san diego chargers history
san diego chargers history
Passing on San Diego Chargers tickets? The Chargers were one-year wonders, right? No way can quarterback Drew Brees can repeat his Pro Bowl season of last year. The AFC West champion Chargers were an aberration, including Pro Bowlers Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer has that prolific threesome focused on repeating as division champs and marching deep into the playoffs. Still thinking of passing on San Diego Chargers tickets? Didn’t think so.
Like all NFL franchises, the San Diego Chargers have had their ups and downs. For instance in 1995, the Chargers overcame a 21-6 third-quarter deficit to defeat the Miami Dolphins 22-21 to advance to the franchise’s first Super Bowl, only to suffer a convincing 49-26 loss to Steve Young, Jerry Rice and the San Francisco 49ers. The biggest moment in Charger history, however, came in 1981 in what many believe to be the greatest NFL game in history.
In a extremely hot and sticky day at the Orange Bowl, the Chargers outlasted the Dolphins 41-38 in overtime. Sports Illustrated voted this divisional playoff game their favorite of any sport in the 20th century. Led by the rocket arm of Dan Fouts and a 56-yard punt return by Wes Chandler, the Chargers jumped out to 24-0 first-quarter lead. The Dolphins’ Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula then switched quarterbacks, replacing a young David Woodley with veteran Don Strock. The move worked to perfection, as Strock and the Dolphins cut the Charger lead to 24-17 on the strength of a well-executed hook-and-lateral play, which halfback Tony Nathan took in from 40 yards out as the first half expired.
Miami scored twice more to grab a 31-24 lead late in the third quarter. The Dolphins held onto their lead and were looking to put the game out of reach, but the Chargers recovered a fumble at their own 18-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Fouts hurried San Diego down the field, capping off the tying drive with an eight-yard TD pass to James Brooks with less than a minute to play. The Dolphins had a chance to win the game, but tight end Kellen Winslow blocked Uwe von Schamann’s 43-yard field-goal attempt with four seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
Suffering from severe dehydration, Winslow would later have to be carried off the field by two teammates. Both teams would miss field goals in overtime before Charger kicker Rolf Benirscke connected from 29 yards out to mercifully end the game. Both Strock and Fouts threw for more than 400 yards, marking the first time in NFL history that two quarterbacks threw for more than 400 yards in the same game. Despite going through three sets of shoulder pads and receiving three stitches, Winslow finished with 13 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown.
Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates are not only trying to repeat last season’s magical run the AFC West title, but they also are looking to revive the memories left by former Charger greats Dan Fouts, Chuck Muncie and Kellen Winslow. Can they do it? The answers come with San Diego Chargers tickets.
