The  San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL) and its 22nd overall. The team failed to improve on their 11–5 record from 1980 and finished 10–6. In the playoffs, they beat the Dolphins in a game known as the Epic in Miami and lost to the Bengals in a game known as the Freezer Bowl.

1981 was the second straight season in which the Chargers reached the AFC Championship Game, as well as their second consecutive loss.

During this season, the Chargers lost two key players by way of trade. Before Week 3, wide receiver John Jefferson was dealt to the Green Bay Packers, while defensive end Fred Dean would be dealt to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers by Week 5. The Chargers brought in Wes Chandler from New Orleans to replace Jefferson - after a slow start, he finished with 857 yards from 12 games (he had 1,142 yards on the season, counting his four games with the Saints). The other starting wideout was Charlie Joiner, who had one of his best seasons at age 34, gaining a career-high 1,188 yards and matching his career-best with 7 touchdowns. Rounding out the trio of receiving stars, tight end Kellen Winslow led the league in receptions for the second consecutive year, finishing with 88 catches for 1,075 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Quarterback Dan Fouts broke the NFL record for passing yardage for the third consecutive season, averaging 300 yards per game for the first time as he totalled 4,802. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was the best of his career, at 33 to 17. He was helped in this by a strong offensive line, anchored by veterans Russ Washington and Doug Wilkerson, which conceded only 19 sacks from 16 games, their best performance through Fouts' 15 years with the club. Running back Chuck Muncie enjoyed his best season, running for 1,144 yards and 19 touchdowns, tying the then-NFL season record for rushing touchdowns. With rookie James Brooks and John Cappelletti also contributing, San Diego rushed for over 2,000 yards for the only time during the pass-focussed Don Coryell's tenure.

While the offense was soaring to new heights, the defense collapsed in Dean's absence, becoming among the league's worst. They continued to be tough against the run, but with veteran safety Glen Edwards absent with injury through the first half of the season, they dropped to dead last against the pass - the 4,311 yards they conceded were a new NFL record. On the plus side, they did manage an above-average 23 interceptions, with Willie Buchanon snagging a team-leading 5. San Diego's sack count declined somewhat from 60 to 47, tied for third-best in the NFL. New starter John Woodcock tied with Gary Johnson as team-leaders, each managing 9.5 sacks.

On special teams, James Brooks put in a strong performance: his 13.2 yards per punt return was 2nd best in the league; with 23.7 yards per kickoff return, he ranked seventh. Rolf Benirschke made 19 of 26 field goals, including two late game-winners.

The season was chronicled on September 18, 2008 for America's Game: The Missing Rings, as one of the five greatest NFL teams to never win the Super Bowl.

1981 NFL Draft

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Cleveland Browns

The Chargers opened their season by blowing out Cleveland on Monday night. Despite John Jefferson's holdout, the offense piled up 535 total yards, committing no turnovers, sustaining no sacks, and only punting twice. Rookie James Brooks rushed for the opener 4:10 into the game, and San Diego led the rest of the way, with Chuck Muncie adding another touchdown on the ground before halftime. In the second half, Charlie Joiner had receptions of 51 and 57 yards, and Brooks, Hank Bauer and Ron Smith all caught touchdowns from Dan Fouts. It was Bauer's 20th and final Charger touchdown.

Fouts completed 19 of 25 for 330 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Joiner caught 6 passes for 191 yards, the most single-game yards he had as a Charger. Muncie rushed 24 times for 161 yards and a touchdown - with 23 receiving yards, it was the most yards he gained in any game through his career. Cleveland QB Brian Sipe put up 375 yards through the air, but was intercepted by Bob Gregor and Mike Williams as the Browns chased the game.

Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions

A back-and-forth final quarter saw San Diego survive with a goalline interception. As in their opener, they scored on their first possession, Joiner's 40-yard reception, setting up Muncie to score two plays later. Detroit responded with 13 unanswered points, capitalising on a pair of Charger turnovers, and led by six midway through the 3rd quarter. San Diego responded with a 9-play, 81-yard drive, featuring a 49-yard catch by Joiner and finishing with Winslow's first touchdown of the season.

Detroit scored a touchdown on the first play of the 4th quarter, then forced a punt and drove back into Charger territory. However, Leroy Jones then recovered a fumble, Fouts hit Dwight Scales for 44 yards on the next play, and Muncie scored two plays after that. The Lions then pulled off a fake punt, before eventually settling for a field goal and a 23-21 lead. Back came the Chargers, converting a couple of third downs before John Cappelletti scored from two yards out with 56 seconds left. Lions QB Gary Danielson was sacked by Jones on the ensuing drive, but came back with three straight completions to reach the Charger eight-yard line. From there, he was intercepted by Frank Duncan with a single second on the clock.

Jones had two of the Chargers' three sacks on the day. Fouts was 18 of 25 for 316 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Joiner continued to shoulder the receiving burden in Jefferson's absence, catching 7 passes for 166 yards.

Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs

Despite an 8-3 advantage in takeaways, San Diego had to withstand a fierce rally before holding off the Chiefs. Kansas City scored on the game's opening drive, but touchdown receptions by Winslow and Brooks on consecutive drives had San Diego up 14-7 after a quarter. They extended their lead by going 84 yards in 8 plays, with Muncie scoring from the one; Linden King then intercepted Chief QB Bill Kenney, and Fouts found rookie tight end Eric Sievers in the end zone a play later: 28-7. Kenney then covered 76 yards in five straight completions to begin the Kansas City comeback, and Fouts was intercepted in Chief territory shortly before halftime.

In the 3rd quarter, Kansas City turned an interception into a further seven points. On the next drive, Muncie had a 30-yard run, a 32-yard reception and a 3-yard touchdown run. The Chiefs responded with an 80-yard touchdown drive, reducing the lead to 35-28. They reached midfield on their next possession, but Bob Gregor intercepted a tipped pass to stop the threat. Four plays later, the Chiefs pressured punter George Roberts into running; he was stopped well short of a first down, and Kansas City capitalised with a field goal.

Trailing by four, the Chiefs moved the ball close to midfield on their next drive, but Willie Buchanon recovered a fumbled pitch. The Chargers were forced to punt, but their defensive line then made the decisive play: Louie Kelcher deflected a Kenney pass, Leroy Jones intercepted the ball and flipped it to Gary Johnson for a touchdown with 1:53 to play.

Buchanon had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Muncie had 93 yards on the ground (with two touchdowns) and 85 through the air.

Week 4: at Denver Broncos

San Diego flirted with an improbable comeback before subsiding to their first defeat of the season. Craig Morton, who posted a perfect passer rating on the day, threw touchdowns on four successive first half drives, the longest covering 93 yards, while the Chargers committed three turnovers and failed to score. When the Broncos added a fifth touchdown on their first possession of the third quarter, it was 35-0.

Dan Fouts found Ron Smith for a 39-yard touchdown five plays later, and the Chargers began to chip away at the lead. With Denver having switched to their backup quarterback, they gained only one first down on their next two drives, while San Diego added a 52-yard Benirschke field goal and John Cappelletti's short touchdown run. Buchanon recovered a fumble on the next play, and Fouts soon found Winslow for another score: that made it 35-24, with 11:14 still on the clock.

Morton returned to the game, and soon had Denver poised to clinch victory, with a 1st and goal at the 4. Kelcher then forced a fumble, which Buchanon recovered. Fouts was soon intercepted, but Wyatt Henderson forced yet another fumble, and Buchanon made his third recovery in a span of 6:27. Starting at their own 15, San Diego gained one first down before Cappelletti added his name to the list of fumblers, with Denver recovering and finally scoring the clinching touchdown seven plays later.

Kellen Winslow had 10 receptions, for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Chargers overcame an early deficit to beat Seattle with something to spare. Following a scoreless 1st quarter, the Seahawks went ahead through Steve Largent's touchdown reception. San Diego responded quickly, Cappelletti going through the middle for 30 yards on the next play to spark a field goal drive. Their next drive went 83 yards in 11 plays, ending with Winslow's go-ahead touchdown.

In the 3rd quarter, Joiner's 12-yard reception capped a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Fouts fumbled shortly afterwards setting up the Seahawks in the red zone, but the Charger line held firm on a 4th and goal from the one yard line. Seattle did manage a field goal early in the 4th quarter, but San Diego responded with a 13-play, 80-yard drive, Joiner scoring the clinching touchdown with 3:54 on the clock.

Fouts completed 30 of 41 for 302 yards, with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Muncie was absent, but Cappelletti filled in with 85 yards rushing and 28 receiving. John Jefferson's replacement Wes Chandler had a quiet debut, with 5 receptions for 37 yards.

Week 6: vs. Minnesota Vikings

A thriller with many twists and turns saw San Diego out-passed and beaten in the final seconds. Vikings' QB Tommy Kramer was intercepted twice in the 1st quarter - one pick, by Buchanon, stopped a threatening drive; the other, by Gary Johnson, was run back to the Minnesota two-yard line. Muncie opened the scoring two plays later. Kramer bounced back on the next two possessions with a pair of touchdown passes. Fouts responded with a 60-yard bomb to Dwight Scales, who dove to catch the ball inside the 10, before getting to his feet untouched and leaping over the goal-line. The Chargers threatened to take a lead into the interval, but Benirschke missed from 31 yards out, and it remained 14-14.

The Chargers' kicker took his next chance, making a 39-yarder in the 3rd quarter. Kramer and Fouts then exchanged quick, pass-oriented touchdown drives, with Terry LeCount and Joiner getting touchdown receptions. Kramer started the next drive with a 63-yard completion, and a Rick Danmeier field goal made it 24-24. The Chargers responded with a 15 play, 74-yard touchdown drive. Eight of those plays came inside the Minnesota 11: Fouts converted a 4th and inches with a sneak, leaving San Diego just short of the goal line; three runs into the line were then stuffed for no gain, before Muncie swept right and scored the go-ahead touchdown on 4th and goal.

Minnesota responded with a 4th down conversion of their own, but John Woodcock knocked the ball from Kramer's hands and recovered it himself at the Charger 32. San Diego then ran the clock down inside 3 minutes, before opting to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Viking 30. Muncie gained the first down, but fumbled, and Minnesota recovered. Given another chance, Kramer covered 72 yards in only 4 plays, the final 43 coming on a touchdown to LeCount.

With 1:51 on the clock, Danmeier missed the game-tying extra point attempt. However, he soon redeemed himself with an onside kick that skipped over the Charger line and was recovered by LeCount. Kramer and LeCount combined again for 18-yard, moving Minnesota into field goal range. Kramer fumbled the next snap, but Minnesota recovered - two plays later, Danmeier hit the winner from 38 yards out as time expired.

Muncie had 21 carries for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns. Fouts was 20 of 38 for 310 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception, but was surpassed by Kramer, who became the first player to pass for 400 yards on the Chargers. He completed 27 of 43 for 444 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, while three of his receivers had 100-yard games.

Week 7: at Baltimore Colts

Baltimore were on their way to setting an NFL record for most points conceded in a season. Unsurprisingly, the high-powered Charger offense put up a substantial score on them, though they had to overcome a bad start. Scales fumbled on the first San Diego possession, and Baltimore went 7-0 up midway through the 1st quarter. The Chargers responded with an 80-yard, 14-play touchdown drive. Fouts' 11-yard scramble on 3rd and 10 was one of three third down conversions, and Muncie ran in the tying score from the 3. Woodrow Lowe came up with an interception on the next play from scrimmage, setting up a shorter drive that Cappelletti capped with a 12-yard reception. Following a Baltimore punt, the Chargers made it three touchdown drives in a row, Joiner scoring from 23 yards out. A Mike Williams interception stopped a Colts' threat, and Benirschke added a field goal shortly before halftime. In a processional second half, Muncie and Cappelletti rushed for further touchdowns, and Clarence Williams added another one on a pass.

In a balanced display, San Diego had 298 yards and three touchdowns through the air, with 172 yards and three more touchdowns on the ground. Rookie defensive end Keith Ferguson had three of the Chargers' six sacks. The AFC West was shaping up to be a three-horse race, with San Diego, Denver and Kansas City all at 5-2.

Week 8: at Chicago Bears

The 1-6 Bears took advantage of Dan Fouts' off day to shock San Diego. In the 1st quarter, Matt Suhey converted a 4th and 1 and later scored the opening touchdown. The Chargers almost tied the scores early in the 2nd quarter, but Joiner was stopped a yard short on 3rd and goal from the 18, and they settled for a field goal. Chicago's John Roveto also kicked a field goal, and it was 10-3 at half time.

San Diego's passing attack improved in the second half; Fouts found Joiner for 45 yards, but Benirschke missed a long field goal. Roveto appeared to have extended the Bears' lead on the next drive, but the Chargers were flagged for roughing the kicker, and the drive continued. After the San Diego defense were able to stop Walter Payton a yard short of the end zone, Roveto missed an 18-yard chip shot. The Chargers then drove 80 yards in 12 plays for the game-tying score, Fouts hitting Winslow to convert a 4th down three plays before Joiner scored from 22 yards out.

Chicago then produced a seven-minute drive, Suhey converting another 4th down before Payton restored the seven-point lead with 2:59 on the clock. San Diego quickly reached the Bear 39 in response, from where Fouts was twice nearly intercepted in the end zone. He went deep again on third down, where the ball was tipped in the air and caught by Chandler for his first Charger touchdown, 1:40 from time. The Bears punted on their final possession of regulation time, then Winslow was tackled at the Chicago 25 with no time on the clock.

The overtime coin toss went the Bears way, but San Diego twice forced them to punt. However, Fouts was intercepted both times in response. The second of these set Chicago up in Charger territory, and Roveto kicked the game-winner from 26 yards out, 9:30 into the extra period.

Fouts completed 3 of 18 in the first half, 10 of 19 in the second, and 0 of 6 in overtime. Joiner caught 5 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Chicago gained 195 yards on the ground, the most San Diego gave up all season.

Week 9: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Rolf Benirschke's late field goal lifted the Chargers to a crucial victory over the division-leading Chiefs. Gary Johnson got San Diego off to a good start with a fumble recovery after only two minutes. Muncie scored seven plays later, though the Chiefs levelled the scores on their next possession. In the second quarter, a Winslow fumble set Kansas City up in Charger territory, but John Woodcock had a fumble recovery of his own four plays later. The offense then covered 71 yards in only five plays Fouts finding Joiner for 29 yards and Eric Sievers for 31, before Muncie scored from the four. Benirschke missed the extra point, but was converted a 29-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the half. Kansas City lost their third fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and the Chargers kicker added another three points as time expired: 19-7.

San Diego were unable to cross midfield on the first four possessions of the second half, turning the ball over twice as Kansas City chipped away at their deficit. A touchdown and two field goals made it 20-19 to the Chiefs with 6:32 to play in the 4th quarter. San Diego began their winning drive on their own 26. Fouts converted a pair of 3rd downs with completions to Joiner and Winslow, then faced a 4th and 9 at the Kansas City 47 on the first play after the two minute warning. Wes Chandler's 23-yard catch kept the drive going. After one further first down, Benirschke kicked the game-winner from 22 yards out, with 13 seconds remaining.

The result once again produced a three-way tie atop the AFC West, with all three pretenders now at 6-3.

Week 10: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati capitalised on Charger turnovers to score a blowout win. A fumble by Joiner led to the first Bengal touchdown, and they led 10-0 going into the 2nd quarter. A 26-yard Chandler reception pulled San Diego within three, and Mike Williams thwarted the next threat with an end zone interception. In response, Cincinnati forced a three-and-out and scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions, either side of a Fouts fumble.

Trailing 24-7 with less than two minutes to play before halftime, San Diego moved the ball quickly, a 27-yard Brooks run swiftly followed by a 56-yard Scales reception, which moved the ball to the Cincinnati four-yard line. However, Fouts was then intercepted by Louis Breeden, who returned the ball 102 yards for the game-breaking touchdown. The Bengals converted two further turnovers into points in the second half, with Chandler's late 51-yard touchdown a mere consolation score.

Fouts was 20 of 40 for 352 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions; he was sacked six times, after not getting sacked at all in the previous three games. Chandler caught 10 pass for 194 yards and 2 scores. Bengals safety Mike Fuller had spent the previous six seasons with the Chargers. He later revealed that San Diego had not changed their defensive signals since the 1980 season; Fuller was able to interpret them and give the Bengal offense an edge in this game.

Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks

San Diego sustained a second consecutive blowout, this time on Monday Night. They began well, converting four 3rd downs on their opening possession, while going 78 yards in 15 plays - Muncie opened the scoring from a yard out. The game turned in the second quarter. After a Seahawks field goal, Brooks lost two fumbles in quick succession, leading to a pair of Seattle touchdowns and a 17-7 scoreline. Chuck Muncie then interrupted the flow, breaking a tackle at the line of scrimmage and bursting through the defense for a 73-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career. After another Seattle touchdown, Benirschke cut the halftime deficit to seven points with a 32-yard field goal.

The Chargers came close to tying the game on the opening possession of the second half, reaching the Seattle one yard line before Muncie was stuffed for no gain on both 3rd and 4th down. Seattle then moved to their 20, from where Dan Doornink took a pass in the flat 80 yards for the game-breaking touchdown. Muncie then fumbled, and Doornink scored again - the fifth Seattle touchdown in as many possessions. Chandler again scored a 4th quarter touchdown, but the Chargers were well beaten.

Muncie had 20 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns; Kellen Winslow caught 7 passes for 106 yards. With five weeks to go, San Diego stood two games back from Denver and one behind Kansas City.

Week 12: at Oakland Raiders

Record-setting performances by Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow reenergised the Chargers' playoff push. They turned the ball over twice in the first half, and three times fell seven points behind. A 1-yard run by Muncie and 12-yard catch by Brooks tied the scores the first two times; after Oakland went 21-14 ahead, Winslow took over. His leaping catch in the end zone tied the scores with 3:06 to play before halftime. Brooks then ran a punt back 37 yards, and Winslow broke two tackles on the 29-yard touchdown that put San Diego ahead at the break.

Oakland's first two offensive plays of the second half saw Marc Wilson intercepted by Bob Horn and Pete Shaw, setting up the Charger offense with short fields. Both times, Fouts found Winslow with short touchdown passes, the latter coming 6:26 into the 3rd quarter - the pair had combined for four touchdowns in four possessions, across a span of just 9 minutes and 32 seconds of game time. When Fouts combined with Joiner for a score on the next Charger drive, the quarterback had thrown six touchdowns in as many possessions. The rout was completed in the 4th quarter when Muncie found a wide-open Winslow for a 3-yard touchdown.

Fouts completed 28 of 44 passes for 296 yards, 6 touchdowns and 1 interception - he still holds the Charger record for TD passes in a single game. Kellen Winslow had 13 catches for 144 yards and 5 touchdowns. He tied Chicago Cardinal Bob Shaw's 31-yard-old record for most TD receptions in a game - this record has subsequently been tied again, but not broken. On defense, Gary Johnson had four of the team's seven sacks. San Diego had been bolstered by a Denver loss earlier in the day - they were now one game back of both the Broncos and the Chiefs.

Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

Chuck Muncie became the second Charger to rush for four touchdowns in a game, and San Diego won a crucial divisional matchup with some ease. They went 74 yards in only 6 plays on the game's opening possession, a 29-yard Chandler reception and a 22-yarder from Winslow preceding Muncie's first score, covering 14 yards off right tackle. After Woodcock sacked Craig Morton to force a three-and-out, San Diego drove for another quick touchdown, Chandler's 44-yard catch setting up Muncie's short TD run.

Down 14-0 after barely seven minutes, Denver improved on the next few drives and pulled a touchdown back early in the 2nd quarter. However, a fumbled punt was recovered by Wyatt Henderson a few possessions later, and Muncie scored again only two plays later. Denver pulled a field goal, back, before Fouts and Muncie drove San Diego 64 yards to another score, with Muncie's 4th touchdown coming from 3 yards out, 19 seconds before halftime. Fouts later looped a touchdown pass to Eric Sievers on 4th and goal from the 1, and San Diego eased to victory.

Chandler caught 4 passes for 111 yards. Muncie had 18 carries for 75 yards and the 4 touchdowns. Craig Morton had devastated the Chargers earlier in the season, but threw no touchdowns in this game, and was picked off by Buchanon and Lowe. The Chiefs had lost earlier in the week, and this result left the three AFC West contenders tied once more, at 8-5. San Diego's favourable tiebreakers meant they would be assured of the division title with three more wins.

Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo avenged their recent playoff defeat, and left the Chargers needing help if they were to reach the playoffs again. San Diego began well, a 19-yard Bills punt setting them up at the Buffalo 46; Muncie's NFL-record-tying 19th rushing touchdown of the year came seven plays later. Later in the 1st quarter, they breached Bills territory again, but Mario Clark intercepted Fouts and returned the ball 53 yards to set up a Buffalo touchdown.

San Diego responded with a 10-play, 83-yard drive. They appeared to be settling for a field goal, but Buffalo jumped offside, and Fouts found Chandler for a 17-yard touchdown a play later. After Buffalo tied the game, Kellen Winslow scored comfortably the longest touchdown of his career, 55 seconds before halftime. He caught the ball in the left flat, broke a tackle and sprinted up the sideline - Buffalo defenders, possibly distracted by a official's flag (which was on the Bills) were slow to react, and Winslow completed a 67-yard touchdown reception, putting San Diego up 21-14 at halftime.

Fouts had passed for 260 yards in the first half alone, but found the going tougher thereafter. Buffalo scored touchdowns through Roosevelt Leaks and Joe Cribbs in the 3rd quarter, either side of a Benirschke field goal, and led 28-24. San Diego were poised to retake the lead on their next drive, but Winslow committed a hold on 1st and goal from the 2, and they had to settle for another field goal. They reached 4th and 2 at the Buffalo 35 on their next possession, but opted against sending Benirschke in for a 50+ yard attempt, and Muncie was stopped short on a sweep.

The Bills then missed a field goal, leaving San Diego 4:30 to drive for the winning points. A pair of 15-yard Fouts completions helped them into makeable field goal range, reaching 2nd and 9 from the Buffalo 32. Muncie then burst through the middle, but fumble at the 26; the Bills recovered and ran the clock out.

Fouts finished 28 of 42 for 343 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Winslow caught 6 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown; Joiner caught 7 balls for 106 yards. Muncie carried 22 times for 119 yards and a touchdown. Overall, San Diego outgained Buffalo 482-318, but committed both the game's turnovers. At the same, Denver were beating Kansas City 16-13 to move into sole possession of the AFC West lead.

Week 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

San Diego maintained their playoff challenge into the final week of the regular season with a tense win over the Buccaneers. The Chargers struck first, with Fouts finding Sievers over the middle for 27 yards and a touchdown. Tampa Bay responded quickly: Theo Bell took in a short pass from Doug Williams and went 58 yards to tie the scores. In the 2nd quarter, Fouts completed all seven of his passes on a 90-yard drive that Cappelletti finished with an 8-yard run. The next Charger drive covered 82 yards, but was terminated by an end zone interception, and it was 14-7 at halftime.

Tampa Bay pulled three points back on the first possession of the third quarter. Later, Brooks lost a fumble in Buccaneers territory when he seemed on the verge of breaking into the open field, but Lowe recovered another fumble four plays later. The Chargers progressed rapidly to the Tampa one-yard line, from where Brooks scored to make it 21-10, with 11:52 to play. The game then turned rapidly in Tampa's favour. They drove 80 yards in only 6 plays, with James Wilder scoring from eight yards out (though the extra point was missed). Two plays later, Fouts was intercepted again, setting the Buccaneers up at the San Diego 23, from where Wilder took a sweep in for the go-ahead score. When Cappelletti fumbled four plays into the next drive, Tampa Bay had a 23-21 lead and the ball at the Charger 36, with 6:28 on the clock.

This time, San Diego won the ball back. Glen Edwards hit Williams' intended receiver, causing the ball to pop up for Lowe to intercept. Starting at his own 29, Fouts hit Winslow and Joiner for first downs, before the Chargers reached a 4th and 1 from the Tampa 34. They opted to go for it, and converted via Winslow's 3-yard catch. The tight end also converted a 3rd and 6 before Benirschke hit the game-winner from 29 yards out, with 45 seconds on the clock. Williams moved the ball to the Tampa 37, from where his final pass was intercepted by Edwards inside the ten as time expired.

Fouts was 33 of 49 for 351 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Chandler had 8 catches for 112 yards. Elsewhere, the Chiefs lost and were eliminated from the playoff race, but Denver beat the Seahawks to remain in first place. To qualify for the playoffs, San Diego would need either the Jets or Broncos to slip up, then win their final game against Oakland.

Week 16: vs. Oakland Raiders

The day before this game, Denver were beaten 35-24 by the Chicago Bears. As a result, San Diego had the opportunity to win the AFC West on the final Monday night of the regular season for the third year in a row. Defeat would mean elimination.

Midway through the 1st quarter, Shaw and Buchanon forced a fumble that Edwards recovered at the Charger 32. Fouts completions on the next two plays moved the ball 40 yards, and Brooks finished off the quickfire scoring drive with a 28-yard run up the middle, breaking three tackles on his way into the end zone. Ahead 10-3 in the 2nd quarter, San Diego got a lucky break when Lester Hayes blocked a punt, only for Jim Laslavic to scoop up the ball and make first down yardage at the Charger 32. San Diego eventually had to punt again, but pinned Oakland inside their ten. Buchanon intercepted Marc Wilson on the ensuing drive, and Fouts found the leaping Joiner for a 29-yard touchdown two plays later. Wilson then drove Oakland to a 2nd and 10 from the Charger 11, with 7 seconds left before halftime. However, he spent too long while throwing an incompletion, and the Raiders came up empty-handed.

Oakland did pull the score back to 17-10 on the first drive of the second half, but didn't cross the Charger 40 the rest of the way. Benirschke kicked a pair of field goals to give the Chargers some breathing room, and they clinched the division with something to spare.

San Diego tried to get Muncie a record-breaking 20th touchdown in the final seconds, but he was stuffed on 4th and goal from the 2, and remained on 19. The Chargers didn't play in the league's regular season finale again until 2008.

Standings

Postseason

Game summaries

AFC Divisional Playoffs: at Dolphins

Rolf Benirschke's overtime field goal gave the Chargers victory in the Epic in Miami.

AFC Conference Championships: at Bengals

The AFC Championship Game was played on Jan. 10, 1982, in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The temperature was  with a wind chill of , known in NFL lore as the "Freezer Bowl," and is the coldest game in the league's history.  Quarterback Dan Fouts completed 15 out of 28 passes for 185 yards as the Chargers fell to the Bengals 27-7.

References

External links
1981 San Diego Chargers at pro-football-reference.com

San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers seasons
AFC West championship seasons
San Diego Chargers f


Georgy Vadimovich Koshlakov (; 8 February 1936 – 7 July 2017) was the deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan. On January 23, 1989, the Gissar earthquake occurred. He is quoted as saying: "The earthquake caused a burst of mud from the foothills which poured down on the villages. It was up to five miles wide and one-and-a-half miles long." He was a head of the Department of Economics and Management at the Russian-Tajik Slavonic University.

References

1936 births
2017 deaths
Politicians from Yekaterinburg
Government ministers of Tajikistan

Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Soviet geologists
Tajikistani geologists


Ice Planet is a 2001 Canadian-German science fiction film produced as a pilot movie for an intended TV series. The film was directed by Winrich Kolbe and its cast included Wes Studi as Commander Trager.

Plot
The movie takes place some thirty years after a devastating war between the Union and the Consortium that resulted in the death of 10% of the Earth's population. The Newton 5 space colony is suddenly attacked by a vast extraterrestrial spacecraft, killing 200,000 people in the process. The alien spaceship then proceeds to annihilate a military base on Jupiter's moon Io.  Base commander Noah Trager, aided by recently graduated space cadets, manages to escape to the nearby Magellan research vessel commanded by professor Karteez Rumla. Rumla (encouraged by Senator Jeremy Uvan who was on the military base) insists that the Magellan continue its original classified mission rather than return to Earth. Pursued by the alien spaceship, the refugees head toward section 9 in space—the Magellan'''s original destination—when the research vessel suddenly is ejected into hyperspace by an unknown space phenomenon. After traveling through interstellar space, the vessel is drawn towards an unidentified ice planet where it lands automatically in a crater. The planet has a breathable atmosphere and earth-like gravity, but an unknown force field keeps the Magellan and the 1426 refugees on board trapped on the surface. The planet's orbit is also highly unusual, resembling that of a spacecraft rather than a planet. It is located so far from Earth even the Andromeda Galaxy is not visible in the sky. The Magellan is stranded and its crew has to cope with the fact that returning to Earth is impossible.

Rumla now reveals to the astonished crew that six years previously, a meteor crashed into a remote area of Sumatra. The meteor contained an extremely old and heat resistant crystal, named "ICE-13" by Earth scientists who discover an encryption in the crystallized structure itself. Rumla managed to crack the code and discovered that it contained specifications for the construction of an advanced space vessel. The crystal contains space coordinates to sector 9 as well as dire warnings about some undefined threat in space, so a decision was made to build the Magellan and discover the source of the meteor. The mission was kept secret from the public although the Union leadership was informed about the threat.

The Magellan crew soon starts to explore their immediate surroundings. A ground survey team discovers a vast subterranean energy network with a power source located some 500 kilometers from the ship. Meanwhile, in orbit around the icy planet, two reconnaissance craft launched by the Magellan are attacked and destroyed by the same enormous alien spacecraft that destroyed Newton 5 and the Io military base. One pilot manages to eject, and the Magellan rescue team trying to locate him discovers an artificial cavern where the power source is located. A Native American-like tribe called the "Inaku" also lives there and it is not clear how they ended up billions of light years away from Earth. Finally, a strange glowing tree-like crystalline organism is discovered, and analysis of a small sample of its tissue reveals vast amounts of encoded information about Earth civilization including dozens of extinct languages including Aramaic and Sumerian.

Back on the Magellan, a hostile life form suddenly invades the vessel and kidnaps a dozen people. It is revealed that the icy planet serves as a safe haven to an alien intelligence, but they have now been discovered by the "Zedoni" who launched the vast spaceship that also attacked the Newton 5 colony. The alien refugees deliberately transported the Magellan across space and time for some unknown purpose. The aliens show a vision of the Earth burnt to a cinder, but it is not clear if we see the present or the future ("you must play your part", offers the alien).

As the alien attack on the Magellan resulted in a kidnapping of a dozen people, the military launches a counterattack as the alien intelligence on the planet weakens the attacking Zedoni ship's defences. The movie ends as the ice planet is transported through another space rift into a different solar system having four moons—the same moons previously seen in a vision by Professor Rumla.

Cast
Reiner Schöne as Senator Jeremy Uvan
Sab Shimono as Karteez Rumla
James O'Shea as Jaques Caano
Valeriy Nikolaev as Nikolai Blade (as Valera Nikolaev)
Rae Baker as Shinada
Amber Willenborg as Jeleca Uvan
Anna Brüggemann as Eleni (as Anna Brueggeman)
Gregory Millar as Charles Elchanan Nickels
Wes Studi as Commander Trager
Xavier Anderson as Duty Officer
Shellye Broughton as Renata Kaylar
Jaymes Butler as Dyomo Malvai
Stephanie Coker as Exotic Chanteuse
Martin Falk as Culp
Florian David Fitz as Sam Rainsey (as Florian Fitz jr.)

TV series
An Ice Planet'' TV series starring Michael Ironside was announced in 2005 by CHUM Limited. Production of the series was  postponed several times and as of 2020 has not commenced.

The TV series was to revolve around Rear Admiral Noah Trager, accompanied by his daughter and obsessed by the mysterious murder of his wife, who leads a military and science expedition on the recovery of an ancient alien artifact on the ice planet. The concept was created by German television producer and show host Hendrik Hey.

Production companies are SpaceWorks Entertainment Inc. (Canada) and Circles & Lines GmbH (Germany). German broadcaster RTL II has acquired the rights to the series even before the show commenced shooting.

References

External links

Ice Planet Fan Site Home Page

2001 films
2001 television films
2001 science fiction films
German science fiction television films
Canadian science fiction television films
Jupiter in film
Space adventure films
Television films as pilots
Television pilots not picked up as a series
Films about extraterrestrial life
Films set on fictional planets
Fiction set on Io (moon)
Fiction about meteoroids
Fictional terrestrial planets
Ice planets in fiction
English-language Canadian films
English-language German films
2000s English-language films
2000s Canadian films
2000s German films
RTL Zwei original programming


The 1980 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 11th season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 21st overall. The team failed to improve on their 12–4 record in 1979 and finished 11–5, though they won the AFC West and gained the top seed in the AFC playoffs for the second consecutive season. Their season ended in the AFC Championship Game when they lost to their divisional rivals and the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Oakland Raiders.

San Diego's Air Coryell offense led the league and set new standards in the passing game. Quarterback Dan Fouts passed for 4,715 yards, surpassing his own NFL record. He also set new single-season records for attempts, completions and 300-yard games. Tight end Kellen Winslow and wide receivers John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner each had over 1,000 yards receiving, becoming the first trio of teammates to do so in the same season. The running game was less impactful, despite the mid-season acquisition of running back Chuck Muncie. On defense, the Chargers led the league with 60 sacks. The majority of these came from their starting defensive linemen, Fred Dean, Louie Kelcher, Leroy Jones and Gary "Big Hands" Johnson, known collectively as the Bruise Brothers.

In the divisional playoffs, San Diego trailed the Buffalo Bills 14–3 at halftime, but scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to win 20–14. Backup wide receiver Ron Smith scored the winning touchdown in the final minutes. The Chargers were then stopped a game short of the Super Bowl by the Raiders, who took a 28–7 lead in the 2nd quarter. The Chargers again ran off 17 unanswered points, but they couldn't complete the comeback and were defeated 34–27.

Offseason

Departures and arrivals
San Diego traded a future 2nd-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for fullback John Cappelletti. A 1974 1st-round pick, Cappelletti had rushed for 15 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards in his five years with the Rams; Coryell praised his strength and blocking ability. Cappelletti rushed for over 100 yards in his first game as a Charger, though he was used primarily as a blocker during his time in San Diego (1980–83). San Diego traded their own 1st-round pick from 1974, No. 2 overall selection Bo Matthews, some months later. Also a fullback, Matthews was unlikely to see much playing time after Cappalletti's signing, and walked out of training camp to try and force a trade, which the Chargers granted him. Matthews had averaged under 250 yards per season over his six years in San Diego. Others departures included Lydell Mitchell, a former Pro Bowl running back whose production had decreased as San Diego shifted to a pass-oriented offense, and tight end Bob Klein who was coming off the two most productive pass-catching seasons of his eleven-year career, but who retired after contract negotiations with Chargers owner Gene Klein broke down.

On defense, San Diego traded linebacker Don Goode to the Cleveland Browns for a future draft pick. Goode, another Chargers 1st-round pick from 1974, had started 62 games in six seasons, but only a single one in 1979. The Chargers also switched punters, releasing Jeff West, who had ranked 28th in the league in 1979. After trying six other candidates for the position, they signed Rick Partridge from the New Orleans Saints. His average in 1979 had been 40.9 yards per kick, compared to 36.5 for West.

San Diego also made a significant signing after the season had begun, when they traded their 2nd-round draft pick in 1981 for running back Chuck Muncie. Muncie, the third overall pick in the 1976 draft, was coming off his best season with the New Orleans Saints, rushing for 1,198 yards at 5.0 yards per carry and being voted to his first Pro Bowl. He had not started the season well for the Saints, who were 0–4 when the trade took place, with head coach Dick Nolan criticizing his work ethic and commitment to the team. Coryell was unconcerned by Muncie's troubles, describing him as "one of the finest running backs in the game", who would benefit from a fresh start. He contributed 659 rushing yards for the Chargers in 1980 and would make two Pro Bowls during his five seasons in San Diego.

NFL Draft

San Diego had no picks in the first three rounds, due to previous trades for Willie Buchanon and Bob Klein, as well as for the right to sign head coach Don Coryell.

Despite having four quarterbacks on their roster already, San Diego added another in the 4th round when they selected Ed Luther from San Jose State. Coryell described Luther as the Chargers' 15th-most desirable player in the draft, given their pass-oriented offense. Luther would spend most of his career backing up Dan Fouts, attempting only 22 passes in his first two seasons before going 2–7 as a starter while Fouts missed time with injuries in 1983 and 1984. A second 4th-round pick, safety Bob Gregor, missed the 1980 season through injury before going on to start sixteen games in four seasons. Only two others from the Chargers' draft class played in the NFL; running back LaRue Harrington had four carries in his career, while Chuck Loewen played in 47 games on their offensive line over the next five years, though he only started 3 of them.

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Preseason
San Diego began their preseason in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. They faced the Green Bay Packers in an electrical storm, with wind, rain and lightning. Neither team were able to score before the game was called with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter for player safety, although the Chargers had been poised to attempt a field goal with the ball at the Green Bay 25. San Diego's starters played little in a 27–17 loss in Minnesota; Clarence Williams scored an early 50-yard touchdown run, and Luther led a late 91-yard touchdown drive, capped with a 20-yard pass to John Floyd.

Starting quarterback Fouts played the entire first half against the San Francisco 49ers, passing for 177 yards. Most of these went to John Jefferson, who had 8 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. Luther threw for 124 yards and a touchdown in the second half, but his pass from the San Francisco 40 was intercepted in the end zone as time expired and the Chargers lost 17–14. The following week, the Chargers played most of their defensive starters into the second half, sacking Atlanta's quarterbacks eight times. Touchdowns from Cappelletti and Artie Owens gave them their only win of the preseason. San Diego concluded their preseason with a 34–17 loss to the Rams. Williams and Cappelletti scored the Charger touchdowns, while Rolf Benirschke kicked a 55-yard field goal.

Regular season

Overview

San Diego repeated as AFC West champions. They started out 4–0, with wins over each of their divisional opponents, three of those on the road. They then lost four games out of six, but rebounded to win five of their final six and finish 11–5, beating the Oakland Raiders to the divisional title on tiebreakers.

The Chargers finished at the top in the league in total offensive yardage and total passing yardage, while coming fourth in scoring. Fouts broke his own record with 4,715 yards passing, and threw 30 touchdowns. His average of 294.7 yards per game also broke Joe Namath's record, and he threw for 583 more yards than his nearest rival, Cleveland's Brian Sipe. His marks for attempts (589), completions (348) and 300-yard games (8) were also NFL records. Second-year tight end Kellen Winslow had a breakout year; he, together with established wide receivers Jefferson and Charlie Joiner, dominated the NFL's receiving stats. Jefferson had 1,340 yards, Winslow 1,290 and Joiner 1,132 – they ranked 1st, 2nd and 4th in the league, and were the first trio of teammates to post 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.  Winslow was the league leader in receptions (89); Jefferson was top in receiving touchdowns (13). The running game was less successful, ranking 16th out of 28 teams for yardage, but was bolstered when Muncie was acquired in a trade after four games. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry, and led the team with 659 yards. Six different players contributed to San Diego's total of 18 rushing touchdowns (joint-eighth in the NFL); Cappelletti's total of 5 led the team. The Charger offense struggled with turnovers; they threw 26 interceptions, lost 22 fumbles and led the league with 48 total giveaways, including 7 in three separate games.

While San Diego ranked only 18th in the NFL for points conceded, the defensive unit finished sixth in total yards and led the league with 60 sacks. Leading the team was Gary "Big Hands" Johnson with , an unofficial club record , and the joint-most in the league. Johnson and fellow lineman Louie Kelcher and Fred Dean were all named starters in that season's Pro Bowl, a rarity for three defensive lineman from the same team. The Chargers' defensive line, which also featured Leroy Jones (second on the team with 12 sacks), was nicknamed the Bruise Brothers, coined from a popular act at the time, The Blues Brothers. Glen Edwards led the team with 5 of their 20 interceptions. Kicker Benirschke returned from his illness of the previous season but had the lowest field goal conversion percentage of his career to that point, making 24 of 36 and finishing joint-11th in the NFL with 67%. The newly signed Partridge ranked only 23rd among punters with 39.1 yards per kick.

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries
All game reports except Weeks 7, 9 and 14 use the Pro Football Researchers' gamebook archive as a source.

Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks

Chargers debutant Cappelletti set up his team's first field goal with a 46-yard run. The score was 3–3 early in the 2nd quarter when Seattle tried to punt from their own 28-yard line; Lowe blocked the kick, enabling his offense to start at the Seattle 5. Fouts found McCrary for the opening touchdown on 3rd and goal. On their next possession, Winslow had a 35-yard catch on 3rd and 5 and Joiner a 16-yarder on 3rd and 4; Joiner's touchdown followed on the next play. They soon made it three touchdowns in three possessions, with Jefferson's first touchdown coming on a 3rd-down play; the lead was 24–3 at halftime.

Seattle pulled three points closer with a field goal on their first drive of the second half, then forced a punt. Jim Zorn was intercepted by Shaw on the next play, soon leading to another Jefferson touchdown, again coming on 3rd down. Mike Williams also got an interception soon afterwards, and San Diego saw out the final quarter without difficulty.

Cappelletti's 112 yards represented his only 100-yard game with the Chargers (he had previously managed three with the Los Angeles Rams). He helped the Chargers to a 197–47 advantage in total rushing yardage. They converted 12 of 20 3rd down attempts, while Seattle converted only 2 of 13.

Week 2: vs. Oakland Raiders

Oakland attempted field goals on their first three possessions, but Chris Bahr only converted one of them, while Benirschke made a club-record 52-yarder; it was 3–3 midway through the 2nd quarter. Clarence Williams then lost a fumble in his own territory, but Horn recovered a mishandled snap a play later to win possession back. Following an exchange of punts, San Diego reached a 2nd and goal from the Oakland 4-yard line, and Jefferson made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch with 48 seconds left in the half. That proved to be enough time for the Raiders, who moved from their own 18-yard line to the Charger 48-yard line, from where Dan Pastorini found Cliff Branch for the touchdown that tied the game at 10–10 with 6 seconds on the clock.

Fouts committed turnovers on five of the Chargers' seventeen 3rd-quarter plays. He lost a fumble that was run back for a Raiders touchdown and threw four interceptions, three in Oakland territory to end scoring chances and a fourth which set up a field goal try for Bahr. Bahr's kick was no good from 53 yards, and Clarence Williams gained 35 yards on the next four plays, setting up Winslow's touchdown. Oakland responded quickly, reaching a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 19-yard line before Edwards intercepted Pastorini. San Diego then drove 80 yards in 12 plays, including a 22-yard completion from Fouts to Winslow and a 4-yard touchdown run from Williams with 2:00 on the clock. Trailing 24–17, Oakland reached a 1st and 10 from the San Diego 16-yard line, from where Pastorini threw two incompletions before Gary Johnson sacked him for a loss of 7 and temporarily knocked him out of the game. Backup Jim Plunkett was then sacked by Johnson on 4th down, but the apparent game-clinching play was nullified by a penalty, and Plunkett threw the game-tying touchdown a play later. With 33 seconds on the clock, there was still time for Fouts to connect on three straight passes, giving Benirschke a chance to make a field goal from 51 yards out. The kick missed short and right, sending the game into overtime.

Oakland won the toss. Pastorini returned, but was intercepted again by Edwards on the first play of the extra period. On the following play, Fouts threw his fifth interception of the game, giving the Raiders the ball at the San Diego 46-yard line. They gained 14 yards before Bahr badly missed a 50-yard potential game-winner. Fouts connected with Joiner for 28 yards on the next drive, and the Chargers reached a 3rd and 11 at the Raiders 24-yard line. Fouts then lofted a high pass to Jefferson just short of the end. While Oakland defensive back Lester Hayes lost the ball in the sun, Jefferson leapt to make the catch, fell just outside the end zone and rolled over the goal line untouched for the winner, 8:09 into overtime.

Fouts had an eventful day, completing 29 of 44 for a club-record 387 yards, 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. San Diego had two 100-yard receivers: Winslow (9 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown) and Jefferson (9 for 110 yards and two touchdowns). San Diego won despite committing seven of the game's eleven turnovers. To date, this is the last win by a Chargers team over an eventual Super Bowl champion.

Week 3: at Denver Broncos

On the opening possession, Benirschke broke the Charger record for longest field goal for the second consecutive week, this time converting from 53 yards out. After Denver tied the score, a 41-yard connection between Fouts and Winslow had San Diego back in Broncos territory, but Fouts was intercepted. Dean won possession back when he recovered a fumbled snap. Cappelletti converted a 3rd and 5 with an 11-yard catch early in the ensuing drive, which he ended with his first Charger touchdown. Another Fouts interception led to a Denver field goal, and the Chargers then went three-and-out. On the next play, Woodrow Lowe intercepted Matt Robinson, and ran the ball back 28 yards to the Denver 22-yard line. Fouts found Joiner in the end zone on the next play. Denver then reached the Chargers 45-yard line, but a Johnson sack pushed them back 9 yards, and Edwards intercepted a Robinson pass two plays later, returning it 68 yards for a touchdown. Benirschke added another field goal before halftime, pushing the lead to 27–6.

Fouts was intercepted early in the second half, but Robinson was also intercepted three plays later, with Edwards' 20-yard return setting up a field goal. Denver scored a touchdown on their next possession, and drove inside the Chargers 20-yard line three times in the final quarter. Each of these scoring chances ended with an interception, and Denver came no closer.

San Diego won in Denver for the first time since 1968 (they had tied there in 1970). Edwards had two of the Chargers' total of six interceptions; they had seven takeaways to the Broncos' three. San Diego finished with six sacks for 49 yards in losses, including a career-high four sacks by Johnson.

Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs

After five punts to start the game, Kelcher recovered a fumble at the Kansas City 3-yard line, and Cappelletti scored on the next play. The Chiefs responded by converting three 3rd downs and tying the score. Winslow scored twice in quick succession late in the half. His first touchdown was set up by Laslavic's forced fumble and Stringert's recovery and 26-yard return; after a Kansas City three-and-out, his second was set up by Jefferson's 42-yard reception, giving the Chargers a 21–7 halftime lead.

Benirschke added a field goal early in the 3rd quarter following a Kelcher interception, which proved to be the game's final points. Kansas City didn't cross midfield on their next four drives; when they did reach the Chargers 30-yard line late in the game, Horn recovered a fumble to end the threat.

Dean had three of the Chargers' five sacks. After completing a sweep of their divisional rivals, the Chargers led the AFC West by two games.

Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills

In a battle of unbeaten teams, Buffalo led 3–0 in the opening quarter when Lowe forced Bills' running back Joe Cribbs to fumble and Buchanon recovered at the Buffalo 44-yard line. Jefferson had 22- and 12-yard catches on the next two plays, and Winslow's touchdown followed on 3rd and goal. A minute later, Buchanon pressured Buffalo's punter, forcing him to run; he was stopped well short of a first down, and San Diego took over at the Buffalo 29-yard line. Jefferson's touchdown followed, again on 3rd and goal. The Bills responded with a field goal after Shaw and Edwards collided in the end zone while trying to make an interception. Buffalo later blocked a Partridge punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. Muncie converted a 3rd and 5 with a 12-yard run early in the following drive, which ended with a Benirschke field goal and a 17–13 lead at the break.

Mike Williams blocked a punt at the start of the second half, but Benirschke missed wide right from 30 yards out. Young sacked Joe Ferguson on 3rd down, forcing Buffalo to punt from deep in their own territory, and San Diego took over on the Buffalo 39-yard line. They scored on the ensuing drive; Clarence Williams converted a 3rd and 2 with a 12-yard catch, and scored from 3 yards out two plays later. Buffalo went for it on 4th and 1 from the Charger 10-yard line early in the 4th quarter, but Cribbs was stuffed for no gain. However, there was another punting error soon afterwards, Partridge struggling to field a high snap and getting tackled well behind the line. That set up a Bills touchdown on 4th and 3 from the 9. On the next play from scrimmage, Fouts was intercepted, and Cribbs scored the winner five plays later. These two Buffalo scores came 3:15 apart, after drives covering 16 and 21 yards. San Diego looked to respond quickly, but Winslow fumbled after what would have been a first down reception at the Bills 25-yard line. Television replays indicated that Winslow was down before he lost possession of the ball. After the turnover, Buffalo picked up three first downs to run the final 4:38 off the clock.

Week 6: at Oakland Raiders

Kenny King rushed 31 yards for a touchdown on the Raiders' opening possession. San Diego tied the score when Jefferson had a 34-yard reception and Cappelletti scored one play later. Fouts lost a fumble after leading his team to the Oakland 21-yard line, and the teams exchanged 2nd-quarter field goals. The Chargers later had a first down at their own 45-yard line but were pushed back 21 yards by a mix of penalties and negative plays; Partridge's punt covered only 32 yards, and a 43-yard connection from Plunkett to Branch put Oakland up 17–10; that remained the score at halftime after Benirschke missed a 43-yard field goal.

An unnecessary roughness penalty by Lowe prolonged the first drive of the second half, which took half the 3rd quarter and ended with a Mark van Eeghen touchdown. Jefferson began the next drive with a 28-yard catch and finished it with a 25-yarder for the touchdown. Stringert recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but Cappelletti fumbled the ball back four plays later. San Diego were soon threatening again after Oakland went three-and-out; they eventually went for it on 4th and goal from the 1, and Fouts sneaked across the goal line to tie the score at 24–24. Oakland rebuilt their lead with 14 points in the next 34 seconds. On the next play from scrimmage, King broke off left tackle and went 89 yards for a touchdown, shrugging off an attempted tackle by Pete Shaw at the Chargers 40-yard line. Muncie mishandled the ensuing kickoff, and Oakland recovered in the end zone. Fourteen minutes still remained in the 4th quarter, and the Chargers penetrated Raider territory on each of their three remaining possessions, but were foiled by a fumble, a turnover on downs and an interception.

With 388 passing yards, Fouts beat his own Chargers single-game record by a yard. He was sacked seven times for the loss of 43 yards. The Chargers again had two 100-yard receivers: Joiner had 8 receptions for 135 yards, while Jefferson contributed 5 for 114 and a touchdown.

Week 7: vs. New York Giants

With New York offering little on offense, the Chargers could afford to turn the ball over twice in the first half and still lead 21–0, with Cappelletti, Jefferson and Joiner all scoring. Jefferson was left unmarked for his touchdown due to a mix-up in the defensive backfield, while Joiner's touchdown was set up by Edwards' interception and 34-yard return. New York's lone touchdown was set up by a special teams error, Partridge mishandling a snap near his goal line; Cappelletti found the end zone again four plays into the Chargers' response. New York threatened further points, but Phil Simms fumbled inside the Chargers 10. Facing a 2nd and 35 from his own 31-yard line soon afterwards, Fouts converted with a 14-yard pass to Muncie and a 24-yarder to Jefferson. Floyd scored three plays later when two would-be tacklers collided. Muncie's first Chargers touchdown was set up by Laslavic's interception at the New York 21-yard line.

The first four San Diego touchdown drives featured a combined 251 yards passing and only 24 rushing. Fouts' 444 yards broke the franchise record for passing yards for the third time that season, and the second week in a row. This new record would be tied in 1982 by Fouts but not surpassed until 2010, by Philip Rivers. San Diego also boasted three 100-yard receivers for the first time in team history and just the second time in NFL history: Joiner, 10 for 171 yards and a touchdown; Jefferson, 5 for 107 yards and a touchdown; Winslow, 6 for 102 yards. The Chargers outgained New York 567–206.

Week 8: at Dallas Cowboys

San Diego led 3–0 after Benirschke made a field goal and Rafael Septien missed one. The Chargers had the ball in Dallas territory when Fouts threw his first interception, leading to a touchdown three plays later. Danny White, a quarterback and punter for the Cowboys, converted a 4th and 1 when he ran 19 yards with a fake punt, though the drive ended with another miss from Septien. San Diego retook the lead on a fluke play, a pass deflecting from Joiner straight to Jefferson who went in untouched for a 58-yard touchdown. Only three plays later, Lowe intercepted White and ran it back 16 yards for another score. Dallas scored a touchdown on their next possession, but the Chargers came straight back with a 33-yard catch by Joiner coming one play before a Winslow touchdown. Benirschke missed a 45-yard field goal as time expired, but San Diego led 24–14 at the break.

Dallas scored on their first possession of the second half, then forced a Chargers three-and-out. On the next drive, White again ran for a first down from a punt formation, this time gaining 12 yards on 4th and 11; that drive ended with another Dallas touchdown and a 28–24 lead. Muncie lost fumbles on the next two Chargers possessions, the first of which led to another Dallas touchdown. Winslow had a 65-yard catch early in the final quarter, but he also fumbled. Fouts was intercepted on the next three San Diego drives, giving the Chargers six turnovers in as many possessions. Dallas scored their fourth unanswered touchdown after the first interception, and there was only 1:41 left on the clock when Winslow scored his second.

The Chargers again had multiple 100-yard receivers. Jefferson had 8 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown, his third 100-yard game in a row, while Winslow caught 5 passes for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. They outgained Dallas by 449 yards to 425, but turned the ball over seven times to the Cowboys' two. With three losses in four games, the Chargers dropped into a tie with Oakland atop the AFC West.

Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

Lowe blocked a punt on Cincinnati's first possession, and San Diego only had to go 13 yards for the game's opening touchdown. After Benirschke added a field goal, Winslow opened the Chargers' second touchdown drive with a 21-yard catch and finished it with an 11-yard touchdown. Cincinnati managed a touchdown shortly before halftime, but Jefferson added a pair of touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. The first of these was a one-handed catch set up by Winslow's 47-yard gain; the second came after a Shaw interception, and was aided by a Bengals' miscommunication that left him completely unmarked at the line of scrimmage. Shaw added two more interceptions in the final quarter.

San Diego didn't turn the ball over at all; they had committed 20 turnovers in the previous four games. Shaw became the eighth Charger to make three interceptions in a single game.

Week 10: vs. Denver Broncos

San Diego's first trip into Broncos territory ended with a Joiner fumble at the 29-yard line. Winslow converted a pair of 3rd downs on their next drive, which ended in a Benirschke field goal. Their following drive produced another field goal after Muncie lost a yard on 3rd and 1 from the 15. Denver had gained only one first down from four offensive series up to that point, but scored only three plays after a 53-yard kickoff return set them up at the Chargers 43-yard line. Benirschke missed a 38-yard kick late in the half, leaving Denver 7–6 ahead.

The first three Chargers drives after halftime ended with a Fouts fumble, a Benirschke miss and a Fouts interception. Denver answered with points each time, extending their lead to 20–6 with thirteen minutes to play. Fouts ran for 2 yards on 4th and 1 as the Chargers advanced to the Denver 19-yard line, but the drive ended there when he threw incomplete on 4th and 2; he was again incomplete on a 4th and 7 from the Denver 35 with four minutes left. Finally, Fouts completed 4 of 5 passes for 76 yards and a late touchdown to Jefferson, but Denver recovered an onside kick and ran the clock out.

San Diego dropped a game behind Oakland with the defeat. Fouts was sacked six times for a loss of 39 yards. San Diego gained more than double the offensive yardage of Denver (459–219) and more than double the first downs (26–11), but gave up all three of the game's turnovers.

Week 11: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Benirschke missed a 43-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter. Later, a 30-yard punt by Partridge set Kansas City up at the Chargers 46-yard line, and they scored five plays later. On the following drive Benirschke missed again, this time from 35 yards out. Soon afterwards, Chiefs quarterback Steve Fuller was sacked by Lowe, forcing a fumble that Johnson recovered at the Kansas City 21-yard line. Mike Thomas scored five plays later, though a failed extra point kept the Chargers behind. San Diego reached a 3rd and 9 at the Chiefs 23-yard line later in the half, but Fouts was intercepted in the end zone. Kansas City also crossed midfield, but were stopped by Johnson's 3rd-down sack and led 7–6 at halftime.

Fouts completed 5 of 6 passes for 64 yards on the first Chargers drive of the second half, leading to Thomas' second touchdown. The next two Kansas City drives ended in fumbles, forced by Jones and Shaw and recovered by Young and Buchanon. Benirschke failed on field goal attempts after both turnovers (one miss and one block), giving him six consecutive failures over the past two games. After forcing a punt, San Diego ran eight times on a 10-play drive, with Clarence Williams scoring an insurance touchdown 6:21 from time.

Kansas City never crossed the Chargers 45 after their early scoring drive; San Diego picked up 30 first downs to 10 by the Chiefs. The San Diego defense sacked Fuller five times (Jones had two of them), and forced six fumbles, three of which the Chargers recovered.

Week 12: at Miami Dolphins

Terry Robiskie put Miami ahead on the game's opening drive, but San Diego responded in kind, Fouts converting 3rd downs with completions to Joiner and Williams, the latter for a touchdown. The Dolphins threatened to score again on their next possession, but Jones forced David Woodley to fumble in Chargers territory and Johnson recovered. Woodley was intercepted by Buchanon on the next Miami drive, and Benirschke kicked San Diego ahead. Tony Nathan took a Woodley pass 61 yards on 3rd and 9; the pair combined for a 7-yard touchdown on 3rd and goal to finish the drive. Muncie broke off a 53-yard run late in the half and Joiner scored five plays later. Woodley's 39-yard pass positioned Miami for Uwe von Schamann's field goal with 3 seconds on the clock, tying the score at 17–17.

Muncie lost a fumble near midfield on the second play of the 3rd quarter. Following an exchange of punts, Miami crossed midfield, but von Schamann was short on a 52-yard attempt. On the next drive, Muncie had receptions of 11 and 17 yards before Jefferson's touchdown on 3rd and 4 from the 6-yard line. The Dolphins responded by driving from their 37 to the Chargers' 1-yard line, where Kelcher stuffed Robiskie on 4th and goal. However, the Dolphins converted two 4th downs on their next drive and tied the score with 1:21 to play. San Diego reached the Miami 41-yard line in response, but Fouts threw four incompletions; Miami drove to midfield, but Woodley was sacked by Charles DeJurnett as time expired.

San Diego won the toss in overtime, but their opening drive stalled at the Dolphins 42-yard line, and Partridge's punt went into the end zone for a touchback. Woodley led Miami to a 3rd and 5 at their own 37, from where his pass was intercepted by Lowe and run back 28 yards to the 12-yard line. Benirschke hit the winner four plays later.

Jones had two sacks for the second week in a row. Three days later, Oakland's six-game winning streak came to an end in Philadelphia, leaving both the Raiders and Chargers at 8–4.

Week 13: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia entered the game with a league-best 11–1 record and an eight-game winning streak. Fouts found Jefferson along the right sideline for 50 yards on the game's first play, and Winslow scored a 14-yard touchdown two plays later. San Diego also scored on their second drive, five more completions from Fouts accounting for 58 out of 64 yards gained before Benirschke made a field goal. The Eagles wasted two drives into Chargers territory: Tony Franklin missed a 49-yard field goal and Ron Jaworski mishandled a snap that Kelcher recovered. Midway through the 2nd quarter Fouts hit Joiner for 51 yards along the left sideline. As before, Winslow capitalized two plays later, this time from 17 yards out. Franklin missed two further field goal, Benirschke made one, and it was 19–0 at the break.

On the first possession of the 3rd quarter, Philadelphia fooled the Chargers with a fake punt, and ultimately drove 80 yards in 15 plays for a touchdown. San Diego reached the red zone in response, but Mike Thomas threw an interception on a trick play. However, they did add another field goal on their next drive, and then forced a punt, leaving them with both possession of the ball and a 15-point lead with 11:13 to play. Muncie fumbled on the next play, and Jaworski threw a touchdown the play after that. San Diego then went three-and-out, and the Eagles finished a six-minute drive with another Jaworski touchdown pass. Taking over at their own 7-yard line with 2:41 to play, San Diego had only to gain a single first down with a Fouts-to-Winslow completion, and could then run the clock out.

Johnson had three of the Chargers' six sacks. The Eagles came into the game with the league's top-ranked pass defense giving up 172.6 yards per game; Fouts passed for 342 yards, while being sacked twice for the loss of 12 yards.

Week 14: at Washington Redskins

On the first San Diego possession, Joe Lavender cut in front of Winslow to make the first of his three interceptions on the day; Lavender ran the ball back 51 yards for the touchdown that put Washington ahead to stay. It was soon 14–0, but Greg McCrary caught a 28-yard touchdown reception in response, and the Chargers trailed by a manageable 20–10 at halftime. On the opening possession of the second half, San Diego drove from their 10 to the Washington 4-yard line, with Winslow catching a 42-yard pass. However, Fouts threw his fourth interception of the game and the chance was wasted. Washington added two more field goals before Hank Bauer scored his only touchdown of the season, making it 26–17 with over fourteen minutes to play. The Charger defense then appeared to have made a red zone stop, but Young jumped offside on a field goal attempt, and Washington scored the crucial touchdown a play later. Muncie fumbled the ensuing kickoff to set up the game's final touchdown.

San Diego committed seven of the game's ten turnovers. Despite the surprising loss to a 3–10 team, San Diego remained tied atop the AFC West, as Oakland lost to Dallas later in the day.

Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Points differential was significant coming into this game – if San Diego and Oakland both won their remaining two games, divisional net points would decide the division winner. There, the Chargers had a 19-point advantage, and both teams would play their final divisional games in Week 15.

Fouts completed his first five passes as San Diego drove from their own 23-yard line to the Seattle 6, but his sixth attempt was intercepted in the end zone. The Charger scored on their next drive, which featured a 29-yard catch from Joiner and Muncie's touchdown on 3rd and goal from the 1. Johnson recovered a fumble at the Seattle 38-yard line soon afterwards, but Muncie fumbled himself after the Chargers had driven inside the 10. Seattle went three-and-out on their next two drives, and San Diego increased their lead with further touchdowns for Muncie and Jefferson. Overall, San Diego gained 18 first downs to Seattle's 5 in the first half, while building a 21–0 lead.

The Chargers were less effective in the 3rd quarter, gaining only a single first down in three possessions, and allowing Seattle to convert a 4th and 4 during a long touchdown drive. The Seahawks went three-and-out on their next two possessions; after the second of these, San Diego made sure of the win with a 15-play, 86-yard drive that took nine minutes off the clock and ended with Benirschke missing from 23 yards out with 1:09 to play. Seattle added a second touchdown as time expired.

DeJurnett had  of the Chargers' 3 sacks. The reduced margin of victory proved not to matter, as Oakland could only beat Denver by three points the following day, leaving San Diego top of the AFC West on the tiebreakers.

Week 16: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

This was the final Monday Night Football game of the season, so the Chargers knew the stakes beforehand – a win would make them AFC West champions and the No. 1 seed in the conference, but a loss would see them miss the playoffs entirely.

San Diego gained substantial yardage in the first half; they had three drives, covering 66, 81 and 74 yards. However, they stalled in the red zone each time, settling for three Benirschke field goals and a 9–3 halftime lead. On the opening play of the second half, Fouts found Winslow open along the left sideline for a 59-yard gain. Jefferson converted a 3rd and 6 with a 14-yard catch before Muncie was ruled just short of the end zone on 3rd and goal from the 1. The Chargers opted to go for it, and Fouts comfortably scored the game's opening touchdown with a quarterback sneak. The Steelers needed barely three minutes to respond with Sidney Thornton's touchdown, before San Diego converted three 3rd downs but failed on a fourth, leading to another field goal. The defense then made a stop when Terry Bradshaw threw incomplete on 4th and 3 from the Chargers 20-yard line, with Lowe on the coverage. After an exchange of punts, San Diego drove for the clinching touchdown, Muncie converting one 3rd and 4 with a 6-yard catch and another with his 10-yard touchdown run around left end.

Muncie's 115 rushing yards were a season high; he also had 27 receiving yards. While the Chargers had committed a league-high 48 turnovers and forced 38 through their defense, this game was turnover-free.

Standings

Postseason

Game summaries

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. Buffalo Bills

The first two drives of the game ended with field goal attempts: Buffalo kicker Nick Mike-Mayer struck the upright from 44 yards, while Benirschke was successful from 22. The Bills then converted three 3rd downs while driving 72 yards to take the lead. Benirschke missed from 43 yards out, and the teams exchanged punts for the next five drives. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Joiner fumbled and Buffalo recovered at the San Diego 33-yard line. Four plays later, Ferguson's touchdown pass gave Buffalo a 14–3 halftime lead.

Muncie ran up the middle for 18 yards on the first play of the second half, and Fouts followed with a play action fake to Muncie and a 45-yard completion to Joiner. After Muncie lost two yards, Fouts and Joiner connected for the Chargers' first touchdown of the day. Partridge had a punt blocked soon afterwards, setting the Bills up at the Charger 38-yard line. They reached a 3rd and 7 at the 24 before Ferguson was intercepted by Edwards. On the next Buffalo possession, Dean sacked Ferguson at his own 16, leading to a punt that Fuller returned to the Buffalo 49-yard line. San Diego progressed to a 2nd and goal from the 1, but were pushed back 5 yards by an illegal motion penalty on Muncie and settled for a field goal. Fuller intercepted Ferguson with eleven minutes to play, returning the ball to the Chargers 49-yard line. A 24-yard Jefferson catch moved San Diego into Buffalo territory, but Fouts was intercepted after his overthrown pass glanced off Ron Smith's fingertips inside the 10. Jones sacked Ferguson on the ensuing drive, leading to a punt that Fuller fumbled and Buffalo recovered at the Chargers 38-yard line. The San Diego defense was able to stop Joe Cribbs for the loss of a yard on 3rd and 1, and Mike-Mayer was short on a 49-yard field goal attempt. San Diego reached a 3rd and 10 at midfield, from where Fouts found Smith in stride over the middle at the Buffalo 25-yard line en route to a 50-yard game-winning touchdown with 2:08 to play. The Bills reached their own 48-yard line before Edwards intercepted Ferguson and San Diego ran the clock out.

Smith had caught 4 passes for 48 yards and no touchdowns during the regular season; he had three postseason touchdowns and only one regular season touchdown at this point in his career. Muncie had 80 rushing yards and 53 receiving yards on the day. It was the Chargers' first playoff win since the 1963 AFL Championship Game.

AFC Conference Championship: vs. Oakland Raiders

Three plays into the game, Jim Plunkett's 3rd-down pass deflected off his intended receiver Kenny King and was caught instead by Raymond Chester, who broke away to complete a 65-yard touchdown. On the Chargers' first play from scrimmage, Fouts found Smith up the right sideline for 55 yards. He followed up with a 14-yard completion to Jefferson on 3rd and 13, but was intercepted two plays later. San Diego's defense quickly forced a punt when Johnson sacked Plunkett on 3rd down. The offense tied the score three plays later; from the Raiders 48-yard line, Fouts threw to Joiner in the end zone, who made the catch despite being double covered. Oakland scored touchdowns on their next two possessions either side of a Chargers three-and-out. Fouts completed a passes of 20 yards Joiner and Winslow threw 28 yards to Jefferson on a trick play as San Diego moved inside the Raiders 20-yard line, but Fouts was intercepted again when Jefferson couldn't hold onto his pass inside the 10. Thomas fumbled the next time San Diego had the ball, with Oakland recovering at the Charger 29-yard line, leading to the fourth Raiders touchdown. Thomas fumbled again on the next drive, but Doug Wilkerson recovered. On the next play, Thomas converted a 3rd and 9 with a 24 yard catch to the Oakland 7-yard line. Two plays lost one yard, then Joiner caught Fouts' pass at the 5 and dove over the goal line for a touchdown, reducing the halftime deficit to 28–14.

Joiner's 25-yard catch on 3rd and 18 kept San Diego's first drive of the second half going. They reached 1st and goal from the 8 before Fouts threw incomplete for Jefferson on three consecutive plays, the second of which was an end zone drop where Jefferson had both hands on the ball. The Chargers took a field goal, then a Jones sack on 3rd down forced a punt that Fuller returned 28 yards to the Raiders 41-yard line. From there, Fouts completed 3 of 3 passes for 35 yards, and Muncie scored from the 6-yard line. Oakland extended their lead with a field goal, then forced a three-and-out. They drove to a 3rd and goal from the 3 before Lowe sacked Plunkett and forced the Raiders to settle for another field goal. Joiner and Winslow had 3rd down conversions as San Diego answered with a field goal and reduced the deficit to seven points with 6:43 still to play. Oakland ran all of that time off, converting three 3rd downs on a 14-play drive.

Five different Chargers combined for 6 sacks of Plunkett. San Diego outgained the Raiders by 434 yards to 362, but committed all three of the game's turnovers. Joiner led San Diego with six catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

Awards
Eight Chargers were named to the 1981 Pro Bowl, and eight were named All-Pros by the Associated Press, including five on the 1st team. Also, Fouts received 3 of the 80 available votes as NFL MVP; in the Offensive Player of the Year voting, Fouts and Jefferson received 7 and 6 votes respectively.

Notes

References

External links
1980 San Diego Chargers at pro-football-reference.com

San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers seasons
AFC West championship seasons
San Diego Chargers f


Oleski () is a village in Võru Parish, Võru County in southeastern Estonia. It has a population of 17 and an area of 4.3 km2.

References

Villages in Võru County
Võru Parish
Kreis Werro


Trichlormethiazide (INN, currently being sold under the brand names of Achletin, Diu-Hydrin and Triflumen) is a diuretic with properties similar to those of hydrochlorothiazide. It is usually administered for the treatment of oedema (including that which is associated with heart failure, hepatic cirrhosis and corticosteroid therapy) and hypertension. In veterinary medicine, trichlormethiazide can be combined with dexamethasone to be used on horses with mild swelling of distal limbs and general bruising.

As a diuretic (in particular a thiazide), trichlormethiazide encourages water loss from the body. Trichlormethiazide works by inhibiting Na+/Cl− ion reabsorption from the distal tubules of the kidneys. In addition, trichlormethiazide increases the excretion of potassium.

Mechanism
Trichlormethiazide appears to block the active reabsorption of chloride and possibly sodium in the ascending loop of Henle. This results in excretion of sodium, chloride and water, and thus acts as a diuretic. Although trichlormethiazide is used to treat hypertension, its hypotensive effects may not necessarily be due to its role as a diuretic. Thiazides in general cause vasodilation by activating calcium-activated potassium channels in vascular smooth muscles and inhibiting various carbonic anhydrases in vascular tissue.

Synthesis

References

Thiazides
Diuretics
Benzothiadiazines
Sulfonamides
Organochlorides
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors