2011 San Diego Chargers season
NFL team 52nd season
| 2011 San Diego Chargers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Alex Spanos |
| General manager | A. J. Smith |
| Head coach | Norv Turner |
| Home field | Qualcomm Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 5
|
| AP All-Pros | 1
|
| |
The 2011 season was the San Diego Chargers' 42nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 52nd overall. The team failed to improve on its 9–7 record from 2010, and finished in a three-way tie with the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders for the AFC West division title, with an 8–8 record, but lost the tiebreaker to the Broncos and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season. For Norv Turner, this was his fifth season as the head coach of the Chargers. The Chargers had the 18th pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
Offseason
Coaching changes
On January 11, defensive coordinator Ron Rivera became the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers.[1] That same day, Rich Bisaccia was named the team's new special teams' coach, replacing Steve Crosby, whose contract was not renewed.[2][3] Three days later (January 14), the team hired former San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator Greg Manusky to replace Rivera. Manusky previously served as the Chargers' linebackers coach from 2002 to 2006.[4]
Arrivals
| Position | Player | 2010 Team | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| LB | Takeo Spikes | San Francisco 49ers | 3 years, $9 million |
| LB | Travis LaBoy | San Francisco 49ers | 2 years |
| SS | Bob Sanders | Indianapolis Colts | 1 year |
Departures
| Position | Player | 2011 Team |
|---|---|---|
| RB | Darren Sproles | New Orleans Saints |
| OLB | Kevin Burnett | Miami Dolphins |
| LB | Brandon Siler | Kansas City Chiefs |
NFL draft
| 2011 San Diego Chargers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Corey Liuget | DT | Illinois | |
| 2 | 50 | Marcus Gilchrist | CB | Clemson | |
| 2 | 61 | Jonas Mouton | LB | Michigan | [dr 1] |
| 3 | 82 | Vincent Brown | WR | San Diego State | |
| 3 | 89 | Shareece Wright | CB | USC | [dr 2] |
| 6 | 183 | Jordan Todman | RB | Connecticut | |
| 6 | 201 | Stephen Schilling | G | Michigan | [dr 3] |
| 7 | 234 | Andrew Gachkar | LB | Missouri | [dr 4] |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Draft notes
- ^ The team acquired this second-round selection in a March 2010 trade that sent CB Antonio Cromartie to the New York Jets.
- ^ The team acquired this third-round selection as part of a March 2010 trade that sent QB Charlie Whitehurst to the Seattle Seahawks.
- ^ The team traded its fifth-round selection (#149 overall) and a 2010 fifth-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for its 2010 fifth-round selection (#146 overall; used to select DT Cam Thomas).
- ^ In September 2010, the team traded its seventh-round selection (#220 overall) to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for WR Patrick Crayton.
Preseason
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 11 | Seattle Seahawks | L 17–24 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 21 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 20–7 | 1–1 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | at Arizona Cardinals | W 34–31 | 2–1 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | San Francisco 49ers | L 17–20 | 2–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–17 | 1–0 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 18 | at New England Patriots | L 21–35 | 1–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap | ||
| 3 | September 25 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 20–17 | 2–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | October 2 | Miami Dolphins | W 26–16 | 3–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 5 | October 9 | at Denver Broncos | W 29–24 | 4–1 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | Recap | ||
| 6 | Bye | |||||||
| 7 | October 23 | at New York Jets | L 21–27 | 4–2 | MetLife Stadium | Recap | ||
| 8 | October 31 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 20–23 (OT) | 4–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | ||
| 9 | November 6 | Green Bay Packers | L 38–45 | 4–4 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 10 | November 10 | Oakland Raiders | L 17–24 | 4–5 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 11 | November 20 | at Chicago Bears | L 20–31 | 4–6 | Soldier Field | Recap | ||
| 12 | November 27 | Denver Broncos | L 13–16 (OT) | 4–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 13 | December 5 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 38–14 | 5–7 | EverBank Field | Recap | ||
| 14 | December 11 | Buffalo Bills | W 37–10 | 6–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 15 | December 18 | Baltimore Ravens | W 34–14 | 7–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 24 | at Detroit Lions | L 10–38 | 7–8 | Ford Field | Recap | ||
| 17 | January 1 | at Oakland Raiders | W 38–26 | 8–8 | O.co Coliseum | Recap | ||
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week One: Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: September 11
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 66,716
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their special teams woes in 2010, the Chargers allowed a 103-yard opening kickoff return to Percy Harvin to start the season. Kicker Nate Kaeding suffered a season-ending injury on the play, and punter Mike Scifres assumed place kicking responsibilities for the game.[5][6] The Chargers outscored the Vikings 10–0 in the fourth quarter to come back and win the game, 24–17. Fullback Mike Tolbert scored three touchdowns, and Philip Rivers completed 33 of 48 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice. Scifres kicked a 40-yard field goal, the first of his NFL career, and kicked three PATs. With the win, the Chargers started their season out 1–0.[6]
Week 2: at New England Patriots
Week Two: San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Patriots | 7 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 35 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT/1:15 pm. PDT
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Wind)
- Game attendance: 68,756
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 1–1.
Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week Three: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: September 25
- Game time: 1:05 pm. PDT
- Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 62,236
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Chargers improved to 2–1.
Week 4: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week Four: Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Chargers | 7 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: October 2
- Game time: 1:15 pm. PDT
- Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 63,002
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts (blacked out locally)
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Chargers improved to 3–1.
Week 5: at Denver Broncos
Week Five: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 6 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 29 |
| Broncos | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- Date: October 9
- Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT/1:15 pm. PDT
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) (Mostly Sunny)
- Game attendance: 74,895
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Chargers went into their bye week at 4–1. The team also managed to get their best start after five games under head coach Norv Turner.
Week 7: at New York Jets
Week Seven: San Diego Chargers at New York Jets – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Jets | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 23
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/10:00 am. PDT
- Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 79,088
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4–2.
Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week Eight: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 31
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT/5:30 pm. PDT
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Clear)
- Game attendance: 72,733
- Referee: Alberto Riveron
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Rachel Nichols
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Late in the 4th quarter, with the game tied at 20, Philip Rivers fumbled the ball while kneeling to set up the potential game-winning field goal. This play effectively ended the Chargers chances at the division, as had they won, they would've finished 9-7 and won the division. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4–3.
Week 9: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week Nine: Green Bay Packers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 21 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 45 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 6
- Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C) (Rain)
- Game attendance: 68,908
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, & Laura Okmin
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4–4.
Week 10: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week Ten: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 10
- Game time: 5:20 pm. PST
- Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C) (Clear)
- Game attendance: 68,109
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Trying to snap a three-game losing streak, the Chargers stayed at home for a Week 10 AFC West duel with the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night. San Diego struck first in the opening quarter with a 20-yard field goal from kicker Nick Novak, but the Raiders answered with running back Michael Bush getting a 2-yard touchdown run. Oakland added onto their lead in the second quarter with kicker Sebastian Janikowski getting a 23-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Carson Palmer completing a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Denarius Moore.[citation needed]
The Chargers began the third quarter with quarterback Philip Rivers finding rookie wide receiver Vincent Brown on a 30-yard touchdown pass, but the Raiders struck back with Palmer completing a 26-yard touchdown pass to Moore. Afterwards, San Diego closed out the quarter with Rivers hooking up with fullback Jacob Hester on a 7-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers tried to rally in the fourth quarter, but Oakland's defense held on to preserve the win.[citation needed]
Win the loss, not only did San Diego fall to 4–5, but it marked the first time since 2003 that the Chargers had lost four-straight.[citation needed]
Week 11: at Chicago Bears
Week Eleven: San Diego Chargers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Bears | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: November 20
- Game time: 3:15 pm. CST/1:15 pm. PST
- Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C) (Cloudy, winds gusting to 20 mph (32 km/h))
- Game attendance: 62,344
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4–6 and lost 5 in a row for the first time since 2003.
Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos
Week Twelve: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 27
- Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
- Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 64,436
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The loss was the sixth consecutive for the Chargers, their longest such streak in 10 years which took their record down to 4–7.[7]
Week 13: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Thirteen: San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: December 5
- Game time: 8:30 pm. EST/5:30 pm. PST
- Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) (Clear)
- Game attendance: 62,743
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Sal Paolantonio
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to snap a six-game losing streak, the Chargers flew to EverBank Field for a Week 13 Monday night duel with the Jacksonville Jaguars. San Diego delivered the game's opening punch with a 13-yard touchdown run from running back Mike Tolbert, followed by a 29-yard field goal from kicker Nick Novak. The Jaguars would answer in the second quarter with quarterback Blaine Gabbert completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Maurice Jones-Drew and a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cecil Shorts, yet the Chargers replied with quarterback Philip Rivers connecting with rookie wide receiver Vincent Brown on a 22-yard touchdown pass and a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Vincent Jackson.
San Diego added onto its lead in the third quarter with Rivers hooking up with wide receiver Malcom Floyd on a 52-yard touchdown pass. Afterwards, the Bolts would pull away in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown run from running back Ryan Mathews.
With the win, the Chargers improved to 5–7.
Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week Fourteen: Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Chargers | 7 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 37 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: December 11
- Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 62,494
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots (blacked out locally)
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Chargers improved to 6–7.
Week 15: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week Fifteen: Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: December 18
- Game time: 5:20 pm. PST
- Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 67,242
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Chargers improved to 7–7. Qualcomm Stadium was renamed Snapdragon Stadium as a promotion for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon brand.
Week 16: at Detroit Lions
Week Sixteen: San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Lions | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: December 24
- Game time: 4:05 pm. EST/1:05 pm. PST
- Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
- Game attendance: 62,469
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Chargers fell to 7–8.
Week 17: at Oakland Raiders
Week Seventeen: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Raiders | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 26 |
at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: January 1
- Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
- Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) (Clear)
- Game attendance: 58,721
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert & Rich Gannon
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Chargers wrapped up their season at 8–8 and snapped their three-game losing streak against the Raiders.
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| (4) Denver Broncos | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 309 | 390 | L3 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 406 | 377 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 359 | 433 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 212 | 338 | W1 |
Staff
| San Diego Chargers 2011 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Final roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists
| ||||||
Notes and references
- ^ "Turner, Chargers begin search for new defensive coordinator". Archived from the original on January 14, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ^ "Crosby's contract not renewed for 2011". Archived from the original on January 7, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ^ "Bisaccia agrees to become special teams coach". Archived from the original on January 15, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ^ "Manusky named defensive coordinator". Archived from the original on January 17, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ^ "Chargers kicker Kaeding out for season with likely torn ACL". Nfl.com. September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- ^ a b "Chargers complete comeback victory on Tolbert's third TD". Nfl.com. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- ^ Williamson, Bill (December 3, 2011). "San Diego no longer an elite program". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2012.
The Chargers – widely considered as a Super Bowl contender going into this season – stagger into a Monday night game at Jacksonville on a six-game losing skid. It is the Chargers' longest such streak in 10 years.
Los Angeles Chargers | |
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| Franchise | |
| Stadiums | |
| Culture |
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| Lore |
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| Rivalries | |
| Wild card berths (4) | |
| Division championships (15) | |
| Conference championships (1) | |
| League championships (1) | |
| Media | |
| Current league affiliations |
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