Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here’s a look at every opening week game for the Chargers since 2011.
After a massive collapse in the 2022 playoffs to the Jaguars, the Chargers are more motivated than ever to put that to bed and make it a deeper run this season. It all starts in Week 1, as Los Angeles hosts the Dolphins this Sunday.
How have the Bolts fared in season openers? Here’s a look at every opening week game for them since 2011:
Here are the four best players in Chargers franchise history.
Even though the Chargers don’t have any Lombardi Trophies in their trophy case, they have had a handful of legendary players come through the doors to help the team with successful seasons over the past 64 years.
That said, here are the four best players in the franchise’s history.
Arguably one of the game’s best pass rushers.
Members of the 2020 and 2021 class were enshrined to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past weekend.
Now that the dust has settled, the attention has turned to who will represent the Class of 2022.
Touchdown Wire’s Mark Lane listed candidates that must be considered, and included is former Chargers defensive tackle Leslie O’Neal.
O’Neal missed his second season in the NFL with a knee injury, but got out of the gates with six Pro Bowls and 132.5 sacks. The closest he came to winning a Super Bowl was with the San Diego Chargers when they played the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX at the end of the 1994 season. O’Neal tallied eight seasons of 10-plus sacks from 1986-99.
O’Neal is arguably one of the best players to wear the blue and gold when it came to terrorizing opposing quarterbacks.
O’Neal is the franchise leader in career sacks with 105.5. He averaged more than 10 sacks per year with the Bolts and registered a career-high 17 in 1992. He also recorded five sacks in a single game against the Cowboys in his rookie season.
During nine seasons with the Chargers, O’Neal totaled 597 tackles, 18 forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries and made six Pro Bowl appearances.
The resume speaks for itself, and there’s no denying that’s O’Neal is worthy of having his name among the other greats to play in the NFL.
The Chargers had a few former players and coaches make the list of the greatest nicknames in NFL history.
The Chargers have had a handful of players and coaches come and go through the organization, some of which made some notable names for themselves along the way.
Touchdown Wire released its list of the 101 greatest NFL nicknames and several former Bolts appeared on it.
Let’s take a look:
The Los Angeles Chargers have a few players that could find themselves in the history books this upcoming season.
The Chargers have a handful of talented players on the roster, and it just so happens that their individual greatness can be sealed in the history books this upcoming season.
While there are several records that may seem unbreakable, there are a few that are well within reach. The future is now and it’s time for them to create some history.
With that being said, we will take a look at five single-season franchise records that we could possibly see broken this year.
Remembering LaDainian Tomlinson’s last game as a Charger.
Exactly a decade ago, the legendary running back LaDainian Tomlinson played his last game in a Chargers uniform.
The Chargers played the Jets in the AFC Divisional Round on Jan. 17, 2010. In the close, yet low scoring affair, the Bolts were unable to prevail, dropping to New York, 17-14.
Tomlinson didn’t leave his final mark the way that he was anticipating, only rushing for 24 yards on 12 carries.
Had kicker Nate Kaeding not missed three field goals, two of which should have been chip shots from 37 and 40 yards, the Chargers would have likely beaten the Jets to advance to the Conference Championship to face the Patriots.
Tomlinson’s final season with the Chargers was his least productive as he was hampered by an injury – running for 730 yards, his first season under 1,000 yards, on 223 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, all career lows.
Months after the loss in the playoffs, Tomlinson, 30 at the time, was released by the franchise after a phenomenal nine-year stint that saw him amass monstrous numbers and acquire a slew of accolades.
To this day, Tomlinson holds multiple franchise career records, including rushing yards (12,490), rushing touchdowns (138), total touchdowns (153) and yards from scrimmage (16,445).
Tomlinson’s number (21) was retired by the team in 2015. Two years later, he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 on the first ballot.
Would the Chargers have a Super Bowl title with Drew Brees as their starting quarterback?
Before breaking records and winning a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Drew Brees started his career wearing the blue and gold 15 years ago.
Leading up to the 2004 NFL draft, Brees was informed by former Chargers quarterback coach Brian Schottenheimer that the team was likely going to draft a quarterback.
Brees wasn’t in favor of the decision to bring in another signal-caller because we was confident enough that he could lead the franchise to success.
We were chatting and he’s like, ‘Hey, who are we gonna draft?’ I said, ‘Hey, bro, listen, you need to prepare yourself, we’re probably taking a quarterback.’ And Albert, when I tell you, and I’ve had to say some hard things to people before … But when I tell you the serious look, how his eyes went from a real fun, jovial conversation, his eyes kind of just locked in.
And he looked at me and said, ‘That would be the worst f—ing mistake this organization could ever make. And I’m like, ‘Hey, man, don’t shoot the messenger.’ He goes, ‘Worst mistake ever.’ And he walked off.
The Chargers ended up selection Eli Manning, who was then traded to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers.
Brees spent the next two seasons as the team’s starting quarterback, but he was shipped to New Orleans in 2006 on a six-year, $60 million deal. It was then when the Rivers era began.
Along with the championship under his belt, Brees now leads all NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns and passing yards. With the Saints, Brees has thrown for 64,815 yards, 464 touchdowns, and 184 interceptions.
Meanwhile, Rivers, who has not missed a start, has thrown for for 58,990 yards, 395 touchdowns, and 196 interceptions. Though the stat sheet is eye-popping, Rivers has not secured a ring in the 14 years as the Bolts’ starting quarterback.
This will always be considered one of the bigger what-ifs in NFL history. Was Brees right? Would the Chargers have a Super Bowl with him under center?
Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler are looking to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in 11 seasons.
Despite a season of offensive struggles, the Los Angeles Chargers have a chance to accomplish a special milestone.
Wide receivers Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and running back Austin Ekeler are looking to be the first Chargers trio to amass 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 1980.
In that year, wide receiver John Jefferson led the team with 1,340 receiving yards followed by tight end Kellen Winslow (1,290) and wide receiver Charlie Joiner (1,132).
Only five teams in NFL history have had three players with 1,000 receiving yards or more in a single season. The last team to do it was the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 with Larry Fitzgerald (1,431), Anquan Boldin (1,038) and Steve Breaston (1,006).
Allen was the first to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He has a team-high 1,046, followed by Williams (912) and Ekeler (892). This marks the third consecutive season that Allen has posted more than 1,000 receiving yards.
Turnovers and missed opportunities in red zone situations have been the difference between winning and losing, as they’re only averaging 21.4 points per game. But these three players, along with tight end Hunter Henry have been the bright spots on the offensive side of the ball.
[lawrence-related id=31883,31880,31871,31863]
