1973 San Diego Chargers season

1973 San Diego Chargers season
Owner	Eugene V. Klein
General manager	Harland Svare
Head coach	Harland Svare
Home field	San Diego Stadium
Results
Record	2–11–1
Division place	4th AFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None [1]
AP All-Pros	None [2]
←  1972 Chargers seasons 1974  →

The 1973 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's fourth season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 14th overall.

The team was coming off a season that ended with a 4–9–1 record. Although he was offered a five-year contract toward the end of the previous season, 1973 would prove to be Harland Svare's final season as the team's head coach.

The team obtained quarterback Johnny Unitas in a trade with the Baltimore Colts, but Unitas was a shell of his former greatness. In the middle of the season he was replaced at quarterback by a rookie Dan Fouts, the team's third-round pick in that year's draft. ^[3]

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1973 NFL draft

1973 San Diego Chargers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	25	Johnny Rodgers	Wide receiver	Nebraska	Joined the Chargers in 1977 after initially playing in the Canadian Football League
3	64	Dan Fouts  * †	Quarterback	Oregon
4	84	Jim Thaxton	Tight end	Tennessee State
4	97	Bill Singletary	Linebacker	Temple
5	123	Willie McGee	Wide receiver	Alcorn State
5	125	Jon Knoble	Linebacker	Weber State
6	135	Marvin Roberts	Center	Michigan State
9	214	Tab Bennett	Linebacker	Illinois
10	239	Cliff Burnett	Defensive end	Montana
11	268	Jay Douglas	Center	Memphis
12	293	Lynn Ahrens	Tackle	Eastern Montana
13	318	Alfred Reese	Running back	Tennessee State
14	343	Tony Adams	Quarterback	Utah State
15	372	Gary Parris	Tight end	Florida State
16	397	Joe Petty	Defensive back	Arizona State University
17	422	Barry Darrow	Tackle	Montana
Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster

1973 San Diego Chargers final roster

	Quarterbacks 13 Wayne Clark 14 Dan Fouts 19 Johnny Unitas Running backs 37 Cid Edwards FB 20 Mike Garrett 26 Clinton Jones 35 Bob Thomas Wide receivers 81 Ron Holliday 25 Jerry LeVias 28 Willie McGee Tight ends 88 Pettis Norman 80 Gary Parris 86 Jim Thaxton		Offensive linemen 61 Al Dennis G 52 Jay Douglas C 55 Carl Mauck C 76 Terry Owens T 78 Walt Sweeney G 70 Russ Washington T 62 Ralph Wenzel G 63 Doug Wilkerson G Defensive linemen 87 Lionel Aldridge DE 79 Coy Bacon DE 64 Dave Costa DT 77 Ron East DT 75 Deacon Jones DE 51 Pete Lazetich DE 71 Cal Snowden DE 68 Gregory Wojcik DT		Linebackers 54 Carl Gersbach 66 Rick Redman 57 Floyd Rice 53 Mel Rogers 82 Tim Rossovich 58 Mike Stratton Defensive backs 40 Joe Beauchamp CB 39 Lenny Dunlap CB 44 Chris Fletcher FS 24 Bob Howard CB 30 Bryant Salter SS 48 Ron Smith SS Special teams 29 Dennis Partee P 15 Ray Wersching K		Reserve lists 27 Gary Garrison WR (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 16	at Washington Redskins	L 0–38	0–1	RFK Stadium	53,589	Recap
2	September 23	Buffalo Bills	W 34–7	1–1	San Diego Stadium	47,588	Recap
3	September 30	Cincinnati Bengals	L 13–20	1–2	San Diego Stadium	46,733	Recap
4	October 7	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 21–38	1–3	Three Rivers Stadium	48,795	Recap
5	October 14	Oakland Raiders	L 17–27	1–4	San Diego Stadium	50,672	Recap
6	October 21	Atlanta Falcons	L 0–41	1–5	San Diego Stadium	41,527	Recap
7	October 28	at Cleveland Browns	T 16–16	1–5–1	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	68,244	Recap
8	November 4	Kansas City Chiefs	L 0–19	1–6–1	San Diego Stadium	50,234	Recap
9	November 11	at Denver Broncos	L 19–30	1–7–1	Mile High Stadium	51,034	Recap
10	November 18	New Orleans Saints	W 17–14	2–7–1	San Diego Stadium	34,848	Recap
11	November 25	at Oakland Raiders	L 3–31	2–8–1	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	40,195	Recap
12	December 2	at New England Patriots	L 14–30	2–9–1	Schaefer Stadium	58,150	Recap
13	December 9	Denver Broncos	L 28–42	2–10–1	San Diego Stadium	44,954	Recap
14	December 16	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 6–33	2–11–1	Arrowhead Stadium	43,755	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Washington Redskins

Week One: San Diego Chargers at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	0	0	0
Redskins	21	0	7	10	38

at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.

• Date: September 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 73 °F (22.8 °C), relative humidity 59%, wind 6 mph
• Game attendance: 53,589
• Referee: Norm Schachter
• Box score

Game information

First quarter WAS – Verlon Biggs 2-yard fumble return (Curt Knight kick), 9:03. Redskins 7–0. WAS – Larry Brown 1-yard run (Curt Knight kick), 5:08. Redskins 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:53. WAS – Brig Owens 36-yard fumble return (Curt Knight kick), 0:57. Redskins 21–0. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter WAS – Charley Taylor 32-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Curt Knight kick), 11:07. Redskins 28–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:53. Fourth quarter WAS – Curt Knight 19-yard field goal, 14:09. Redskins 31–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:51. WAS – Frank Grant 12-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Curt Knight kick), 9:50. Redskins 38–0. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 3:15. Top passers SDG – Johnny Unitas – 6/17, 55 yards, 3 INT WAS – Billy Kilmer – 10/18, 129 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 14 rushes, 63 yards WAS – Duane Thomas – 12 rushes, 30 yards Top receivers SDG – Gary Garrison – 2 receptions, 36 yards WAS – Charley Taylor – 3 receptions, 60 yards, TD

Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week Two: Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	7	0	0	7
Chargers	7	7	14	6	34

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 23
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 67 °F (19.4 °C), relative humidity 71%, wind 10 mph
• Game attendance: 47,588
• Referee: Jack Reader
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Ron Smith 72-yard punt return (Ray Wersching kick), 5:09. Chargers 7–0. Second quarter BUF – O. J. Simpson 6-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 9:50. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:22. SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 6:33. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:17. Third quarter SDG – Gary Garrison 26-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Ray Wersching kick), 12:31. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:44. SDG – Jim Thaxton 12-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Ray Wersching kick), 0:11. Chargers 28–8. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:53. Fourth quarter SDG – Robert Holmes 4-yard run (kick blocked), 8:16. Chargers 34–7. Drive: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:54. Top passers BUF – Dennis Shaw – 7/15, 106 yards, 2 INT SDG – Johnny Unitas – 10/18, 175 yards, 2 TD Top rushers BUF – O. J. Simpson – 22 rushes, 103 yards, TD SDG – Clint Jones – 7 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers BUF – J. D. Hill – 7 receptions, 118 yards SDG – Dave Williams – 5 receptions, 86 yards

Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Three: Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	7	6	7	0	20
Chargers	3	0	0	10	13

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 30
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 67 °F (19.4 °C), relative humidity 70%, wind 9 mph
• Game attendance: 46,733
• Referee: Chuck Heberling
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 39-yard field goal, 7:08. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards, 2:00. CIN – Essex Johnson 78-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Horst Muhlmann kick), 0:16. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:26. Second quarter CIN – Boobie Clark 1-yard run (kick failed), 11:07. Bengals 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:13. Third quarter CIN – Essex Johnson 38-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Horst Muhlmann kick), 10:55. Bengals 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 4:05. Fourth quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 13-yard field goal, 12:07. Bengals 20–6. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:37. SDG – Bob Thomas 8-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Ray Wersching kick), 6:31. Bengals 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:01. Top passers CIN – Ken Anderson – 10/17, 222 yards, 2 TD SDG – Johnny Unitas – 15/31, 215 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers CIN – Essex Johnson – 21 rushes, 121 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 21 rushes, 79 yards Top receivers CIN – Essex Johnson – 2 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD SDG – Gary Garrison – 4 receptions, 117 yards

Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Four: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	0	21	21
Steelers	17	21	0	0	38

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 60 °F (15.6 °C), relative humidity 63%, wind 7 mph
• Game attendance: 48,795
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• Box score

Game information

First quarter PIT – Ron Shanklin 12-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick), 10:22. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 4:38. PIT – Terry Bradshaw 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 5:08. Steelers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 4:35. PIT – Roy Gerela 38-yard field goal, 0:31. Steelers 17–0. Second quarter PIT – Steve Davis 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 13:16. Steelers 24–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:26. PIT – Mike Wagner blocked punt recovery in end zone (Roy Gerela kick), 8:43. Steelers 31–0. PIT – Ron Shanklin 37-yard pass from Terry Hanratty (Roy Gerela kick), 5:14. Steelers 38–0. Drive: 2 plays, 38 yards, 0:50. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SDG – Jerry LeVias 13-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Ray Wersching kick), 14:50. Steelers 38–7. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:56. SDG – Clint Jones 3-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 12:34. Steelers 38–14. Drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 1:00. SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 3:49. Steelers 38–21. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:38. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 11/21, 174 yards, TD, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 7/16, 99 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 13 rushes, 94 yards PIT – Preston Pearson – 6 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers SDG – Clint Jones – 2 receptions, 51 yards PIT – Frank Lewis – 4 receptions, 61 yards

Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Five: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	6	7	14	27
Chargers	3	0	14	0	17

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: October 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 66 °F (18.9 °C), relative humidity 71%, wind 8 mph
• Game attendance: 50,672
• Referee: John McDonough
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 27-yard field goal, 6:31. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:20. Second quarter OAK – George Blanda 18-yard field goal, 7:30. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 1:12. OAK – George Blanda 15-yard field goal, 0:07. Raiders 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 1:34. Third quarter SDG – Jim Thaxton 20-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Ray Wersching kick), 11:42. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:41. OAK – Cliff Branch 54-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick), 8:51. Raiders 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:51. SDG – Jerry LeVias 36-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Ray Wersching kick), 0:21. Chargers 17–13. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:30. Fourth quarter OAK – Marv Hubbard 1-yard run (George Blanda kick), 9:54. Raiders 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:27. OAK – Bob Moore 26-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick), 9:01. Raiders 27–17. Drive: 2 plays, 28 yards, 0:43. Top passers OAK – Ken Stabler – 13/22, 193 yards, 2 TD, INT SDG – Dan Fouts – 12/30, 183 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers OAK – Marv Hubbard – 16 rushes, 76 yards, TD SDG – Robert Holmes – 6 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers OAK – Cliff Branch – 2 receptions, 71 yards, TD SDG – Jim Thaxton – 4 receptions, 63 yards, TD

Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Six: Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	10	10	14	41
Chargers	0	0	0	0	0

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: October 21
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), relative humidity 73%, wind 10 mph
• Game attendance: 41,527
• Box score

Game information

First quarter ATL – Art Malone 8-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 6:31. Falcons 7–0. Second quarter ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 43-yard field goal, 7:30. Falcons 10–0. ATL – Dave Hampton 4-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 0:07. Falcons 17–0. Third quarter ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 12-yard field goal, 7:30. Falcons 20–0. ATL – Dave Hampton 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 0:07. Falcons 27–0. Fourth quarter ATL – Eddie Ray 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 0:07. Falcons 34–0. ATL – Eddie Ray 12-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 0:07. Falcons 41–0. Top passers ATL – Bob Lee – 9/17, 146 yards, INT SDG – Dan Fouts – 13/36, 99 yards, 4 INT Top rushers ATL – Dave Hampton – 19 rushes, 76 yards, 2 TD SDG – Clint Jones – 10 rushes, 32 yards Top receivers ATL – Ken Burrow – 2 receptions, 59 yards SDG – Ron Holliday – 3 receptions, 44 yards

Week 7: at Cleveland Browns

Week Seven: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	10	3	3	16
Browns	0	3	3	10	16

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: October 28
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 54 °F (12.2 °C), relative humidity 86%, wind 11 mph
• Game attendance: 68,244
• Referee: Tom Bell
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 11-yard field goal, 8:21. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 5:21. CLE – Don Cockroft 40-yard field goal, 5:35. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 2:46. SDG – Mike Garrett 1-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Ron Holliday run), 0:10. Chargers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 3:29. Third quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 17-yard field goal, 4:49. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 19 plays, 90 yards, 10:11. SDG – Ray Wersching 8-yard field goal, 1:30. Chargers 13–6. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:19. Fourth quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 42-yard field goal, 11:02. Chargers 13–9. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:22. CLE – Greg Pruitt 7-yard run (Don Cockroft kick), 8:26. Browns 16–13. Drive: 2 plays, 9 yards, 0:55. SDG – Ray Wersching 16-yard field goal, 0:30. Tied 16–16. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 1:46. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 8/16, 135 yards, TD, INT CLE – Mike Phipps – 10/21, 92 yards, 2 INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 19 rushes, 130 yards CLE – Billy Lefear – 7 rushes, 47 yards Top receivers SDG – Willie McGee – 1 reception, 50 yards CLE – Billy Lefear – 2 receptions, 24 yards

Week 8: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Eight: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	6	3	3	7	19
Chargers	0	0	0	0	0

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 4
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), relative humidity 62%, wind 6 mph
• Game attendance: 50,234
• Referee: Fred Swearingen
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KAN – Ed Podolak 5-yard run (kick blocked), 2:35. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:51. Second quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 31-yard field goal, 7:58. Chiefs 9–0. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 4:27. Third quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 36-yard field goal, 8:32. Chiefs 12–0. Drive: 9 plays, 20 yards, 4:42. Fourth quarter KAN – Morris Stroud 39-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:47. Chiefs 19–0. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:11. Top passers KAN – Mike Livingston – 13/22, 193 yards, 2 TD, INT SDG – Dan Fouts – 11/29, 128 yards, 3 INT Top rushers KAN – Wendell Hayes – 13 rushes, 90 yards SDG – Mike Garrett – 14 rushes, 51 yards Top receivers KAN – Pettis Norman – 3 receptions, 62 yards SDG – Morris Stroud – 2 receptions, 61 yards, TD

Week 9: at Denver Broncos

Week Nine: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	13	0	3	19
Broncos	10	0	6	14	30

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 11
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 52 °F (11.1 °C), relative humidity 41%, wind 7 mph
• Game attendance: 51,034
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Floyd Little 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 14:32. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:09. DEN – Jim Turner 39 yard field goal, 10:09. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:12. SDG – Ray Wersching 26-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 17 plays, 58 yards, 10:09. Second quarter SDG – Coy Bacon 80-yard interception return (kick blocked), 5:45. Broncos 10–9. SDG – Robert Holmes 18-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 1:54. Chargers 16–10. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 2:13. Third quarter DEN – Gene Washington 20-yard pass from Charley Johnson (kick blocked), 5:12. Tied 16–16. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:24. Fourth quarter DEN – Riley Odoms 14-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 10:01. Broncos 23–16. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:50. SDG – Ray Wersching 38-yard field goal, 4:25. Broncos 23–19. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 5:36. DEN – Floyd Little 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 0:46. Broncos 30–19. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:32. Top passers SDG – Wayne Clark – 12/21, 122 yards DEN – Charley Johnson – 16/29, 234 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Mike Garrett – 12 rushes, 47 yards DEN – Floyd Little – 22 rushes, 109 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SDG – Jerry LeVias – 6 reception, 89 yards DEN – Floyd Little – 5 receptions, 76 yards

Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Ten: New Orleans Saints at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	0	7	7	14
Chargers	0	10	0	7	17

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), relative humidity 83%, wind 12 mph
• Game attendance: 34,848
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter SDG – Ray Wersching 28-yard field goal, 2:51. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:40. SDG – Ron Smith 84-yard punt return (Ray Wersching kick), 1:18. Chargers 10–0. Third quarter NO – Jubilee Dunbar 9-yard pass from Archie Manning (Bill McClard kick), 1:17. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:30. Fourth quarter SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Ray Wersching kick), 8:20. Chargers 17–7. NO – John Beasley 14-yard pass from Archie Manning (Bill McClard kick), 0:58. Chargers 17–14. Top passers NO – Archie Manning – 21/37, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT SDG – Wayne Clark – 8/20, 109 yards, INT Top rushers NO – Jess Phillips – 16 rushes, 43 yards SDG – Cid Edwards – 12 rushes, 95 yards Top receivers NO – John Beasley – 12 receptions, 127 yards, TD SDG – Jerry LeVias – 2 receptions, 63 yards

Week 11: at Oakland Raiders

Week Eleven: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	0	0	0	3
Raiders	7	17	7	0	31

at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: November 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 49 °F (9.4 °C), relative humidity 77%, wind 12 mph
• Game attendance: 40,195
• Referee: Fred Silva
• Box score

Game information

First quarter OAK – George Atkinson 59-yard defensive fumble return (George Blanda kick), 10:22. Raiders 7–0. SDG – Dennis Partee 14-yard field goal, 3:27. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:47. Second quarter OAK – George Blanda 34-yard field goal, 12:15. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 6:02. OAK – Charlie Smith 7-yard run (George Blanda kick), 3:54. Raiders 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 1:42. OAK – Fred Biletnikoff 16-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick), 1:44. Raiders 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 16 yards, 0:05. Third quarter OAK – Bob Moore 1-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick), 3:22. Raiders 31–3. Drive: 4 plays, 13 yards, 1:28. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers SDG – Wayne Clark – 6/15, 183 yards, INT OAK – Ken Stabler – 12/22, 165 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 16 rushes, 81 yards OAK – Charlie Smith – 14 rushes, 66 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Clint Jones – 2 receptions, 47 yards OAK – Mike Siani – 4 receptions, 90 yards

Week 12: at New England Patriots

Week Twelve: San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	14	0	0	14
Patriots	3	13	7	7	30

at Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: December 2
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 33 °F (0.6 °C), relative humidity 47%, wind 13 mph, wind chill 23
• Game attendance: 58,150
• Referee: John McDonough
• Box score

Game information

First quarter NE – Jeff White 11-yard field goal, 1:06. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:45. Second quarter SDG – Floyd Rice 51-yard fumble return (Dennis Partee kick), 11:48. Chargers 7–3. SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 4:27. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 5:43. NE – Mack Herron 92-yard kickoff return (kick blocked), 4:09. Chargers 14–9. NE – Randy Vataha 14-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Jeff White kick), 0:21. Patriots 16–14. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 1:52. Third quarter NE – Jim Plunkett 1-yard run (Jeff White kick), 9:48. Patriots 23–14. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:12. Fourth quarter NE – Jim Plunkett 3-yard run (Jeff White kick), 7:16. Patriots 30–14. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 7:35. Top passers SDG – Wayne Clark – 5/8, 46 yards, INT NE – Jim Plunkett – 13/27, 186 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers SDG – Cid Edwards – 11 rushes, 56 yards NE – John Tarver – 14 rushes, 76 yards Top receivers SDG – Cid Edwards – 3 receptions, 24 yards NE – Reggie Rucker – 4 receptions, 55 yards

Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	13	19	3	42
Chargers	7	7	0	14	28

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 9
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 63 °F (17.2 °C), relative humidity 34%, wind 5 mph
• Game attendance: 44,954
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SDG – Robert Holmes 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 5:03. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:26. DEN – Riley Odoms 24-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 2:49. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:09. Second quarter DEN – Floyd Little 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 7:05. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 5:10. DEN – Jim Turner 25-yard field goal, 4:02. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards. SDG – Gary Garrison 11-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Dennis Partee kick), 3:03. Broncos 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 0:44. DEN – Jim Turner 35-yard field goal, 0:49. Broncos 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 22 yards, 2:14. Third quarter DEN – Joe Dawkins 2-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 10:31. Broncos 27–14. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:35. DEN – Jim Turner 15-yard field goal, 5:57. Broncos 30–14. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 3:02. DEN – Safety, Ken Criter blocked punt through end zone, 4:13. Broncos 32–14. DEN – Haven Moses 15-yard pass from Charley Johnson (Jim Turner kick), 1:13. Broncos 39–14. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 2:47. Fourth quarter SDG – Cid Edwards 1-yard run (Dennis Partee kick), 12:44. Broncos 39–21. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 3:20. SDG – Jerry LeVias 69 yard pass from Dan Fouts (Dennis Partee kick), 8:32. Broncos 39–28. Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:12. DEN – Jim Turner 29-yard field goal, 2:19. Broncos 42–28. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:39. Top passers DEN – Charley Johnson – 15/26, 216 yards, 2 TD SDG – Dan Fouts – 13/31, 254 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Floyd Little – 18 rushes, 88 yards, TD SDG – Robert Holmes – 7 rushes, 68 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Jerry Simmons – 1 reception, 53 yards SDG – Jerry LeVias – 5 receptions, 149 yards, TD

Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Fourteen: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	0	3	0	6
Chiefs	10	3	10	10	33

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 20 °F (−6.7 °C), relative humidity 73%, wind 11 mph, wind chill 8
• Game attendance: 43,755
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KAN – Ed Podolak 5-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 10:12. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards. SDG – Ray Wersching 22-yard field goal, 5:04. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:08. KAN – Jan Stenerud 45-yard field goal, 0:12. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 4:52. Second quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 36-yard field goal, 11:59. Chiefs 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards. Third quarter KAN – Jan Stenerud 20-yard field goal, 12:03. Chiefs 16–3. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:58. SDG – Ray Wersching 26-yard field goal, 9:44. Chiefs 16–6. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 2:19. KAN – Jeff Kinney 5-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:06. Chiefs 23–6. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:38. Fourth quarter KAN – Wendell Hayes 2-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 7:17. Chiefs 30–6. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 4:46. KAN – Jan Stenerud 27-yard field goal, 2:10. Chiefs 33–6. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 4:29. Top passers SDG – Dan Fouts – 9/14, 97 yards KAN – Mike Livingston – 11/22, 123 yards Top rushers SDG – Robert Holmes – 9 rushes, 27 yards KAN – Ed Podolak – 13 rushes, 50 yards, TD Top receivers SDG – Robert Holmes – 5 receptions, 50 yards KAN – Jeff Kinney – 2 receptions, 42 yards

Standings

AFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Oakland Raiders	9	4	1	.679	4–1–1	7–3–1	292	175	W4
Kansas City Chiefs	7	5	2	.571	4–2	6–4–1	231	192	W1
Denver Broncos	7	5	2	.571	3–2–1	7–2–1	354	296	L1
San Diego Chargers	2	11	1	.179	0–6	1–9–1	188	386	L4

References

1. "1973 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
2. "1973 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
3. Fouts would go on to play 15 seasons for the Chargers, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.