give them a hard time. Saunders dubbed his new team the "Re-Chargers"; he acknowledged that they were below the regulars in terms of quality, but said, "there's still the thrill of coaching and there's still the challenge." Going into their first replacement game (week 4), the Chargers had seventeen players with NFL experience on their squad while their opponents, the Cincinnati Bengals, had two.

The replacement games
With the strike continuing, teams of mostly non-union players contested the NFL's slates of games in weeks 4 and 5; the replacement Chargers won both games, with none of the regulars involved. As the strike proceeded, increasing numbers of established stars crossing the picket lines; with the defections weakening their position, the NFLPA relented and called off the strike after 24 days, on October 15. This was one day too late for players to report for duty for week 6, giving the replacements one more game before the majority of them would lose their jobs. The regular Chargers turned up at Jack Murphy Stadium on October 16 ready to work; they were told by Ortmayer that they could use the club's facilities, but would not be paid or permitted to play that week, whereupon they left the building. One exception was defensive lineman Terry Unrein, who had contacted club management shortly before the deadline and indicated that he would cross the picket line. Two other players (Mack Moore and Jeffery Dale) re-joined the team but were listed on injured reserve and unable to play, so Unrein was the lone strike-breaker to appear for the Chargers in week 6. Despite their opponents (the Los Angeles Raiders) having several regulars available, the Chargers won again to complete a clean sweep of their strike games.

All three wins came on the road, and the Chargers trailed at halftime in each game. Neuheisel and Kelley split time at quarterback, with one replacing the other in each game – they finished with 672 combined yards (367 for Neuheisel, 305 for Kelley). The top receiver was Al Williams, with 12 catches for 247 yards and a touchdown; his yardage total was the 8th-highest in the league during the strike games. No rushers gained 100 yards or more, with Keyvan Jenkins' 88 yards leading the team. San Diego scored 50 points during the three games, 21st in the league; by contrast, they conceded only 39 points, 5th fewest in the league. Notable performers included Patterson, whose 75-yard interception return touchdown beat the Raiders in the final minute, and Blaise Winter, whose 4 sacks were tied for 3rd-most in the league during the strike games.

After the strike
A day after their non-union replacements beat the Raiders, the regular Chargers returned for their first practice at Jack Murphy Stadium. While Chandler described practising with the replacements as the biggest challenge for the returning Chargers, alternate player representative Gill Byrd praised their performances and stated that he expected no animosity between the two groups. When the Chargers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 42–21 in their first post-strike game, Chandler and Fouts were among several players credited the result to team unity and the regular practice sessions the striking players had run together.

The Chargers quickly trimmed their list of non-union players once the regulars returned. On 20 October, they cut 35 replacement players, retaining 19 on their active roster and three more on injured reserve. A further seven were waived the following week, together with four members of the pre-strike squad, as NFL teams were given increasingly tight squad limits to meet. By 14 November, the pre-strike limit of 45 players had been restored, with nine replacement Chargers remaining. Patterson won a starting role in 1987, and remained with the team through the 1989 season, while Les Miller and Joe Phillips both started games for the Chargers as late as 1990.

List of replacement players
Click "show" to expand the table below, which displays brief career notes on the 50 replacement Chargers who featured in at least one strike game (Weeks 4, 5 and 6). Players who were on the Chargers' replacement squad but did not feature in any games are not included; neither is Unrein, a union player who crossed the picket lines and played in week 6. Players are taken to have pre-strike or post-strike experience in a league if they featured in at least one regular season or postseason game.

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries
All game reports use the Pro Football Researchers' gamebook archive as a source.

Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

San Diego gave up a late kickoff return touchdown after rallying from a 10-point 4th-quarter deficit. The Chargers turned the ball over twice in the opening eight minutes; James fumbled a punt and Fouts threw an interception to Deron Cherry, with the Chiefs converting the second turnover into a field goal. In the 2nd quarter, the Chargers reached a 2nd and 6 at the Kansas City 14, but Cherry produced another interception, this time in the end zone. Kansas City then drove 80 yards and extended their lead, with rookie Christian Okoye breaking away on a 43-yard touchdown run. The Chiefs led 10–0 at halftime.

The Chargers opened the 3rd quarter with a 14-play, 72-yard drive, featuring a 27-yard catch by Winslow. They reached a 1st and goal at the 2, but were pushed back by a Dennis McKnight false start, and had to settle for an Abbott field goal. Abbott missed from 44 yards out on the next Charger drive, and Kansas City responded with a successful kick by Nick Lowery. Midway through the final quarter, San Diego got their lone touchdown of the game when Anderson caught a Fouts pass near the right sideline and barely stayed in bounds before completing a 34-yard touchdown catch. Two plays later, Plummer intercepted Todd Blackledge, setting his team up at the opposition 30. The Chargers drove to the 5, but Anderson was ruled out of bounds in the end zone on an attempted 3rd-down catch, and they settled for a game-tying field goal. Paul Palmer, another Chiefs rookie, returned the ensuing kickoff untouched for a 95-yard touchdown with 3:19 to play. The Chargers then went three-and-out. They nearly had one more opportunity, but Danny Walters was unable to come up with a tipped Blackledge pass, which was instead caught by Stephone Paige for the first down that allowed Kansas City to run out the clock.

Smith had 2 of the Chargers' 4 sacks. They allowed only 58 net passing yards, compared to their own total of 258, but lost the turnover count 4–1. James finished with 6 catches for 100 yards.

Week 2: vs. St. Louis Cardinals

After taking a 28-point halftime lead, the Chargers barely hung on to win thanks to a late drop at the goal line. The Cardinals went three-and-out on the game's opening possession, and James profited from a block by Glenn en route to an 81-yard punt return touchdown. Three plays later, Neil Lomax fumbled the snap, and Smith recovered at the Cardinal 15. Anderson scored four plays later, and it was 14–0 only 5:24 into the game. Later, Fouts led an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass to Chandler. Late in the half, Smith intercepted Lomax, and James scored from the 7 on the next play. St. Louis reached the Charger 5 before running out of time, leaving the Chargers up 28–0 at the break.

Anderson had a 25-yard run and a 17-yard catch on the opening possession of the second half, but he then fumbled a pitch on 1st and goal from the 10, and St. Louis recovered. The Cardinals were forced to punt, but Fouts was soon intercepted in his own territory to begin the comeback. St. Louis scored 24 points on four consecutive possession, with Lomax throwing three touchdowns. San Diego answered with a punt each time, the final one  of which was run back to the Charger 32 with 1:15 to play. Catches by Jay Novacek and Earl Ferrell moved the ball to the 5 yard line, from where Lomax threw three incompletions, bring up 4th and goal with 20 seconds to play. Due to an error by Smith, Ferrell was open to the right, but he dropped Lomax's pass at the goal line and the Chargers held on to win. Despite the victory, the home crowd booed the team off the field.

Lomax was sacked by five different players, but passed for 457 yards, then a record against the Chargers. San Diego only ran 56 plays, against 86 by the Cardinals.

Week 3: vs. Seattle Seahawks (cancelled)
All week 3 games were cancelled due to the NFLPA strike.

Week 4: at Cincinnati Bengals

The replacement Chargers won their first game after being held scoreless for over three quarters. Todd Spencer fumbled on their first offensive play, though he recovered the ball himself. On the next possession, a 23-yard catch by Al Williams positioned them for a 30-yard field goal attempt that Jeff Gaffney missed wide left. San Diego soon moved back into Bengals territory, but Ken Zachary lost a fumble. Marc Logan then had a 51-yard run, leading to a Cincinnati touchdown two plays later. In the 2nd quarter, the Chargers had a 3rd and 12 from their own 18 and Neuheisel was sacked back in the end zone for a safety. Darrel Hopper blocked a Bengals' field goal try on the ensuing drive, and San Diego took over at the Cincinnati 45. Neuheisel then connected with Williams for 18 yards, but was intercepted two plays later, and the Bengals led 9–0 at halftime.

Cincinnati drove to a 4th and 1 at the San Diego 23 late in the 3rd quarter; the Bengals tried to run for the first down, but were stopped for no gain. Kelley was then inserted at quarterback. His first possession was a three-and-out, but his second was an 8-play, 86-yard touchdown drive: Spencer took a pass 45 yards for the biggest play, and Frank Middleton leapt over the line to score from the 1 two plays later. On the extra point attempt, a bad snap by Dwight Wheeler eluded the holder (Neuheisel). Gaffney picked up the loose ball and ran to the left; confronted by several Bengals, he pitched the ball back to Neuheisel, who headed to the right and dove in from a yard out, pulling the deficit back to 9–7 with eleven minutes to play. After the next three drives ended in punts, Williams had a 15-yard catch to help position Gaffney for a 24-yard field goal, with David Diaz-Infante replacing Wheeler as the long snapper. Gaffney converted the kick with under three minutes left. The Bengals opted to punt after gaining 6 yards on three plays, and Middleton ran for two first downs to help San Diego run out the clock.

Neuheisel completed 10 of 19 passes for 84 yards and an interception; Kelley completed 7 of 9 for 110 yards. The Chargers defense allowed −13 passing yards (the Bengals' quarterbacks had 10 passing yards, and lost 23 yards from 3 sacks); this remains a franchise record .

Week 5: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Strong performances by Neuheisel and the defense helped the replacement Chargers to another comeback win. Tampa Bay were forced to punt on the game's opening possession, but Al Williams fumbled the punt and the Buccaneers recovered, leading to a touchdown two plays later. Gaffney missed a 38-yard field goal on the next drive, and the following seven possessions ended in punts. Kelley had started the game at quarterback, but Neuheisel replaced him with 6:22 to play in the 2nd quarter. Four plays later, he completed a pass to Harry Holt, who lost a fumble. Tampa Bay recovered, added a field goal and led 10–0 at the break.

San Diego scored on their first three possessions of the second half. First, Neuheisel converted a 3rd and 10 with an 18-yard scramble, setting up a 27-yard field goal that Gaffney successfully converted. After a Buccaneers three-and-out, San Diego drove 80 yards in 9 plays to tie the score. Williams had catches of 20 and 32 yards, and Martin Sartin scored from the 2. A sack by Phillips forced another Buccaneers three-and-out, and the Chargers drove for the go-ahead touchdown, a 19-yard pass from Neuheisel to Tim Moffett two minutes into the final quarter. After Tampa Bay pulled three points closer with a field goal, San Diego drove to the Buccaneers' 16 before Sartin lost a fumble. Tampa Bay soon reached a 4th and 1 at their own 35, and elected to punt with three minutes to play. Sartin converted a 3rd and 1 on the next drive, and the Chargers ran all but seven seconds off the clock before the Buccaneers got the ball back. Carl Brazley ended the game with an interception.

Kelley completed 5 of 11 passes for 53 yards; Neuheisel was 18 of 22 for 217 yards and a touchdown. His completion percentage of 81.8% was a Charger record at the time (minimum 20 attempts). Williams caught 5 passes for 110 yards. The Buccaneers gained only 7 first downs, and 70 passing yards.

Week 6: at Los Angeles Raiders

Patterson's late interception return gave the replacement Chargers their third win, ensuring that the regular players would return as division leaders. Patterson gave his team the first scoring chance of the game when he recovered a fumble at the Raider 8; San Diego eventually went for the touchdown on 4th and goal from the 1, but a Sartin sweep lost 8 yards. Miller forced another fumble on the next play, with Walt Harris recovering, again on the Raider 8. This time, Neuheisel followed two incompletions by scrambling for a touchdown. On their next possession, San Diego produced an 11-minute, 22-play drive that took them from their own 6 yard line to a 3rd and goal from the 4, before Neuheisel was sacked and Gaffney saw his 36-yard field goal attempt blocked. The Raiders then drove 73 yards the other way, and tied the score on a touchdown pass from Vince Evans. After a series of punts, the Raiders took over on their own 25 yard line with 33 seconds left. Evans moved the ball to the San Diego 32, from where he threw another touchdown pass a single second before halftime.

Trailing 14–7, the Chargers punted on their first two possessions of the second half, then switched to Kelley at quarterback. His first possession was a three-and-out, but he opened his second with a 67-yard completion to Calvin Muhammad, setting up a short field goal. After Los Angeles responded with a field goal of their own, Kelley connected with Al Williams for 57 yards, with the same pair ending the drive with a touchdown pass on 3rd and goal from the 7. With the score tied at 17–17, the Raiders drove into position for a 37-yard field goal, which Chris Bahr missed wide right with two minutes left. San Diego went three-and-out, and Los Angeles drove to the Charger 33 in the final minute. Patterson then cut in front of an out pattern, intercepted Evans and ran untouched for a 75-yard touchdown return with 18 seconds to play. Los Angeles reached the Charger 45, from where Evans' final pass was incomplete in the end zone as time expired.

Neuheisel completed 12 of 18 passes for 66 yards; Kelley completed 5 of 9 for 142 yards and a touchdown. The replacement Chargers scored 33 of their 50 points in the 4th quarter. The Raiders had 17 of their regular players available, compared to just one (Unrein) for the Chargers.

Week 7: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The regular Chargers returned with a relatively comfortable win. They went 75 yards on their first drive, with Fouts completing 4 of 5 passes for 58 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown to Chandler. Later in the opening quarter, they had a 91-yard touchdown drive; this time Fouts completed 5 of 6 for 71 yards, and Anderson scored with a 1-yard run. In the 2nd quarter, Thomas Benson stopped a threatening Chiefs drive with a fumble recovery, and Mojsiejenko pinned Kansas City at their own 8 with a punt. Two plays later, Bayless sacked Bill Kenney, forcing a fumble that Miller, a replacement player who'd retained his place in the team, recovered in the end zone. The next Charger touchdown was set up by James' 18-yard punt return to the Kansas City 38, setting up a short drive that ended with Fouts sneaking in from the 1; the score was 28–0, with the Chiefs only having gained two first downs. Kenney threw a touchdown on the following drive; in response, San Diego reached a 3rd and 13 at midfield, which they converted when Chandler drew a 31-yard defensive pass interference penalty. Fouts found Winslow in the front corner of the end zone on the following play. Kenney responded with another touchdown pass on the next play from scrimmage, and it was 35–14 at halftime.

Another 18-yard punt return by James set the Chargers up in Chiefs territory early in the second half; they reached a 2nd and goal from the 4, but Fouts fumbled while being sacked, and Kansas City recovered at their own 7. The Chiefs then drove 93 yards in only six plays, aided by three Charger penalties, and scored on Okoye's 1-yard run. Kansas City were threatening to draw closer shortly afterwards when Anderson lost a fumble inside his own 40, but Glenn recovered another fumble two plays later at the Charger 20. Late in the 3rd quarter, Mojsiejenko punted but Kansas City were flagged for roughing the kicker, allowing San Diego to retain possession. Anderson ended that drive with another 1-yard touchdown run. That was the final score of the game; the next two Chiefs possessions ended with a fumble (forced by Lee Williams and recovered by Banks) and an interception by Smith.

Fouts completed 24 of 34 passes for 293 yards, with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Chargers gained 30 first downs and possessed the ball for 37 minutes. Both teams gave up over 100 yards in penalties (141 by the Chiefs, 118 by the Chargers). Chandler's touchdown was the 56th and final one of his career (15 for the New Orleans Saints, 41 for the Chargers).

Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns

San Diego overturned a 10-point 4th quarter deficit to win in overtime. Their defense got an early turnover when ex-Brown Banks intercepted Bernie Kosar and returned the ball 20 yards to the Cleveland 15 – James went around right end for a touchdown on the next play. Kosar led a touchdown drive in response, but the Chargers came back with a 9-play, 81-yard drive, facing no 3rd downs and scoring via Bernstine's 10-yard catch (his first career touchdown). In the 2nd quarter, Kosar tied the score with his second touchdown pass. James set up a field goal attempt late in the half with a 21-yard punt return, but Abbott was well short from 52 yards out, keeping the score at 14–14.

Banks forced and recovered a fumble early in the second half, setting his offense up at the Cleveland 29, but Fouts gave the ball back with an interception two plays later. The Browns then drove for a field goal, and James lost a fumble on the next play from scrimmage, setting up a short touchdown drive and a 24–14 Cleveland lead. A 66-yard Charger drive then produced no points, as Abbott missed a 32-yard field goal. Phillips sacked Kosar to force a punt, and Fouts passed on every play of the ensuing drive, completing 6 of 7 for 85 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown pass to James with 5:08 to play. Phillips and Unrein split a 3rd-down sack on the following drive, and a short punt started the Chargers off at the Cleveland 46. San Diego drove as far as the Cleveland 2, but Pete Holohan couldn't come down with Fouts' 3rd down pass in the end zone, and Abbott tied the score with a 22-yard field goal, 1:46 from the end of regulation time. Kosar led his team as far as the San Diego 41, but another sack pushed them back, this time split by Glenn and Bayless. Following an incompletion, they were forced to punt, and the game went into an extra period.

Cleveland won the overtime coin toss and elected to receive. After two runs, they faced a 3rd and 2 at their own 36; Kosar's overthrown pass was intercepted by Glenn and returned 20 yards to the Cleveland 25, with a face mask penalty moving the ball five yards further. After two running plays, Abbott drove the winning 33-yard field goal just inside the left upright.

Fouts completed 25 of 42 passes for 315 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. James rushed 3 times for 21 yards and a touchdown, and caught 4 passes for 90 yards and a further touchdown. This was the last overtime game the Chargers won until 2002.

Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts

Humiston recovered a key fumble as San Diego fought back from a 13-point halftime deficit to win. Indianapolis opened the game with an 8-minute field goal drive, and had crossed into Charger territory again when Charles sacked Jack Trudeau, forcing a fumble that Byrd recovered. In the 2nd quarter, two Fouts interceptions set up Colts field goal attempts, though Dean Biasucci missed the second of these. On the next Indianapolis drive, Eric Dickerson rushed 8 times for 50 yards, and Albert Bentley found the end zone for a 13–0 lead. Fouts was intercepted again on the final play of the half.

The first drive of the second half ended with Abbott's 42-yard field goal. Indianapolis tried to convert a 4th and 1 from their own 40 on the following drive, but Banks stopped Bentley for no gain. San Diego reached a 3rd and 1 at the Indianapolis 18, whereupon Fouts fumbled; Center Don Macek recovered, allowing Abbott to kick another field goal, from 37 yards. The Chargers completed their third consecutive scoring drive early in the final quarter; Fouts converted a 3rd and 11 with a 23-yard completion to Chandler, then threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to James on 3rd and goal. After an exchange of punts, the Colts drove from their own 36 to a 1st and goal at the Charger 8. On the following play, Dickerson ran the ball inside the 2 before being tackled by several Chargers; Smith knocked the ball loose, and Humiston recovered in his own end zone with four minutes to play. San Diego then drove 59 yards on 11 plays, with Fouts completed all three of his passes for 40 yards. Abbot made the game-winning field goal from 39 yards with 12 seconds to play.

San Diego improved in several areas after halftime. Their time of possession nearly doubled, from 7:48 to 14:23, while their defense gave up 12 first downs in the first half and 6 in the second. Dickerson gained 103 of his 138 yards before halftime.

Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Raiders

San Diego won their eighth straight game as a Raider rally fell short. Smith intercepted Marc Wilson's first pass of the game and returned it 22 yards to the Raider 22. A defensive holding penalty on 3rd down prolonged the ensuing drive, and Fouts hit a wide open Winslow for a 9-yard touchdown on 3rd and 8. Bahr missed a 41-yard field goal on the next drive. Late in the opening quarter, another Charger drive was prolonged by a 3rd down penalty, this time of 30 yards – a pass interference drawn by Anderson. That led to a 38-yard field goal by Abbott; he then made a 47-yarder, after Jeff Jackson recovered a fumble in Raider territory. When Abbott was successful from 39 yards late in the half, San Diego led 16–0.

The first nine drives of the second half all ended in punts, with neither offense crossing the halfway line. In the final quarter, San Diego were able to advance from their own 3 to the Raider 41, aided by a 29-yard pass interference penalty, again drawn by Anderson. Fouts then overthrew his intended receiver, resulting in an interception and 58 yard return. Wilson threw a touchdown three plays later with eight minutes left. Aided by another Raider 3rd down penalty, the Chargers then ran over four minutes off the clock before punting. Los Angeles also punted, after reaching 4th and 13 at their own 33 with barely two minutes left. After a Charger three-and-out, the Raiders covered 72 yards in only four plays, scoring on James Lofton's 47-yard touchdown over Charles Romes with 16 seconds left. The ensuing onside kick went out of bounds, allowing San Diego to run out the clock.

San Diego picked up only 88 yards in the second half, and were outgained 365–248 overall. They profited from 17 Raider penalties for 186 yards (the Chargers were penalized 7 times for 60 yards). , this is tied for the most penalties given up by a Charger opponent, and top for penalty yards.

Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks

Seattle dominated San Diego to end their winning streak. Anderson lost a fumble on the opening kickoff return, leading to a Seahawks' field goal. San Diego responded by driving into Seattle territory and attempting a 4th and 2 at the 44. Herrmann, starting at quarterback because Fouts had a calf injury, was unable to handle the snap, and the attempt failed. The Charger defense thwarted the next Seattle drive when Glenn forced a fumble and Smith recovered at his 10, but the Seahawks scored a touchdown on their following possession. A 34-yard catch by James set up the lone Charger score of the game (a 33-yard Abbott field goal), but Seattle came straight back with another touchdown, and led 17–3 at halftime. They continued to pull away in the second half. Fouts was inserted into the game, but was sacked twice and intercepted once before Herrmann came back in to finish.

San Diego were outgained by 496 yards to 156, outrushed by 277 to 17, possessed the ball for 18:25 (including only 5:12 in the second half); Seattle generated 34 first downs to the Chargers' 6. The yardage differential of −340 was the worst in franchise history to that point, eventually being surpassed in 2003. With the win, Seattle pulled within a game of the Chargers atop the AFC West.

Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos

Glenn's record-tying interception return wasn't enough to beat the Broncos, who drew within half a game of San Diego. On Denver's first drive they drove 74 yards to a 2nd and goal at the Charger 6, before John Elway's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Glenn; he took off along the right sideline, slipped one tackle, benefitted from a block by Benson, and completed a 103-yard touchdown return, the joint-longest in league history at that point. Elway bounced back on his next two drives, a 51-yard completion setting up a touchdown run, and a 46-yard completion accounting for another touchdown. After an exchange of field goals, Fouts completed four passes for 58 yards, and the Chargers reached a 3rd and goal at the Denver 7 with 17 seconds left and no timeouts, trailing 17–10. Winslow caught Fouts' next pass inside the 1, but was ruled not to have broken the plane of the goal line before being pushed back by three Broncos. Time ran out before San Diego could attempt a field goal.

Denver extended their lead on their first two drives of the second half via two further Elway touchdown passes. After the second of these, the Chargers responded; Anderson had catches of 38 and 33 yards, and Adams scored on a 1-yard run with 14 minutes to play. Denver's next drive ended with a missed field goal, but ran seven minutes off the clock. Fouts drove San Diego into opposition territory before his deep pass was intercepted to effectively clinch the game for Denver. He was intercepted again in the final minute.

Fouts completed 23 of 40 passes for 322 yards, with 2 interceptions. The Chargers were again dominated in terms of time of possession, holding the ball for only 18:41. They gave up a season-high 522 yards of offense. While contemporary reports described Glenn's touchdown as a new record for an interception return, there had been a previous 103-yarder, by Pete Barnum in 1926. The record was tied again by Louis Oliver in 1992 and eventually broken by Ed Reed in 2004.

Week 13: at Houston Oilers

San Diego fell out of first place in their division with a third straight loss. Glenn intercepted Warren Moon's first pass of the game, setting his offense up at the Oiler 30. Three plays later, Fouts was sacked on a blitz and fumbled; Houston ran the ball back 55 yards for a touchdown. Chandler later fumbled near midfield, setting up a Houston field goal, and the Oilers added ten more points on their following two drives. San Diego staged a mini-revival late in the half, with Lee Williams sacking Moon for a safety, and the offense driving to a 3rd and 5 at the Houston 10 with seven seconds to play. Saunders opted not to risk another play, settling for an Abbott field goal and a 20–5 halftime scoreline.

The Chargers drew no closer in the second half. Houston scored another touchdown the first time they had the ball, then James fumbled at the Oiler 5. Holland drew a 33-yard pass interference penalty on the next drive, and Fouts beat the Oiler blitz to find Winslow for a 6-yard touchdown. San Diego forced a punt, but Fouts again fumbled while being sacked, with Houston recovering at the Charger 30. That led to a touchdown run by Moon, and San Diego didn't score again until the final minute, when Herrmann threw a 9-yard touchdown to Anderson.

Patterson and one Oiler were ejected for their roles in a fracas with one second left in the first half. Chandler caught 10 passes for 140 yards. San Diego outgained Houston by 8 yards (332–324), but fumbled four times and lost them all. Winslow's touchdown was the 45th and final one of his career.

Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Numerous errors cost the Chargers a chance to move back into first place. Fouts fumbled a handoff to Spencer on the game's second play, but Charles forced Pittsburgh quarterback Mark Malone to fumble in turn a play later, with Smith recovering. San Diego advanced to the Steeler 12 before turning the ball over with a further fumble, this time by Adams. However, they scored soon afterwards when Glenn blocked a punt and Brandon recovered in the end zone. After Pittsburgh missed a field goal, Winslow was ruled just short of the end zone on a 30-yard catch. Anderson appeared to have run for a touchdown on the following play, but McKnight's illegal motion penalty negated the score. Three plays later, the Chargers went for it on 4th and goal from the 1, but Spencer fumbled as he reached for the end zone. San Diego's defense was able convert the good field position into two points on the next play, as Chuck Ehin sacked Malone in the end zone for a safety. Pittsburgh shanked the ensuing free kick, but Daniel Hunter failed to gather the ball at the Steeler 43. In the 2nd quarter, James fumbled on a punt return, leaving the Steelers to drive only 39 yards for their first touchdown of the day. After Abbott missed a 42-yard field goal in the final minute of the half, San Diego led only 9–7.

The Chargers appeared to have earned a 1st down on the Steeler 13 on their first possession of the second half, but Chandler's 22-yard catch was wiped out by another illegal motion penalty, this time on Holohan. That drive ended with Abbott's 48-yard field goal falling short and to the left. Pittsburgh then took the lead, driving 69 yards in only five plays, with Malone running the ball in from the 7. After a third consecutive Charger drive ended in a missed Abbott field goal (short again and wide right, from 46 yards), the Steelers added two Gary Anderson field goals to lead 20–9. San Diego quickly moved into Pittsburgh territory, but a deflected Fouts pass was intercepted with seven minutes to play. The Steeles went three-and-out, and San Diego drove 58 yards in 8 plays to get back into the game. Fouts converted a 4th and 10 with a 14-yard pass to Chandler, and connected with James for back-to-back 15-yard gains, the latter for a touchdown. Following another Steeler three-and-out, San Diego began their final possession on their own 20 with 1:50 to play. Chandler began the drive with a 17-yard catch, Spencer converted a 4th and 1 with a 10-yard carry, and a 20-yard Chandler reception moved the ball to the Pittsburgh 24 with 22 seconds left. From there, Fouts threw four consecutive incompletions.

The Chargers outgained Pittsburgh by 435 yards to 254, but committed five of the game's six turnovers, losing four fumbles for the second consecutive week. Chandler caught 7 passes for 116 yards. Fouts completed 29 of 52 passes for 334 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The touchdown pass was the 254th and final one of his career.

Week 15: vs. Indianapolis Colts

A fifth straight loss nearly eliminated the Chargers from playoff contention. They began the game well, taking the opening kickoff and driving 74 yards in 13 plays to take the lead. Fouts completed 5 of 5 passes for 56 yards, and scored on a 4th-down quarterback sneak. Indianapolis tied the score later in the 1st quarter when Bill Brooks took advantage of a coverage error by Bayless on a 42-yard touchdown catch. The Chargers reached the Colts' 25 yard line in the 2nd quarter, but Fouts took a 3rd-down sack and Abbott was short and left on a 52-yard field goal try. Indianapolis scored through a pair of Biasucci field goals on their final two possessions of the half, and led 13–7.

Neither team advanced further than the opposition 34 during the first twelve possessions of the second half; Indianapolis punted six times, while San Diego punted four times and Fouts was intercepted twice. Eventually, Dickerson broke off a 53-yard run and Bentley scored on the play after the two minute warning. Fouts threw incomplete on 4th and 2 from the Colt 26 in the final minute, and was intercepted as time expired.

Fouts completed 22 of 37 attempts for 257 yards and 3 interceptions, while being sacked 5 times for the loss of 43 yards. It was the final game of his career, as he missed the finale with a slightly torn rotator cuff, and announced his retirement three months after the end of the season. The result meant that San Diego would be eliminated if either the Steelers or Oilers won in week 16, regardless of their own result.

Week 16: at Denver Broncos

San Diego's season ended with a shutout in a Denver blizzard. They were confirmed to have missed the playoffs during the 1st quarter, when Houston completed a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. By then, the Chargers already trailed to a 71-yard punt return touchdown. Denver added a second touchdown later in the quarter, with San Diego yet to register a first down after three possessions. The Chargers were inside the Denver 30 three times in the 2nd quarter, but Herrmann was intercepted twice, and Abbott missed a 26-yard field goal. The Chargers gained only 22 yards and a single first down after halftime, while Denver added a field goal and an interception-return touchdown.

Herrmann finished with 13 completions from 23 attempts for 123 yards, with 4 interceptions; backup Vlasic added a fifth interception on his debut appearance. Winslow caught 6 passes for 44 yards. It was the final regular season game of his career, as he retired during the 1988 season without playing again.

Standings

Awards
Three Chargers were named to the 1988 Pro Bowl, each of whom was also named a 2nd-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.

References

San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers seasons
San Diego Chargers f


Maria Holaus (born 19 December 1983) is a professional alpine skier from Austria. Her specialities are the Downhill and the Super-G.

Career highlights

FIS World Ski Championships
2001 - Verbier,  2nd at downhill (juniors)
2007 - Are, 21st at downhill
World Cup
2007 - San Sicario/Sestriere,  3rd at downhill
2008 - Cortina d'Ampezzo,  1st at super-g
2008 - St. Moritz, 2nd at downhill.
European Cup
2002 - Altenmarkt-Zauchensee (1),  1st at downhill
2002 - Altenmarkt-Zauchensee (2),  1st at downhill
2006 - Altenmarkt-Zauchensee,  1st at downhill
2006 - Altenmarkt-Zauchensee,  2nd at super-g
2006 - Hemsedal (1),  2nd at super-g
2006 - Hemsedal (2),  1st at super-g
2007 - St. Moritz,  2nd at super-g
National Championships
2006 - Altenmarkt-Zauchensee,  1st at downhill

External links

1983 births
Living people
Austrian female alpine skiers
20th-century Austrian women
21st-century Austrian women


Earth Sound Research Corporation is a defunct American manufacturer of electric amplifiers, effects units and related equipment.

History
Initially branded ISC Audio (an abbreviation of Instrument Systems Audio Corporation), the company was a division of the Benjamin Electronics Sound Company, a marketer and distributor of high fidelity audio equipment, headquartered in Farmingdale, New York.  The president and owner of Benjamin Electronics was Joseph N. Benjamin.

Commonly thought to have been founded in the early 1970s, Earth Sound Research Corporation was formally incorporated in New York on October 17, 1975. The Earth Sound Research offices were located in Brentwood, New York. On May 7, 1976, the Earth Sound Research company formally changed its name, re-incorporating in New York as Aucorp Sound, Inc.

The company was managed in 1978 by president Mark Neuman and vice-president and manager of sales Michael McGuire. Neuman had been associated with the late 1960s era Plush amplifier company prior to his tenure at Earth Sound Research.

Product line
Earth Sound Research specialized in electric bass and guitar amplifiers in the 1970s. They also manufactured  PA mixers, power amps, and stand alone solid state reverb units. The company also manufactured ESR brand distortion pedals such as the Graphic Fuzz which was based somewhat on a Craig Anderton fuzz and volume pedal.

Collectability
Many of the Earth Sound Research amplifiers are considered rarities throughout the vintage amplification world and are collected by many vintage amplifier enthusiasts.

Design infringement
Most of their models were either outright or close copies of then current, successful amplifiers and other audio equipment.

Early Earth Sound Research amplifiers used all tube circuitry and were assembled inside the Benjamin Electric Sound plant in Farmingdale.  The company also hired subcontractors for component assembly.

Qualtrol Electronics, Inc., a third party subcontractor located in Deer Park, New York, supplied Earth Sound Research with amplifier chassis and sub-assemblies. Andy Fuchs, a former employee of Qualtrol said “I worked for Qualtrol, the subcontractor who made the Peavey Electronics clones... Qualtrol did a nice job (in my opinion) of copying the Peavey gear (for Earth Sound Research)... They (Qualtrol) cloned the circuits, which (ironically) were RCA textbook Transistor Manual circuits.”

Reason for failure
According to Gabe Dellevigne, who has researched the Earth Sound Research brand, "Peavey was very aware that Earth had been stealing their designs and repackaging them as their own products...  the demise of ESR was not caused by any form of litigation or infringement proceedings, rather, they simply folded for financial reasons as so many other short-lived instrument amplification companies have over the years.”

References

External links

 - Earth Sound Research History by Pedal Haven
 - Earth Sound Research Community Forum

Guitar amplifier manufacturers
Guitar effects manufacturing companies
Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States


De Havilland Aviation was originally a licensed aircraft company based in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. It maintained and operated many post-War vintages and modern aircraft, owned by both the company and on behalf of private clients. Its most noteworthy restoration project was restoring the de Havilland DH110 Sea Vixen XP924 to flightworthy status; at its time, the most complex aircraft restoration project ever undertaken. Its main base was Bournemouth Airport but it also operated a Worldwide spares and parts service from Swansea in Wales, supplying many of the vintage aircraft owners as well as various air forces.

De Havilland Aviation was a corporate partner of the Royal Aeronautical Society and was licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Although previously dissolved in 2011, De Havilland Aviation Ltd has now been reincorporated under a new management team.

History
De Havilland Aviation was born out of the former aviation trust, Jet Heritage (founded by display pilot Michael Carlton), although the De Havilland name has its roots much further back to the de Havilland Aircraft Company who built many of the aircraft that De Havilland Aviation eventually maintained. Originally set up by Gwynn Jones, the then owner of the Sea Vixen, it expanded its operation to the restoration and operation of other manufacturers and types of aircraft including Vampires, Meteors, and Hunters.

The Sea Vixen project was started in 1997 and took five years to complete during which time the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy gave his support to the project. Following the completion of the project, XP924 was registered on the civilian register as G-CVIX and became the only flightworthy Sea Vixen in the World.  The company was subsequently awarded a sponsorship deal by Red Bull Marketing to display the Sea Vixen in the Red Bull corporate logo. However, in 2007 the aircraft was restored to its former Navy markings, complete with its original registration of XP924. At the time, it was the only privately owned former military jet in Europe capable of breaking the sound barrier.

Following on from the success of the Sea Vixen project, the company embarked on providing support for many air show events around both the UK and Europe by way of aircraft displays and maintenance support. In August 2006, the company applied to the CAA to hold an air show operator's licence so that the Sea Vixen could be displayed along Bournemouth Seafront prior to the annual display by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows.  As a result of that display and that of the Red Arrows, a charity lunch held at the Bournemouth BIC raised over £25,000 for local charities.

2005 Corporate buy out
In October 2005, the company was sold to a consortium led by Geoff Beck and Julian Jones, along with the aircraft stock. Paul Kingsbury, the Chief Engineer since the Jet Heritage days, took on the role of Director of Engineering and led the engineering side of the company. The role of Chief Pilot was continued by Brian Grant, a display pilot, until his retirement in December 2007. During his time as Chief Pilot for the company, Brian won the UK Airshow Review (UKAR) Classic Jet Display award for three years running for his public displays of the Sea Vixen. That award had never before been awarded three years consecutively to any display pilot or team.

De Havilland Aviation continued to restore and maintain classic jets, and provide operational support for air shows. It became a major sponsor of the inaugural Bournemouth Air Festival in 2008, having committed aircraft and logistical support to the four-day event. This included providing a De Havilland Venom as a static display at St. Paul's roundabout in Bournemouth to promote the event.

Its most recent project was the restoration to flight of former Red Arrows Folland Gnat XR537, having completed projects on two Jet Provosts during 2007. XR537 was officially re-launched during the Bournemouth Air Festival 2008 and was part of a nostalgic flypast with the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows. That flypast remains the only occasion that a genuine former Red Arrows Gnat has flown in formation with the team's current BAe Hawks.

In May 2008, the company was contracted to take on the restoration of the former Source Aviation Flight, which included de Havilland Vampires and Venoms, and to return as many jets from that historic collection to flight as possible.

2011 Corporate dissolution
Following the expansion plans of Bournemouth Airport, the company was relocated to a new hangar on the north-east sector of the airport during the summer of 2008. Following a period of no further restorations and a break up of the company, De Havilland Aviation was formally dissolved on 3 May 2011. Operational responsibility for some of the aircraft formerly in the care of the company was transferred to a newly established company - D.S. Aviation Ltd is later known as D.S. Worldwide (Military) Aviation Ltd. Sea Vixen G-CVIX was eventually handed over in trust to the Royal Navy Heritage Flight at RNAS Yeovilton.

2017 Reincorporation
De Havilland Aviation Ltd was reincorporated in the summer of 2017 to manage the aviation interests of Geoff Beck, one of the original consortium directors of the 2005 takeover.

External links
De Havilland Aviation

Aerospace companies of the United Kingdom


The  San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 27th overall. the team failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 1985. Following a stagnant 1–7 start, Head Coach Don Coryell was fired and Al Saunders was named interim Head Coach. After the season, Saunders was named the permanent Head Coach and would hold the position through the end of the 1988 season. Leslie O'Neal was named Defensive Rookie of the Year.

NFL Draft

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries
All game reports use the Pro Football Researchers' gamebook archive as a source.

Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 2: at New York Giants

Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 4: at Los Angeles Raiders

Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 7: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 9: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 10: at Denver Broncos

Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Raiders

Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 14: vs. Houston Oilers

Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 16: at Cleveland Browns

Standings

Awards and honors
 Leslie O'Neal, Defensive Rookie of the Year

References

San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers seasons
San Diego Chargers f


The  (), also called the Brahma's Net Sutra, is a Mahayana Buddhist Vinaya Sutra.  The Chinese translation can be found in the Taishō Tripiṭaka.  The Tibetan translation can be found in Peking (Beijing) Kangyur 256. From the Tibetan it was also translated into Mongolian and the Manchu languages.  It is known alternatively as the  ().

The Brahmajāla Sūtra is related to the important Huayan metaphor of Indra's net.

It is not related to the Brahmajala Sutta of the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism.

History
The sutra is traditionally regarded as having been recorded in Sanskrit and then translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva in 406. Several scholars assume that it was composed in East Asia by unknown authors in the mid-5th century, and is apocryphal. The sutra itself claims that it is part of a much longer Sanskrit text, but such a text has never been found. Qu Dacheng (pinyin transliteration) or Wut Tai Shing (Cantonese transliteration) suggests that because the contents of the longer Brahmajala Sutra very much resembled the Avataṃsaka Sutra that was already translated, the translators of the Brahmajala Sutra only translated the key differences. Some scholars and many Mahayana monastics believe the sutra is not apocryphal. Amoghavajra, one of the patriarchs of Shingon Buddhism who was fluent in both Sanskrit and Chinese, stated that the Brahmajala Sutra is a part of the Vajrasekhara Sutra that was not translated into Chinese. Ven. Taixu on his study of the Brahmajala Sutra and the Mahayana Yoga of the Adamantine Sea Mañjuśrī Thousand Arms Thousand Bowls Great King of Tantra noted many similarities between the two and therefore the Brahmajala Sutra must have been translated from Sanskrit. Qu Dacheng states that the Brahmajala Sutra whilst not translated by Kumārajīva is unlikely to be apocryphal. Of special interest, Qu notes some of the Brahmajala Sutra's Ten Bodhisattva Bhūmi matches the Mahāvastu, an early Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Mahayana text never translated into Chinese.

Content
This sutra introduces Vairocana and his relationship to Gautama Buddha. It also states ten major precepts for Bodhisattvas () and the 48 minor precepts to follow to advance along the bodhisattva path.

The bodhisattva precepts of the Brahmajala Sutra came to be treated in China as a higher ethic a monastic would adopt after ordination in addition to the prātimokṣa vows. In Japan, the ten precepts came to displace monastic rules almost completely starting with Saichō and the rise of the Tendai.

The name of the sutra derives from the vast net that the god Brahma hangs in his palace and how each jewel in the net reflects the light of every other jewel:

The sutra is also noteworthy for describing who Vairocana is as personification of the dharma or Dharmakāya:

Bodhisattva Precepts

The Brahmajala Sutra has a list of ten major and forty-eight minor rules known as the Bodhisattva Precepts. The Bodhisattva Precepts may be often called the "Brahma Net Precepts" (), particularly in Buddhist scholarship, although other sets of bodhisattva precepts may be found in other texts as well. Typically, in East Asian Mahayana traditions, only the 10 Major Precepts are considered the Bodhisattva Precepts. According to the sutra, the 10 Major Bodhisattva Precepts are in summary:

 Not to kill or encourage others to kill.
 Not to steal or encourage others to steal.
 Not to engage in licentious acts or encourage others to do so. A monk is expected to abstain from sexual conduct entirely.
 Not to use false words and speech, or encourage others to do so.
 Not to trade or sell alcoholic beverages or encourage others to do so.
 Not to broadcast the misdeeds or faults of the Buddhist assembly, nor encourage others to do so.
 Not to praise oneself and speak ill of others, or encourage others to do so.
 Not to be stingy, or encourage others to do so.
 Not to harbor anger or encourage others to be angry.
 Not to speak ill of the Buddha, the Dharma or the Sangha (lit. the Triple Jewel) or encourage others to do so.

Breaking any of these precepts is described as a parajika offence.

References

Further reading

 De Groot, Jan Jakob Maria (1893). Le code du Mahâyâna en Chine; son influence sur la vie monacale et sur le monde laique, Amsterdam: Müller
 Muller, Charles (2012). Exposition of the Sutra of Brahma´s Net, Sŏul-si (Seul): Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.
 Muller, Charles; Tanaka, Kenneth K., trans. (2017). The Brahma's Net Sutra, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Amerika
 Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada (2000).
 Wut Tai Shing (Cantonese transliteration) or Qu Dacheng (Pinyin transliteration) or 屈大成 (Chinese) (May 2007).  從古文本論《梵網經》之真偽 (in Chinese) (Eng. Trans. of title:Using Ancient Texts to Determine the Authenticity or Apocryphalness of the Brahmajala Sutra), Kaohsiung.
 Wut Tai Shing (Cantonese transliteration) or Qu Dacheng (Pinyin transliteration) or 屈大成 (Chinese) (March 2007).  從古文獻記載論《梵網經》之真偽 (in Chinese) (Eng. Trans. of title:Using Ancient Accounts to Determine the Authenticity or Aprocryphalness of the Brahmajala Sutra), Kaohsiung.

Buddhist philosophical concepts
Buddhist ethics
Mahayana sutras
Vairocana


The 1985 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League (NFL), its 26th overall. The team improved on their 7–9 record from 1984 to an 8–8 finish. For the third time in five years, the Chargers led the league in scoring. It was Don Coryell's final full season as the team's head coach, as he would resign halfway through the following season after a 1–7 start.

NFL Draft

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries
All game reports use the Pro Football Researchers' gamebook archive as a source.

Week 1: at Buffalo Bills

San Diego took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards with Fouts completing all three of his passes for 49 yards; Adams finished the drive by scoring a touchdown less than five minutes into his NFL career. After a pair of Buffalo field goals, Byrd's 3rd-down tackle forced the Bills to punt from their own 11, and San Diego took over on the Buffalo 46. Three plays later, Sievers broke a tackle and took a short pass in for a 30-yard touchdown. The Bills added another field goal to make the halftime score 14–9.

There were no points scored in the second half, despite chances for both teams. Lowe stopped a Buffalo drive by intercepting a deflected pass near midfield, but Fouts was intercepted himself five plays later. On the next Charger drive they gained a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 12, but Fouts fumbled the snap and the Bills recovered. Buffalo then drove deep into Charger territory before Dale forced a fumble that Ransom recovered at his own 11. The Bills crossed midfield on their next two possessions as well, but one drive ended with a punt and the other with a Mike Green interception. Taking over with 3:26 to play, the Chargers gained one first down through Sievers, then reached a 4th and 3 at the Buffalo 30. They went for a game-clinching conversion, but Anthony Steels was stopped for a gain of only 2. The Bills started their final drive with no timeouts and 1:33 to work with, and reached the Charger 42 with 16 seconds left. Vince Ferragamo then completed an 18-yard pass to Eric Richardson, who was tackled by Lowe before he could get out of bounds, allowing the clock to run out.

Despite being outgained by 455 yards to 308, San Diego allowed no touchdowns for the first time since Week 1, 1982.

Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks

After one put for each team, Fouts threw completions on all four plays of the first Charger touchdown drive. Fouts started the next drive with four further completions, but eventually missed on a pair of throws from the Seattle 4, leading to Thomas' first field goal for the team, Seattle pulled back to within 10–7, then Fouts was sacked at his own 4-yard line, leading to good Seahawks field position after San Diego punted. Seattle took their first lead three plays later. Following an exchange of punts, the Chargers faced a 3rd and 22 at their own 20, which James narrowly converted on a pass from Fouts. That led to Joiner's first touchdown, and Sievers' 29-yard catch on the next possession came two plays before Chandler scored to make it 23–14. Thomas came on to extend the lead with a 53-yard field goal before halftime, but never got to attempt the kick due to a bad snap.

Seattle opened the second half with a touchdown drive. Fouts and Chandler combined for 45 yards on the next play from scrimmage, setting up Sievers' short touchdown catch and a 29–21 lead. From there, Seattle scored four touchdowns without reply, with an interception and a fumble from Fouts setting up two of the scores. Overall, the Seahawks scored on their first five possessions of the second half to take a 49–29 lead less than three minutes into the final quarter. Fouts led his team to the Seattle 25 with seven minutes to play, but was sacked lost a fumble; Herrmann came in and led the threw the game's final touchdown.

Fouts had 306 of his 440 passing yards in the first half. As a team, the Chargers had 494 passing yards, a franchise record that still stands . The combined 10 touchdowns were the most in an NFL game since 1969.

Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals

Steels ran the opening kickoff back 54 yards, but Fouts was intercepted three plays later. Boomer Esiason was intercepted by Walters two plays after that, leading to a missed 52-yard field goal from Thomas; he made a 20-yard chip shot on the next Charger drive. On the ensuing drive, San Diego committed an offsides penalty on a 4th and 2, leading to the game's first touchdown. The Chargers responded through Sievers' 4-yard touchdown catch on 3rd and 3. Cincinnati moved to a 2nd and goal from the 7, but King sacked Esiason, forcing a fumble that Ferguson recovered. San Diego soon scored again, with James' leaping 34-yard catch setting up another Sievers touchdown. The Charger defense forced a three-and-out, but a Fouts pass was tipped and intercepted on the next play, and the Bengals converted the turnover into a touchdown. Late in the half, another tipped ball was intercepted by Walters, setting up a field goal and a 20–13 lead at the interval.

Cincinnati took the second half kickoff and tied the score with a touchdown drive that took barely a minute. San Diego were even quicker in their response: James ran the kickoff back 36 yards, Joiner had a 22-yard catch, James ran for 39 yards to the Cincinnati 3 and Holohan made a one-handed touchdown catch. The Bengals then tied the score again, before James had a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown nullified by penalty. San Diego were forced to punt, and Cincinnati drove for another touchdown to take the lead. James tied the game again at 34–34 when he took a draw play up the middle of the field and went untouched for 56 yards. In the final quarter, Smith recovered a Bengals fumble, but Joiner also lost a fumble on the ensuing drive, setting the Bengals up for a short touchdown drive and another lead. Two plays later, James again tied the game, this time catching a Fouts pass in stride 30 yards downfield behind two defenders before completing a 60-yard touchdown. The Bengals advanced to their own 42 before former Charger James Brooks fumbled and Ehin recovered with 2:26 to play. After three James runs and two Fouts completions, Thomas hit the winning kick with 4 seconds left.

James became the first Charger to both rush and receive for at least 100 yards in the same game; the next was Austin Ekeler in 2019. With a further 71 yards in punt and kickoff returns, he had 316 all-purpose yards, and would have broken the NFL record if his 100-yard return had counted. San Diego had five takeaways to three for the Bengals, and outgained their opponents by 517 yards to 448.

Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland's Kevin Mack opened the game with a 61-yard run, with Dale catching him from behind to prevent a touchdown. John Hendy forced a fumble three plays later, with Byrd recovering, and the Chargers drove 93 yards the other way for their touchdown, with Bendross catching Fouts' pass at the 27 and capitalizing on Joiner's block to score. Fouts was knocked over while completing a pass on the next time San Diego had the ball, sustaining knee ligament damage and being forced out of the game soon afterwards. The Chargers did not score again. Herrmann did lead a 66-yard drive that bridged the 1st and 2nd quarters, but it ended with Thomas missing a 34-yard kick wide right. Herrmann's interception later in the quarter set up Cleveland for a 37-yard touchdown drive, which featured Gary Danielson's 12-yard run on 4th and 6. The halftime score was 7–7.

The second half featured only three drives for each team. San Diego crossed midfield on each of their first two possessions, but had to punt both times, and Cleveland responded with a touchdown both times. Herrmann led his offense as far as the Browns' 26, but was sacked for a loss of 9 yards and intercepted on the next play. Cleveland then ran off the final seven minutes of the game with five rushing first downs.

Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks

In the opening quarter, the newly-arrived Anderson was unable to hold Herrmann's pitch; Seattle recovered and capitalized with a field goal. They added another field goal after a 40-yard pass interference penalty on Davis. San Diego failed to cross midfield until their eighth possession, when Chandler's 59-yard reception moved the ball to the 7 yard line. Chandler seemed to have scored on the next play, but was ruled to have come down out of bounds; he protested the decision and was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Herrmann was intercepted two plays later. The Chargers soon got another chance when Williams sacked Krieg, forcing a fumble that Fred Robinson recovered. Chandler converted a 3rd and 6 with a 14-yard catch, and scored on the following play, putting the Chargers up 7–6 shortly before halftime.

Herrmann fumbled the snap on the first Charger play of the second half, with Seattle recovering and soon scoring a touchdown. After two punts each, Herrmann was intercepted to set up another Seahawks touchdown. A penalty on the ensuing kickoff forced the Chargers to start at their own 6, but Spencer took a pass 43 yards on the next play sparking a rapid drive for Chandler's second touchdown with 8:33 to play. San Diego's defense were unable to stop Seattle on the next drive, as they ran five minutes off the clock. Krieg converted a 3rd and 4 with a quarterback draw for 8 yards, and threw a touchdown to Steve Largent two plays later. Herrmann led another quick drive, completing 5 of 6 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown to Joiner, but the Seahawks recovered an onside kick, gained a first down and ran out the clock.

Williams had three of the Chargers' five sacks. San Diego outgained the Seahawks by 345 yards to 253, but committed five of the game's six turnovers.

Week 6: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Herrmann lost two fumbles in the opening seventeen minutes of the game, the latter leading to a Chiefs touchdown and 10–0 lead. On the next drive, he completed four consecutive passes for 65 yards, including the touchdown to Joiner. Kansas City quickly restored their ten-point lead, and had San Diego facing a 3rd and 10 from their own 11. Herrmann and Joiner connected for 36 yards, sparking a drive that ended with Anderson's first NFL touchdown a minute before halftime. Lowe intercepted Bill Kenney on the next play from scrimmage, allowing Thomas to tie the score at 17–17 going into halftime.

The first six possessions of the second half ended in punts. From these, the best scoring chance came when the Chiefs had a 3rd and 1 at the San Diego 26 Smith sacked Kenney for a loss of 12, also forcing a fumble that Kenney recovered at midfield. James fumbled late in the 3rd quarter, and Kansas City took the lead with a field goal. Herrmann led the Chargers to touchdowns on their next two possessions, completing 8 of 9 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown across the two drives; James had a 20-yard reception on each drive. Kansas City threatened to respond when Kenney converted a 4th and 9 with an 18-yard completion to the Charger 12, but Davis intercepted him on the next play with under four minutes on the clock, and San Diego won without further difficulty.

Kansas City went 0 for 7 on 3rd down conversion attempts in the second half. The win ended an 11-game losing streak for the Chargers against AFC West opposition.

Week 7: at Minnesota Vikings

Spencer had a 24-yard run and a 2-yard touchdown as San Diego scored on the game's opening drive. Minnesota drove inside the Charger 30 on their first two drives, but came away empty-handed after a missed field goal and a Williams interception. The Vikings did tie the score on their next possession, aided by back-to-back pass interference calls of 19 yards against Byrd (on 3rd and 6) and 24 yards against Walters in the end zone. With 50 seconds to play in the half, San Diego began a drive at their own 20. Over the next three plays, James ran for 16 yards and Herrmann had completions of 18 and 23 yards, with a roughing the passer penalty moving the ball to the Minnesota 11 with 18 seconds left. Herrmann was sacked by Joey Browner for a 14-yard loss on the next play, and San Diego settled for a field goal and a 10–7 halftime lead.

Herrmann threw an interception to Browner in the 3rd quarter, but the Vikings safety fumbled the ball straight back to the Chargers. Seven plays later, Herrmann was intercepted again, this time leading to a Tommy Kramer touchdown pass on the first play of the final quarter. Fouts then came into the game, completing two short passes before being intercepted. King intercepted Kramer three plays later, and Fouts appeared to have thrown a 45-yard touchdown pass to Chandler, only for a holding penalty on Lachey to nullify the play. Faced with a 2nd and 17 after the penalty, Fouts completed a 16-yard pass to Holohan and Spencer converted the 3rd and 1. Spencer eventually finished the drive with a touchdown on 4th and goal from the 1, aided by a strong block from Winslow. Minnesota narrowly converted a 4th and 1 from their own 33 early in their answering drive, which ended with the game-winning touchdown. Leo Lewis and Walters challenged for Kramer's 26-yard touchdown pass, which was tipped up in the air before Lewis caught it with 19 seconds to play. Fouts was able to move the Chargers to midfield, from where his last two passes fell incomplete.

Fouts, Winslow and Chandler were all coming back from injuries; Winslow had been out for a year. Lewis' winning touchdown was the only completion to a wide receiver the Charger defense allowed all day.

Week 8: at Los Angeles Raiders

On the Chargers' second drive, Fouts threw an interception on his own 32, leading to a field goal. Fouts was sacked on 3rd down on the next drive, forcing Mojsiejenko to punt from his own 7. Los Angeles took over possession at the Charger 36 after the kick, and soon scored a touchdown. Fouts sustained another 3rd-down sack on the following drive, this time at his own 8. This time, Los Angeles started at the Charger 46 after the punt, but their drive ended in a missed field goal. San Diego's offense came to life after the miss, with three Fouts completions covering 73 yards, the last 52 on the touchdown to Anderson. They were once again struggling near their goal line on their next possession, with Fouts sacked twice to leave Mojsiejenko punting from his 4. That led to a 35-yard Raiders touchdown drive. Los Angeles added another touchdown on their next possession, and led 24–7 at halftime.

Green recovered a Marcus Allen fumble at the Raider 34 early in the second half, leading to Anderson's second touchdown. Carlos Bradley intercepted Marc Wilson soon afterwards, but San Diego went three-and-out and the Raiders drove 56 yards for Allen to restore their 17-point lead. The Raiders added a field goal, and the Chargers were twice stopped on downs in Los Angeles territory before their late touchdown.

Week 9: vs. Denver Broncos

Anderson lost a fumble in his own territory on the Chargers' first drive, but Rich Karlis missed a 38-yard field goal. Late in the opening quarter, a 19-yard catch by James on 3rd and 7 was negated by a holding penalty on Lachey, but James gained 29 yards on the resulting 3rd and 17. James later converted a 3rd and 5 with a 23-yard catch, and Chandler's first touchdown followed two plays later. Following a successful field goal by Thomas and another miss by Karlis, Fouts was intercepted, but two plays later John Elway was himself intercepted by Dale, who ran the ball back 36 yards to the Denver 47. Anderson kept the ensuing drive alive by running for 21 yards on a 3rd and 7, leading to Chandler's second touchdown. Karlis converted a field goal as time expired in the half, but San Diego still led 17–3.

Fouts was again intercepted on the first drive of the second half, and Elway led Denver to a 3rd and 8 at the Charger 13. From there, Gerald Willhite caught a 10-yard pass, but Dale forced a fumble that Davis recovered in the end zone. San Diego then drove 80 yards for a touchdown without facing a 3rd down; Anderson scored after taking an option pitch from McGee. Late in the 3rd quarter, Elway sustained back-to-back sacks for losses of 24 and 8 yards by Bradley and Robinson, then threw an interception to Smith, which set up a Thomas field goal. After Denver scored their lone touchdown of the game, Walters recovered an onside kick, and San Diego used up most of the remaining time driving to another field goal.

San Diego's defense sacked Elway four times for the loss of 45 yards. The victory pulled them within two games of Denver and Oakland at the top of the AFC West.

Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Raiders

Los Angeles began the game with a six-minute drive that reached the Charger 25 before Walters intercepted Wilson in the end zone. San Diego also drove into opposition territory, but came up empty-handed when Thomas missed a 35-yard field goal. Williams recovered an Allen fumble inside the 20 on the next play, setting up Chandler's touchdown two plays later. The Raiders responded with Wilson's first touchdown pass to Jessie Hester. Wilson was intercepted again early in the 2nd quarter, with Bradley returning the ball 18 yards to the Los Angeles 41; that led to a successful field goal. San Diego later gained a first down at midfield, but Fouts' next pass was tipped and intercepted, leading to another Raider touchdown, though Smith blocked the extra point. Thomas missed a 30-yard kick as time expired in the half, leaving Los Angeles 13–10 ahead.

A 39-yard reception by James helped the Chargers reach a 2nd and goal from the 1, but McGee was stopped for no gain and Anderson recovered his own fumble for a loss of 4. Thomas tied the score with a 23-yard kick. Six of the game's next eight drives ended in touchdowns, beginning with Allen's 1-yard run for the Raiders. On the next drive, Spencer's 29-yard reception was followed by an apparent 24-yard touchdown for Winslow, nullified when he was flagged for offensive pass interference. The Chargers scored anyway two plays later, James taking a short pass 34 yards for the touchdown. Wilson restored the Raiders' lead at 27–20 with another long touchdown pass to Hester. After a Charger three-and-out, the Raiders missed a chance to extend their lead when Chris Bahr was wide left on a 38-yard field goal. San Diego then converted three 3rd downs, the last of these being a 21-yard touchdown catch-and-run for Anderson. Los Angeles came straight back with another touchdown drive, taking their last lead with under two minutes to play. Anderson took a short pass over the middle on the next play from scrimmage, eluding several defenders before being tackled for a gain of 38 yards. James followed up with a 14-yard run, and Joiner tied the game at 34–34 soon afterwards. Los Angeles let the clock run out after three more plays left them facing a 3rd and 7 at their own 33.

San Diego won the overtime coin toss and received. They didn't need to face a 3rd down on their winning drive, which featured 23-yard gains by Holohan and Anderson. On a 1st and 10 from the 17, James wove through would-be tacklers near the line of scrimmage and broke clear for the winning touchdown.

James had 51 yards rushing, 168 receiving and 126 on kickoff returns, setting a franchise record with 345 all-purpose yards, the second-most in NFL history up to that point. Anderson added 70 rushing yards and 84 receiving yards. The two teams combined for over 1,000 offensive yards, with San Diego outgaining Los Angeles 593–454.

Week 11: at Denver Broncos

San Diego had the opportunity to close to within one game of Denver and Los Angeles at the top of the AFC West. Anderson immediately put them ahead, taking the opening kickoff at his own 2 and exploiting a large hole in the centre of Denver's kick coverage to score easily. The Chargers reached Denver's 30 on their next drive, but Thomas' field goal try was blocked. Later, Louis Wright intercepted a Fouts pass, setting up the first Denver touchdown. San Diego again drove into Broncos territory, reaching 3rd and 8 at the 31 before Fouts was intercepted again. Miles McPherson intercepted Elway three plays later, returning the ball 30 yards to the 12-yard line. On 3rd and 4 from the 6, James took Fouts' pass in the backfield and dove into the left corner of the end zone. Thomas hit the right upright on a 41-yard kick later in the half, leaving the Chargers 14–7 up at the break.

Denver missed a kick of their own in the 3rd quarter, Karlis sending the ball wide right from 28 yards out at the end of a 15-play drive. Anderson and Fouts then both lost fumbles in quick succession, leading to a pair of Gene Lang touchdowns only 22 seconds apart and a 21–14 lead. James gained 40 of the Chargers' 61 yards on the next drive, and Thomas had his lone successful field goal try of the day. Denver threatened to extend their lead, but Lowe intercepted Elway at the Charger 18. The teams then traded punts, with Denver's kick being blocked by Davis with 2:27 to play; San Diego had to drive only 24 yards for Spencer's go-ahead touchdown run. They had left over a minute on the clock, and Elway completed five straight passes for 43 yards and ran for another 5, positioning Karlis for the game-tying field goal.

San Diego won the overtime coin toss and received the ball, which Anderson returned to his own 32. James swept left for 16 yards, and Spencer narrowly converted a 4th and inches at the Denver 43. Fouts followed up with a 13-yard pass to Chandler, and San Diego reached a 4th and 4 at the Denver 23. Thomas' attempted 40-yard game-winner was blocked and picked up by Wright, who began to return the ball. However, the play was whistled dead as Denver, attempting to ice the kicker, had called timeout immediately before the snap. When the kick was retaken it was blocked again and recovered by Wright again; this time, he was allowed to return the ball for the game-winning touchdown.

Week 12: at Houston Oilers

Houston's first touchdown came shortly after James lost a fumble inside his own 20. San Diego gained a first down at the Houston 15 on the following drive, but Sievers, Gary Kowalski and Winslow each committed penalties and Thomas was short on a 47-yard field goal; the Oilers drove 70 yards the other way and doubled their lead late in the opening quarter. Fouts was intercepted on the next two Charger drives, with Houston converting the latter takeaway into a field goal. Chandler and Fouts then lost fumbles in Houston territory, giving San Diego a run of four consecutive drives ending in turnovers. However, their defense won the ball twice; King forced a fumble that Smith recovered, and Hendy intercepted an Oliver Luck pass, setting up Spencer's first touchdown, which cut the halftime deficit to 17–7.

Four plays into the second half, James caught a deep ball in double coverage near the right sideline and dodged a weak tackle before completing a 67-yard touchdown. After a Houston field goal, San Diego took their first lead of the game. Chandler caught a 26-yard pass on 3rd and 15, Spencer ran for 4 on a 4th and 1 from midfield, and McGee scored on 3rd and 1 from the 2. After Houston came straight back with a touchdown, Joiner's 9-yard catch on 4th and 3 helped set up Spencer's second touchdown, which came on 3rd and 8 from the 15; excluding a 1-play drive that ended the first half, it was the Chargers' fourth consecutive touchdown drive, and put them up 28–27. Both teams punted once, then Luck's 30-yard completion set up Mike Rozier's second touchdown run with 1:32 to play. Starting from his own 20, Fouts followed a 25-yard completion to Joiner with a deep pass to Trumaine Johnson, who drew a 42-yard pass interference penalty. Three plays gained two yards, then Fouts found Chandler in the middle of the end zone on 4th and 8, putting San Diego on top again with 39 seconds left. Luck was faced with a 4th and 15 from his own 42 with 13 seconds left, from where his 25-yard pass allowed Tony Zendejas to kick the winning field goal with 2 seconds left.

The game featured over 800 yards of offense (439 for San Diego, 415 for Houston), and over 200 yards of penalties (82 conceded by San Diego, 137 by Houston). James had 69 rushing yards and 99 receiving yards.

Week 13: vs. Buffalo Bills

Green recovered a fumble three plays into the game, though his offense fumbled three times themselves on the ensuing drive, McGee eventually losing the ball after the Chargers had reached 1st and goal from the 8. After an exchange of punts, the Bills reached a 2nd and 17 from the Charger 22, whereupon Byrd intercepted Bruce Mathison and returned the ball 25 yards to the 39. After an incompletion, Anderson went around right end for 23 yards and Fouts followed up with a 39-yard touchdown to Joiner. Hendy's interception and 22-yard return on the first play of the 2nd quarter set up San Diego on the Buffalo 11, though they had to settle for a field goal. Later in the quarter, Fouts was intercepted, and Buffalo reached a 1st and 10 at the Charger 33. Hendy then cut in front of a Mathison pass near the sideline, intercepted it and returned the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. A pair of 3rd-down conversion catches by Holohan set up Spencer's short touchdown run. While Buffalo pulled back to within 24–7 at the break, they progressed no further than the San Diego 29 in the second half, while the Chargers pulled away with sixteen further points from their first three drives.

Despite the one-sided scoreline, the Chargers only outgained Buffalo by 18 yards (365–347). They were aided by five defensive takeaways (Buffalo had three).

Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh opened the game with a three-and-out. Derrie Nelson partially blocked their punt, which went only 14 yards, leading to Spencer's touchdown two plays later. After the Steelers tied the score, Fouts connected with Joiner for 24 yards and followed up by finding Chandler behind the defense for a 36-yard touchdown. On the next play from scrimmage, Byrd forced a fumble that Smith recovered at the Steeler 24, and Fouts connected with Holohan in the end zone on 3rd and 6 from the 20. With three touchdowns in three possessions, the Chargers led 21–7 after a quarter. Fouts was intercepted on the next Charger drive, and Pittsburgh fought back with David Woodley's second touchdown pass of the game; they added a field goal on their next drive to pull within four points. Chandler's second touchdown came when Fouts took advantage of a breakdown in coverage, finding the receiver alone up the left sideline for an easy score. King knocked the ball from Woodley's grasp on the next play from scrimmage and Earl Wilson recovered to set up McGee's first touchdown. The Steelers responded with a field goal but trailed 34–20 at halftime.

Fouts was intercepted on the first play of the second half, and San Diego went three-and-out on their following possession; Pittsburgh answered with two touchdowns to tie the game. Fouts kept the Chargers' response going with 3rd-down conversion passes to James and Joiner, then Dwayne Woodruff missed an interception of a deep pass that Anderson caught for a gain of 40. McGee kept the ball on an option for his 7-yard touchdown run, and the Chargers led 41–34 through three quarters. Louis Lipps scored easily on a reverse to tie the game again, then the Steelers turned Fouts' third interception into a field goal to lead for the first time. Fouts had completions on six consecutive plays no what would prove the winning drive, the longest a 37-yarder to Joiner. The Chargers reached 3rd and goal at the 2, from where they again ran the option; this time, McGee pitched to Anderson for the touchdown. There were still over two minutes to play, but Woodley was intercepted by Dale on the next play; Dale wove through would-be tacklers to score on a 47-yard return. San Diego almost reached 60 points after Hendy claimed another interception, but Spencer was stopped just short of the goal line on the game's final play.

The Chargers had two 100-yard receivers (Chandler with 5 catches for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns, Joiner with 6 catches for 110 yards). They tied a club record set in 1981 by scoring eight total touchdowns. The 98 total points was tied for fourth-most in an NFL game at that point.

Week 15: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia converted three 3rd downs on the opening drive, ending with Ron Jaworski's touchdown pass. Green intercepted Jaworski on the opening play of the 2nd quarter, leading to Thomas' first field goal. On their next drive, San Diego faced a 3rd and 15 on their own 21, but Fouts found Anderson 45 yards downfield to convert. James caught a 28-yard pass to move the ball to the 11, but was then off-target on an option pitch to Anderson, resulting in a loose ball that the Eagles recovered. San Diego were in Philadelphia territory on their next three drives as well, reaching the 39, 33 and 26 yard lines respectively. The drives ended with a punt and two Fouts turnovers, leaving the Chargers 7–3 behind at halftime.

On the fourth play of the second half, Fouts picked up a fractured fibula while completing a 46-yard pass to Chandler. Herrmann came into the game with the ball at the Eagles' 11, and handed off twice to Spencer, the latter for a touchdown. Philadelphia returned the kickoff 51 yards and retook the lead only three plays later. Herrmann responded with completions of 16, 20 and 23 yards, the last one a quick slant that Joiner took in for the touchdown. The Eagles missed a chance to tie the score in the final quarter when Paul McFadden was short from 52 yards. Chandler's 22-yard catch moved the Chargers into Philadelphia territory, and Thomas doubled their lead with a success from 46 yards out. Starting with five minutes to play, the Eagles reached a 3rd and 20 at the Charger 49. Walters then intercepted Jaworski, and Spencer and Anderson both picked up first downs as San Diego ran the final three minutes off the clock.

The game was statistically even: the teams had 22 first downs each and three turnovers each, while San Diego had a small advantage in yardage at 417–382.

Week 16: at Kansas City Chiefs

One play after an exchange of punts, Stephone Paige beat the Charger defense on a 56-yard touchdown. Herrmann, starting due to Fouts' cracked tibia, led a field goal drive in response. Kansas City scored four unanswered touchdowns over their next five drives, with Paige contributing a long catch in each drive; he had gains of 51, 30, 84 (for a touchdown) and 20 yards. Herrmann was intercepted twice as Kansas City pulled away. He passed on 9 straight plays after the fifth Chiefs touchdown, completing 6 of them and positioning Thomas for a field goal that made the score 35–6 at halftime.

Thomas missed from 32 yards early in the second half, but Vince Osby ran a fumble back 46 yards to the Chiefs 7 and Chandler scored three plays later. A 39-yard catch by Paige set up a Kansas City field goal and Herrmann threw his third interception the Chiefs led 38–13 through three quarters. Herrmann completed 6 of 7 passes for 60 yards while guiding the Chargers to a 3rd and goal at the 1, but had to temporarily leave the game after taking a hard hit. Fouts came in for one play and handed off to Spencer, who appeared to have been stopped but bounced to the left for the touchdown. Mike Guendling recovered an onside kick, Herrmann returned to the game. The ensuing drive was prolonged by a roughing the passer penalty when Herrmann threw incomplete on a 4th and 12, and James scored three plays later. Kansas City recovered an onside kick and ran the clock down inside five minutes before punting. Herrmann converted a 4th and 5 with a 12-yard pass to Holohan, and found Trumaine Johnson two plays later for the game's final touchdown. The Chiefs recovered another onside kick, converted a 3rd and 5, and ran out the clock.

Herrmann's 58 pass attempts set a new Charger record, while his 37 completions tied Fouts for another franchise record. Paige set a new NFL record with 309 receiving yards; the Chargers had previously only allowed one 200-yard receiver in their history. San Diego would have set an NFL record had they completed their comeback from a 35–3 deficit; the Buffalo Bills became the first team to overcome such a deficit in the 1992 playoffs.

Standings

Notes

References

San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers seasons
San Diego Chargers f


The  San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 15th season in the National Football League (NFL) and its 25th overall. From a 6–10 record in 1983, the team improved to 7–9. Despite winning seven games, the Chargers failed to win a single game within their division.

Before the second game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks, running back Chuck Muncie missed the team's charter flight from San Diego. He told Chargers coach Don Coryell that he was late because vandals slashed the four tires on his car, but Coryell did not believe him. Muncie arrived in Seattle, but he was sent back to San Diego and did not play. Two days later, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a second-round draft pick; however, a urinalysis given by Miami detected cocaine, and the trade was voided. Afterwards, Muncie entered an Arizona drug rehabilitation center for a month. On November 15, he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL; Muncie never played another NFL game.

Draft

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 3: vs. Houston Oilers

Week 4: at Los Angeles Raiders

Week 5: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 6: at Green Bay Packers

This was the last time the Chargers defeated the Packers until Week 9, 2019.

Week 7: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 9: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 10: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 11: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 15: at Denver Broncos

Week 16: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Standings

References

External links
1984 San Diego Chargers at pro-football-reference.com

San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers seasons
San Diego Chargers f


Uns're Heimat may refer to;
The concept of Heimat
Unsere Heimat, a communist song about nature
Uns're Heimat, Uns're Liebe, a football chant
"Ons Heemecht", the national anthem of Luxembourg