1971 San Diego Chargers season | |
---|---|
Owner | Eugene V. Klein |
General manager | Harland Svare |
Head coach | Sid Gillman (games 1-10) Harland Svare (games 11-14) |
Home field | San Diego Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 6–8 |
Division place | 3rd AFC West |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers | 2[1] |
AP All-Pros | None[2] |
The 1971 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 12th overall. The team improved on their 5–6–3 record in 1970. It was Harland Svare's first season as the team's head coach. After a 1-4 start, the Chargers would slightly improve, winning 3 of their next 4 games. However, they would lose 3 of their final 5 games en route to a 6-8 finish. The only bright spot was quarterback John Hadl who completed 233 passes out of 431 attempts for 3,075 yards and 21 touchdowns and won the NFL Man of the Year award as well as leading the league in both passing yards and touchdown passes.
Offseason
NFL Draft
1971 San Diego Chargers draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 | Leon Burns | Running back | Long Beach State | |
3 | 65 | Mike Montgomery | Running back | Kansas State | |
5 | 115 | Bryant Salter | Safety | Pittsburgh | |
5 | 117 | Ray White | Linebacker | Syracuse | |
5 | 119 | Phil Asack | Defensive end | Duke | |
6 | 143 | Jacob Mayes | Running back | Tennessee State | |
7 | 169 | Chuck Dicus | Wide receiver | Arkansas | |
8 | 195 | Leon Van Gorkum | Defensive end | San Diego State | |
9 | 221 | John Tanner | Linebacker | Tennessee Tech | |
10 | 247 | Gary Nowak | Linebacker | Michigan State | |
11 | 273 | Don Pinson | Defensive back | Tennessee State | |
12 | 299 | Wes Garnett | Wide receiver | Utah State | |
13 | 325 | Sammy Milner | Wide receiver | Mississippi State | |
14 | 351 | Edward O'Daniel | Defensive end | Texas Southern | |
15 | 377 | Eric Humston | Linebacker | Muskingum | |
16 | 403 | Ed Foote | Center | Hawaii | |
17 | 429 | Chip Kell | Center | Tennessee | |
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 19 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 21–14 | 1–0 | San Diego Stadium | 54,061 | Recap |
2 | September 26 | Oakland Raiders | L 0–34 | 1–1 | San Diego Stadium | 54,084 | Recap |
3 | October 3 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 17–21 | 1–2 | Three Rivers Stadium | 44,339 | Recap |
4 | October 10 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 10–31 | 1–3 | Municipal Stadium | 50,514 | Recap |
5 | October 17 | at Denver Broncos | L 16–20 | 1–4 | Mile High Stadium | 51,200 | Recap |
6 | October 23 | Buffalo Bills | W 20–3 | 2–4 | San Diego Stadium | 49,261 | Recap |
7 | October 31 | New York Jets | W 49–21 | 3–4 | San Diego Stadium | 44,786 | Recap |
8 | November 7 | at New York Giants | L 17–35 | 3–5 | Yankee Stadium | 62,905 | Recap |
9 | November 15 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 20–17 | 4–5 | San Diego Stadium | 46,486 | Recap |
10 | November 21 | at Oakland Raiders | L 33–34 | 4–6 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,681 | Recap |
11 | November 28 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 0–31 | 4–7 | Riverfront Stadium | 59,580 | Recap |
12 | December 5 | Minnesota Vikings | W 30–14 | 5–7 | San Diego Stadium | 54,505 | Recap |
13 | December 12 | Denver Broncos | W 45–17 | 6–7 | San Diego Stadium | 44,347 | Recap |
14 | December 19 | at Houston Oilers | L 33–49 | 6–8 | Houston Astrodome | 35,959 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Chargers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: September 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 73 °F (22.8 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 12 mph
- Game attendance: 54,061
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- Box score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 2: vs. Oakland Raiders
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Raiders | 3 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 34 |
Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Steelers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 1:10 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 68 °F (20.0 °C), relative humidity 82%, wind 7 mph
- Game attendance: 44,339
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- Box score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 10
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 53 °F (11.7 °C), relative humidity 53%, wind 10 mph
- Game attendance: 50,514
- Referee: Jack Reader
- Box score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Denver Broncos
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
Broncos | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Date: October 17
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: 50 °F (10.0 °C), relative humidity 90%, wind 9 mph
- Game attendance: 51,200
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- Box score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Chargers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: October 23
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 64 °F (17.8 °C), relative humidity 78%, wind 7 mph
- Game attendance: 49,261
- Referee: Bernie Ulman
- Box score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 7: vs. New York Jets
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jets | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Chargers | 0 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 49 |
at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: October 31
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 57 °F (13.9 °C), relative humidity 54%, wind 10 mph
- Game attendance: 44,786
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- Box score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 8: at New York Giants
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
Giants | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
at Yankee Stadium, New York, New York
- Date: November 7
- Game time: 1:07 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 53 °F (11.7 °C), relative humidity 69%, wind 19 mph
- Game attendance: 62,905
- Referee: Norm Schachter
- Box score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 9: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Chargers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 57 °F (13.9 °C), relative humidity 66%, wind 9 mph
- Game attendance: 46,486
- Referee: John McDonough
- Box score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at Oakland Raiders
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 10 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 33 |
Raiders | 3 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 34 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bengals | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Chargers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 30 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broncos | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
Chargers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 45 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 14: at Houston Oilers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 0 | 23 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
Oilers | 0 | 7 | 28 | 14 | 49 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Standings
AFC West | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Kansas City Chiefs | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 4–1–1 | 8–2–1 | 302 | 208 | W3 |
Oakland Raiders | 8 | 4 | 2 | .667 | 4–1–1 | 7–3–1 | 344 | 278 | W1 |
San Diego Chargers | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 2–4 | 4–7 | 311 | 341 | L1 |
Denver Broncos | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 1–5 | 3–6–1 | 203 | 275 | L2 |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
References
- ↑ "1971 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ↑ "1971 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.