NFL Old School Game of the Week: Special Teams and Defense Help Chiefs to Shootout Win over Chargers

Chiefs strong safety Lloyd Burruss(34)intercepted three passes, returning two of them for touchdowns in the Chiefs' 42-41 win over the Chargers.

When somebody reads the stat line of the 1986 Week 7 game between the San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs, they would probably assume that the Chargers won the game in a blowout as they had 290 more yards of total offense and 22 1st downs than the Chiefs did.

But that was not the case as the Chiefs pulled off a remarkable victory over their division rivals thanks to touchdowns from their defense and special teams.

The Chiefs came into the game looking to snap a two-game losing streak and get back over .500 as they held a 3-3 record under head coach John Mackovic who was in his fourth season as the Kansas City head coach who was trying to lead the Chiefs to the playoffs for the first time since 1971.

The Chiefs began the season with Todd Blackledge as the starting quarterback, who had struggled ever since he was taken with the #7 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft ahead of future Hall-of-Famers Jim Kelly and Dan Marino, as Blackledge had thrown 25 interceptions compared to 12 touchdown passes in his first three seasons as he went back-and-forth with veteran Bill Kenney as the Chiefs starter.

Kansas City's strength in 1986 was its defense led by its outstanding secondary that featured the outstanding cornerback tandem of Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross plus hard hitting free safety Deron Cherry.

The other member of this starting secondary was strong safety Lloyd Burruss who would be making his return to the starting lineup after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury as Kansas City prepared to face the famous "Air Coryell" offense of the Chargers.

San Diego came into the game hoping to end a five-game losing streak as the Chargers stood with a 1-5 record under head coach Don Coryell who was in his ninth season as the San Diego head coach having led the Chargers to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 1980 + 81.

While the dynamic passing offense led by quarterback Dan Fouts, wide receiver Charlie Joiner and tight end Kellen Winslow still had some punch, the Chargers' defense was atrocious as they had given up an average of 26.5 points per game and 407.8 yards per game up to this point in the 1986 season.

To make matters worse for the Chargers, they were going to face wide receiver Stephone Paige who had torched them for a then NFL record 309 yards on eight catches in their previous meeting with the Chiefs, a 38-34 defeat in the final game of the 1985 regular season.

It looked like it was going to deja vu all over again as on the first play of the Chiefs' second drive of the game, Paige caught a 45-yard touchdown from Blackledge to give Kansas City an early 7-0 lead that was set up by a blocked punt by Lewis.

The Chargers would begin their ensuing possession at their 25-yard-line as Fouts would complete his next six passes for 43 yards despite being taken out for one play after a hard hit by Chiefs linebacker Tim Coefield to help San Diego advance to the Kansas City 25-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 1 situation as Coryell decided to go for the 1st down.

It looked like the gamble would not pay off as running back Gary Anderson was stopped short of the line to gain but the Chargers would catch a break as Chiefs strong safety Lloyd Burruss jumped offsides on the play resulting in a San Diego 1st down at the Kansas City 20-yard-line.

Following a 13-yard run by Tim Spencer on the next play from scrimmage, Fouts connected with Anderson for a seven-yard touchdown to help tie the game at seven with 3:41 left in the first quarter.

Chargers running back Gary Anderson had 240 all-purpose yards and scored three touchdowns.

Both teams would exchange punts as the game moved into the second quarter when Burruss began to atone for his penalty earlier in the game as he would intercept a Fouts pass to end a Chargers drive that had advanced into Kansas City territory.

The Chiefs would not be able to cash in on the turnover as they punted the ball back to the Chargers who would take over at their 45-yard-line when Burruss struck again, this time intercepting a pass intended for running back Lionel James, and running it back 56 yards for the touchdown to give Kansas City a 14-7 lead.

To add injury to insult, James sprained his ankle on the play and was lost for the game as running back Buford McGee would take his place as the Chargers' kick returner on the ensuing kickoff.

McGee would field the kick at his five-yard-line before stumbling and fumbling the ball as Ross would scoop up the ball and ran it in for a 21-yard touchdown, the second touchdown in 12 seconds for the Chiefs, which increased Kansas City's lead to 21-7.

The Chargers would respond with a nine-play, 75-yard drive where Fouts go a perfect 5-of-5 for 57 yards on the drive, connecting with Winslow three times for 41 yards, to set up a one-yard touchdown run by McGee to trim the Chiefs' lead to 21-14 with 4:41 to go in the second quarter.

After a Kansas City three-and-out, the Chargers got the ball back at their 33-yard-line as an incomplete pass and a eight-yard run by McGee would bring up a 3rd & 2 when Fouts threw a pass that bounced off the hands of tight end Pete Holohan and into the arms of Burruss as the defensive back set a NFL record for most interceptions in a quarter with his third pick of the game.

Burruss would then tie the record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown in a single game as his 47-yard return for a touchdown extended Kansas City's lead to 28-14 with 2:42 to go before halftime.

A 33-yard return by Anderson on the ensuing kickoff gave the Chargers great field position as a 24-yard pass from Fouts to Anderson would set up a 30-yard field goal by Rolf Benirschke to cut the Chiefs' lead to 28-17 with just 66 seconds to go in the first half.

The Chiefs would get the ball back at their 14-yard-line for their ensuing possession as they looked to add on to their lead before the end of the half as they had all three timeouts left in their pocket.

However, disaster would strike on the first play from scrimmage as Blackledge's screen pass intended for running back Boyce Green was intercepted by Chargers defensive end Leslie O'Neal, who only needed to run five yards for the touchdown cut the Kansas City lead to 28-24 with 55 seconds to go in the half.

The Chiefs would then run the ball to run out the clock on the first half following a 38-point second quarter which saw three interceptions return for touchdowns as well as a fumble returned for a touchdown.

San Diego would get the ball to start the second half as Mark Herrmann would take over for Fouts, who had been dizzy even since the hart hit by Coefield on the Chargers' first touchdown drive of the game, as the Chargers would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Chiefs, who would take over at the San Diego 20-yard-line after a 48-yard return by Jeff Smith on the ensuing punt.

When the Chiefs' offense came back onto the field, they did so with Kenney at quarterback as he replaced Blackledge who was benched after a first half in which he completed six of 15 passes for 69 yards as Kansas City complied just 87 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes of the game.

The move to Kenney paid dividends as he would find Paige in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown to push the Chiefs' lead back to double digits at 35-24 just 2:03 into the second half.

Chiefs wide receiver Stephone Paige only caught three passes for 66 yards but two of those catches were for touchdowns.

The Chargers would answer back with a 12-play, 80-yard drive as Herrmann completed five of six passes for 55 yards on a drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Anderson to make it an one-possession game again at 35-31 with 6:46 to go in the third quarter.

Following a Kansas City punt, the Chargers got the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Herrmann would lead San Diego down to the Chiefs' six-yard-line where they would have a 1st & goal situation at the start of the fourth quarter.

However, the Chargers could not punch into the end zone as they would settle for a 21-yard field goal by Benirschke to make it a 35-34 game as Kansas City would begin its next possession at their 20-yard-line.

After picking up one 1st down, Kenney would complete a 27-yard pass to tight end Walt Arnold to move Kansas City into Chargers territory at the San Diego 43-yard-line where on the next play, Kenney would escape the pressure from Chargers linebacker Thomas Benson and hit Henry Marshall for 28 yards and a 1st down at the Chargers' 15-yard-line.

Paige would then run a reverse for 12 yards to the San Diego three-yard-line as Mike Pruitt would run for two yards to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Green to push the Chiefs' lead to 42-34 with 10:18 to go in the fourth quarter.

With no two-point conversion in the NFL in 1986, the Chargers needed two scores and a stop from their defense in order to take the lead as San Diego would begin its next drive at their 15-yard-line.

The Chargers would drive to the Kansas City 42-yard-line until Herrmann threw a bomb intended for Anderson that was intercepted by Lewis to kill the San Diego drive and give the Chiefs the ball at their two-yard-line.

The Chargers' defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at the Chiefs' 34-yard-line where it took them five plays to get into the end zone as Herrmann fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to Anderson to make it a one-point game again at 42-41 with 3:42 to go in the game.

The Chiefs would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Chargers who would take over in Kansas City territory as Anderson's 30-yard punt return gave San Diego the ball at the Chiefs' 47-yard-line with 55 seconds left in the game.

Herrmann would complete an eight-yard run to Anderson to start the drive which was followed by a six-yard run by the quarterback to give the Chargers a 1st down at the Kansas City 33-yard-line as San Diego needed a few more yards to get into Benirschke's range for a game-winning field goal.

Herrmann would then throw two straight incomplete passes to set up 3rd & 10 when Herrmann threw a pass intended for wide receiver Trumaine Johnson that drew a pass interference penalty on Chiefs cornerback Greg Hill to give the Chargers a 1st down at the Chiefs' 17-yard-line.

Even though there was still 28 seconds to go, Coryell decided to send in the field goal unit here as the Chargers had no timeouts remaining as Benirschke would attempt a 35-yard field goal that would give San Diego its first lead of the game.

But Benirschke would miss the field goal as his kicked sailed wide left of the uprights, allowing the Chiefs to run out the clock by taking a knee as Kansas City would come away with the 42-41 win despite being outgained 512 to 222 on total offense while giving up 35 1st downs compared to the 13 the Kansas City offense made.

One week after the loss to the Chiefs, the Chargers would fire Coryell and elevate wide receivers coach Al Saunders to the head coaching position as San Diego would finish the season with a 4-12 record, the team's worst record in over a decade.

As for the Chiefs, they would ride the rest of the regular season with Kenney as the team's starting quarterback as the win over the Chargers began a four-game winning streak, which was followed by a three-game losing streak, and then another three-game winning streak to end the season with a 10-6 record as Kansas City earned a spot in the AFC playoffs for the first time in 15 years.

The win that clinched the playoff spot for the Chiefs was very similar to this game as Kansas City overcame a 515-171 margin on total offense by scoring touchdowns on a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, and a kickoff return to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 in the final game of the regular season.

However, the Chiefs' foray into the playoffs would be a short one as Blackledge started in placed of an injured Kenney as Kansas City fell to the New York Jets 35-15 in the AFC Wild Card Game as Mackovic would be fired a few days later after the loss to the Jets.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Chargers Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Win over Buccaneers

 

Rolf Benirschke kicks the game-winning field goal for the Chargers in their 1981 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Week 15 meeting between the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had playoff implications for both teams even though they were in different conferences.

The Chargers came into the game with a 8-6 record, one game behind the Denver Broncos in the race for the AFC West division title, which San Diego had won the previous two seasons.

The Chargers were led by head coach Don Coryell, whose pass-oriented offense was lead the NFL in passing yards every year since Coryell became the Chargers' head coach early in the 1978 season.

At the controls of the "Air Coryell" offense was quarterback Dan Fouts who was in the middle of his third straight 4,000 yard passing offense, whose targets featured tight end Kellen Winslow, wide receivers Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler, and running backs James Brooks and Chuck Muncie, help lead San Diego to an average of 32 points per game up to this point in the '81 season.

Despite their dominant offense, the chargers' defense was one of the worst in the league having given up an average of 25.5 points per game.

If the Chargers were going to win the AFC West for the third year in a row, they would some help from their defense to go along with their high-powered offense.

While the Chargers were trying to stay alive in the race for the NFL postseason, the Buccaneers were just one win away from clinching a playoff spot as a win over San Diego would give the 8-6 Buccaneers the NFC Central division title.

The Buccaneers were led by head coach John McKay, who had been the Buccaneers' head coach since their inception in 1976 which started with Tampa Bay losing its first 26 games of their existence, before McKay turned it around and help lead Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship Game after a 10-6 season in 1979 where the Bucs won the NFC Central division title.

The Buccaneers' strength was their defense which led by All-Pro defensive end Lee Roy Selmon and rookie linebacker Hugh Green, as Tampa Bay gave up an average of 16.2 points per game through the first 14 weeks of the 1981 NFL season.

On offense, the Buccaneers were led by quarterback Doug Williams, who had thrown for 3,070 yards up to this point in the season with his favorite target being wide receiver Kevin House who had caught 52 passes for 1,031 yards and eight touchdowns.

After both teams went three-and-out to start the game, the Chargers would get the ball at their 48-yard-line as two runs by Muncie for 16 yards and a nine-yard pass from Fouts to Joiner moved San Diego to the Tampa Bay 27-yard-line when Fouts fired a 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Seivers to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead.

The Buccaneers would start their next possession at their 27-yard-line as they overcame a 3rd & 12 situation when Williams scrambled for 17 yards to give Tampa Bay a 1st down at their 42-yard-line.

That is when Williams completed a short pass to wide receiver Theo Bell, who caught the ball at the Tampa Bay 46-yard-line, then outran the Chargers defense for a 58-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven with 7:03 left in the first quarter.

The two teams would exchange punts until early in the second quarter when the Chargers took over at their 10-yard-line as they would drive down the field behind the Fouts-to-Joiner connection.

The drive would begin with Fouts hitting Joiner for 22 yards as the two would hook up again on 3rd & 11 for 16 yards to put San Diego at its 47-yard-line.

The Chargers would drive to the Tampa Bay 29-yard-line when Fouts find Joiner on back-to-back plays, totaling 21 yards to set up a eight-yard touchdown run by running back John Cappelletti to cap off the 12-play 90-yard drive and give San Diego a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

Following a Tampa Bay punt, the Chargers got the ball back at their three-yard-line with 5:03 to go before halftime as they would once again drive down the field with Fouts' favorite target on this drive being  Chandler as the two hooked up on four completions for 57 yards to help San Diego advance to the Buccaneers' 15-yard-line.

However, the Chargers could not punch into the end zone as Fouts would be intercepted by Buccaneers free safety Cedric Brown to end the 17-play, 82-yard drive as Tampa Bay would take over at their 20-yard-line with 35 seconds left in the first half.

The Buccaneers would drive to the Chargers' 40-yard-line until time ran out in the first half with San Diego still ahead 14-7 but with Tampa Bay set to get the ball to start the second half.

Buccaneers quarterback Doug Williams completed 22 of 35 passes for 321 yards and threw one touchdown but two interceptions.

Tampa Bay would start their initial possession of the second half at its 29-yard-line as a 17-yard pass from Williams to House was the longest play of the 10-play, 41-yard drive that culminated with a 49-yard field goal by Bill Capece that cut the Chargers' lead to 14-10 with 10:17 left in the third quarter.

After both teams punted on their ensuing possessions, the Chargers got the ball back at their 20-yard-line as they moved to the Tampa Bay 42-yard-line until Brooks fumbled the football which was recovered by Brown to give the Buccaneers the ball at their 38-yard-line.

Tampa Bay would advance to the San Diego 39-yard-line until running back James Owens fumbled the football as Chargers free safety Glen Edwards would make the recovery as San Diego would take over at its 33-yard-line with 31 seconds to go in the third quarter.

From there, the Chargers would drive 67 yards in seven plays as passes of 22 yards to Dwight Scales and 20 yards to Chandler would help set up a two-yard touchdown run by Brooks to extend San Diego's lead to 21-10 with 11:52 to go in the fourth quarter.

Needing a touchdown, the Buccaneers would move down the field on the right arm of Williams who would complete five straight passes for 72 yards to set up James Wilder's eight-yard touchdown run to cut the Chargers' lead to 21-16 as Capece would miss the extra point which would prove costly when it came to the outcome of the game.

The Chargers would get the ball back at their 24-yard-line as Fouts would throw his second interception of the game as linebacker Dave Lewis would pick off the pass and return it 10 yards to the San Diego 23-yard-line.

It would take the Buccaneers one play to cash in on the turnover as Williams pitched the ball to Wilder, who took around the right side for a 23-yard touchdown, his second in a span of 27 seconds, that with Capece's extra point gave Tampa Bay its first lead of the game at 23-21 with 8:06 left in the fourth quarter.

It seemed like the control of the game was now in the hands of the Buccaneers, especially after Lewis recovered a Cappelletti fumble to gave Tampa Bay the ball at the San Diego 36-yard-line with a chance to put the game out of reach with 6:28 to go in the fourth quarter.

But after a two-yard run by Jerry Eckwood, disaster would strike for the Buccaneers as Williams completed a pass to Jimmie Giles, only for Edwards to pop the ball into the air when he made contact with the tight end leading to an interception by Chargers linebacker Woodrow Lowe to give San Diego the ball back at its 29-yard-line and 5:39 left on the clock.

Following an incomplete pass to start the drive, Fouts would find Winslow for 10 yards and a 1st down as a three-yard run by Brooks and an incomplete pass would set up 3rd & 7 when Fouts completed a 15-yard pass to Joiner to give the Chargers a fresh set of downs at the Tampa Bay 43-yard-line.

A seven-yard pass from Fouts to Winslow followed by two runs by Cappelletti for two yards would set a 4th & 1 when Coryell decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Fouts found Winslow for three yards and a 1st down at the Tampa Bay 31-yard-line.

After Brooks was dropped for an one-yard loss on 1st down, Fouts would complete two straight passes to Winslow for a total 14 yards to put the Chargers at the Tampa Bay 18-yard-line and in range for a potential game-winning field goal by Rolf Benirschke.

San Diego would go conservative as they ran the ball three straight times, picking up seven yards before calling on Benirschke to attempt a 29-yard field goal that would give the Chargers the lead.

Benirschke's kick would just sneak past the right upright to end the 16-play, 60-yard drive and give San Diego a 24-23 lead with just 45 seconds to go in the game.

Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts completed 33 of 49 passes for 351 yards and throw one touchdown to go along with two interceptions.

The Buccaneers would get the ball back at their 29-yard-line as they could only move eight yards before Williams fired a desperation Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game which was intercepted by Edwards to seal the 24-23 win for the Chargers and deny Tampa Bay's chances of clinching the NFC Central division title on this day.

Despite the loss, the Buccaneers would get a reprieve on wining the NFC Central division title as the following week they defeated the Detroit Lions 20-17 in a winner-take-all game to earn Tampa Bay its second trip to the NFL Playoffs in three years(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-bucs-beat.html).

However, the Buccaneers would be eliminated in the divisional round of the NFC Playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys in a 38-0 rout.

As for the Chargers, they would end up winning the AFC West for the the third year in a row as a 23-10 win over the Oakland Raiders coupled with a 35-24 loss by the Broncos to the Chicago Bears in the final week of the regular season, caused San Diego and Denver to finish with identical 10-6 records, with the tiebreaker going to the Chargers as they finished with a better division record than the Broncos.

The Chargers would play the Miami Dolphins at the Orange Bowl in one of the greatest games in NFL history as they would Benirschke would kick a 29-yard field goal in overtime to give San Diego a 41-38 win in the "Epic in Miami" as the Chargers advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year.

But the Chargers' Super Bowl dreams would end in the "Freezer Bowl" as they lost 27-7 to the Cincinnati Bengals in a game where game-day temperature was nine degrees below zero with a wind chill of -59.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Chargers Overcome 2 TD Deficit to Stun Marino + Undefeated Dolphins

Dan Fouts threw for  380 yards and four touchdowns in the Chargers' upset win over the Dolphins.

When the Miami Dolphins faced off with the San Diego Chargers in week 12 of the 1984 NFL season, it might been seen by some as a passing of the torch when it came to who had the best passing offense in the league as the famed "Air Coryell" offense of the Chargers was set to meet the new kid on the block in Dan Marino

The Dolphins came into the game with a 11-0 record thanks to their high-powered offense led by Marino, who in his second season in the NFL had already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Through the first 11 games, Marino had throw for 3,678 yards and 30 touchdown passes in directing an offense that featured the "Marks Brothers" in wide receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper plus running back Tony Nathan who was more a pass catcher than a runner.

With head coach Don Shula at the helm, many Miami fans were dreaming of another undefeated Dolphins team much like the one Shula directed in 1972.

While the Dolphins were marching toward the playoffs, the Chargers  came into the game with Miami with a 5-6 record as San Diego was hoping to get on some sort of winning streak to get back into the playoff race.

The Chargers were coached by Don Coryell, who had came to San Diego following a five-year stint with the St. Louis Cardinals and led the Chargers to four straight playoff appearances from 1979 through 1982 with two of those appearances resulting in trips to the AFC Championship Game.

Under Coryell, the Chargers led the league in passing every season since 1979 thanks to their explosive "Air Coryell" offense which was led by quarterback Dan Fouts and featured weapons such as tight end Kellen Winslow, wide receivers Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler and running back Chuck Muncie.

But it seemed that the Chargers' days at the top passing attack in the NFL were numbered especially after trading Muncie just two weeks into the season and then losing Winslow to a devasting knee injury a month prior to the game with the Dolphins.

San Diego still had Fouts, who had set the record for most passing yards with 4,802 in 1981 as well as Joiner and Chandler as they prepared to host the undefeated Dolphins in what many hoped would be a shootout similar to their one in the "Epic in Miami" in January of 1982.

 Starting at the Chargers' 47-yard-line following a 41-yard return by Fulton Walker on the opening kickoff, Marino would complete a nine-yard pass to Clayton, then hand the ball off to Nathan who picked up four yards, and then hit Duper for a 32-yard pass to give Miami a 1st & goal at the San Diego two-yard-line.

But on the very next play, running back Woody Bennett would fumble the football when he was hit by Chargers linebacker Linden King, leading to a recovery by free safety Ken Greene in the endzone for a touchback.

The Chargers would drive into Dolphins territory but would punt the ball back to Miami, who took over at its 20-yard-line as Marino would lead the Miami offense to the San Diego 32-yard-line until he was picked off by Chargers cornerback John Turner on a pass intended for tight end Bruce Hardy.

The Chargers would take over at their seven-yard-line as Fouts hit Bobby Duckworth for a 44-yard completion which was followed by four straight runs by running back Earnest Jackson for 19 yards putting San Diego at the Miami 30-yard-line.

Fouts would then find Pete Holohan for 22 yards to give the Chargers a 1st & goal at the eight-yard-line as two straight running plays would pick up five yards to set up Fouts' three-yard touchdown pass to Sievers to give San Diego a 7-0 lead with 33 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Dolphins would begin its ensuing possession at their 22-yard-line as Marino completed four of six passes for 52 yards on a nine-play, 78-yard drive that ended with Marino throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Clayton that helped tied the game at 7 with 11:59 remaining in the second quarter.

After a San Diego three-and-out, the Dolphins got the ball at their 40-yard-line as Marino would go a perfect 5-for-5 for 58 yards on an eight-play, 60-yard drive that culminated with an one-yard touchdown run by fullback Pete Johnson to give Miami a 14-7 lead at the halfway point of the second quarter.

Dan Marino would complete 28 of 41 passes for 332 yards and throw two touchdowns.

The Chargers would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as they were able to drive to the Dolphins' 41-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 1 when Coryell decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Jackson ran for the one yard that San Diego needed.

Six plays later, the Chargers were back in the end zone as Fouts connected with Joiner for a four-yard touchdown to cap off the 14-play drive and tie the game back at 14 with 2:27 left in the first half.

The Dolphins would begin its next possession at their 28-yard-line as Marino would throw an incomplete pass on 1st down, then hit Duper for 22 yards and a 1st down at the 50-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

Marino would then complete back-to-back passes to Nathan totaling 19 yards then found tight end Dan Johnson for six yards before an incomplete pass to bring up 3rd & 4 where Marino hit Nathan again this time for 13 yards and a 1st down at the San Diego 13-yard-line.

After completing a four-yard pass to Clayton, Marino connected with Bennett for a nine-yard touchdown to give the Dolphins a 21-14 lead with 47 seconds left before halftime.

San Diego would get the ball back at its 20-yard-line with enough time to try and drive into field goal range which is exactly what happened as Fouts completed passes of 23 yards to Joiner and 19 yards to Chandler as the Chargers drove to the Miami 28-yard-line with one second left giving Rolf Benirschke a chance to cut into the lead before halftime.

But Benirschke's 46-yard field goal would said wide left and no good keeping the score 21-14 as the first half came to an end.

The two teams traded punts to start the second half until the Chargers forced another turnover when Bennett fumbled the football again at the end of a 14-yard run that was recovered by Greene at the San Diego 21-yard-line.

However, the Chargers could not take advantage of the turnover as Fouts would be intercepted by Miami free safety Lyle Blackwood to give the ball back to Marino at the San Diego 48-yard-line.

Following a four-yard run by Nathan to start the drive, Marino would find Hardy for 13 yards, then Duper for 12 yards, and then Clayton for nine yards to set up a three-yard touchdown run by Johnson to increase the  Dolphins' lead to 28-14 with 2:50 remaining in the third quarter.

The Chargers would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Fouts completed a nine-yard pass to Jackson to start the drive, then hit Duckworth for 16 yards and a 1st down at the San Diego 45-yard-line as Fouts would throw two straight incompletions before connecting with Joiner for 13 yards and a 1st down at the Miami 42-yard-line.

Three runs by Jackson would pick up 12 yards before Fouts connected with tight end Eric Sievers for 11 yards to put San Diego at the Dolphins' 19-yard-line when Fouts hit Joiner on a slant pass for the touchdown to cut the Miami lead in half to 28-21 with 13:31 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Dolphins would pick up only one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Chargers who would take over at their nine-yard-line when they would put together one of the more impressive drives in the 
"Air Coryell" era.

Chargers running back Earnest Jackson would have 28 carries for 124 yards.

The drive would began with a 13-yard pass from Fouts to Chandler followed by a nine-yard pass to Sievers to put the Chargers at their 31-yard-line as Jackson would run for three yards, then for 16 more to put San Diego at the 50-yard-line.

After Jackson was dropped for a four-yard-loss on a screen pass, Fouts would connect with Holohan for nine yards, then again for six yards to pick up another 1st down at the Miami 39-yard-line.

Jackson would get his hands on the ball on the next two plays as he caught a five-yard pass then had a carry for four yards to set up 3rd & 1 when running back Buford McGee got the ball and ran for four yards for the 1st down at the Miami 26-yard-line.

Fouts would then hit Sievers on back-to-back passes for seven yards to set up 3rd & 3 as Jackson would run for five more yards and another 1st down at the Miami 14-yard-line where Fouts would complete a pass to Wayne Morris that gained zero yards as the two-minute warning hit.

Following an incomplete pass on 2nd down, Fouts would hit Sievers for nine yards to bring up a do-or-die 4th & 1 when Jackson took a handoff from Fouts and was able to run for two yards for a 1st down at the three-yard-line.

After McGee was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Fouts found Sievers wide open in the end zone for the three-yard touchdown that with Benirschke's extra point tied the game at 28 with 51 seconds left in regulation following an epic 19-play, 91-yard drive that took over 10 minutes off the clock.

The Dolphins would get the ball back at their 33-yard-line with a chance to drive down into field goal range to give Uwe Von Schmann a chance to win the game with a field goal.

Following an incomplete pass to start the drive, Marino would hit Nat Moore for nine yards, then with Clayton for 23 yards, and then Nathan for nine yards before throwing the ball out of bounds to stop the clock with five seconds left and a chance for von Schmann to win the game with a 44-yard field goal.

However, von Schmann's kick would sail wide left and no good, sending the game into overtime tied at 28.

Eric Sievers would catch 12 passes for 119 yards and score two touchdowns.

The Chargers would win the coin toss and chose to receive to start the overtime period as a 25-yard return by Lionel James on the kickoff gave San Diego the ball at its 31-yard-line.

The drive would start with a four-yard run by Jackson followed by a 15-yard pass from Fouts to Sievers to put San Diego at the 50-yard-line as Fouts would throw an incomplete pass to bring up 2nd down when Jackson ran for 10 yards and a 1st down at the Miami 40-yard-line.

Fouts would then find Holohan again for 15 yards and another 1st down at the Miami 25-yard-line as the Chargers were in range for a Benirschke field goal attempt.

However, they would not settle for a field goal just yet as McGee was stopped for no gain on 1st down which was followed by an incomplete pass to bring up 3rd & 10.

That is when Fouts handed the ball off to McGee, who took the ball around the right side of the field and ran it in for a 25-yard walk-off touchdown to give the Chargers a 34-28 overtime win, ending the Dolphins' dreams of an undefeated season.

The Dolphins would bounce back as they would finish the season with a 14-2 record as Marino would set numerous NFL records including breaking Fouts' record of most passing yards in a season as Marino would finish with 5,084 yards and 48 touchdown passes also a NFL record.

The Dolphins would go on to knock off the Seattle Seahawks 31-10 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs then defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 45-28 in the AFC Championship Game behind Marino's 421 yards and four touchdown passes, to advance to Super Bowl XIX where they would fall to the San Francisco 49ers 38-16.

As for the Chargers, the win over the Dolphins would be the highlight of their season as they would lose three of their last four games of the season to finish with a 7-9 record and out of the playoffs for the second straight season.

The "Air Coryell" era would last until midway through the 1986 season when Coryell resigned halfway through the season after a 1-7 start.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: "Air Coryell" Chargers Beat Bengals in Wild Shootout

 

Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts completed 25 of 43 passes for 344 yards and threw four touchdowns in the Chargers' win over the Bengals.

While the "Air Coryell" offense of the San Diego Chargers may have peaked in the early 1980s, it was still a force to be reckon with as proven by the Chargers' shootout with the Cincinnati Bengals in week 3 of the 1985 NFL season.

The Chargers entered the game with a 1-1 record under head coach Don Coryell, who was in his eight season as the head coach of the Chargers after taking over early in the 1978 season and installing a pass-happy offense that would help the Chargers to three straight AFC West division titles from 1979-81 and back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in 1980 + 81.

The Chargers still had a plethron of weapons in quarterback Dan Fouts, wide receivers Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler, and running back Lionel James, who had lead the NFL in kick return yardage the previous year with 959.

James would have to be a bigger factor in the San Diego offense as the Chargers were without tight end Kellen Winslow, who was recovering from a serious knee injury that occurred during the 1984 season.

The Chargers' opponents, the Cincinnati Bengals, entered the game with a 0-2 record under second-year head coach Sam Wyche, who the year before had recovered from a 0-5 start to finish with a 8-8 record just one game back of winning the AFC Central Division.

The Bengals were a team in transition as wide receiver Isaac Curtis had retired just prior to the 1985 season after spending 12 years in Cincinnati while the Bengals' all-time passing leader, quarterback Ken Anderson, had been relegated to the bench in favor of second-year quarterback Boomer Esiason.

But with former Chargers running back James Brooks in the backfield and Cris Collinsworth at wide receiver, Esiason had a solid supporting cast to help him lead the Bengals as they hosted the Chargers at Riverfront Stadium.

The Chargers would get the ball in Bengals territory to start the game as Anthony S returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to the Cincinnati 38-yard-line only to have the Chargers turn it over on the third play of the game as Fouts was intercepted by Bengals free safety Robert Jackson on a pass intended for Wes Chandler.

Jackson would return the pick 10 yards to the Cincinnati 24-yard-line where the Bengals' offense began their first possession of the game which lasted only two plays as Esiason was picked off by San Diego cornerback Danny Walters whose 17-yard return gave the Chargers the ball back at the Bengals' 36-yard-line.

However, the Chargers could move only two yards on three plays, forcing them to try a 52-yard field goal by Bob Thomas which sailed wide right and no good to give the ball back to the Bengals at their 34-yard-line.

The Chargers would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at the 50-yard-line following a 24-yard punt return by James to give San Diego excellent field position to start their third drive just three minutes into the game.

San Diego would drive down to the Cincinnati two-yard-line primarily on the arm of Fouts, who completed a 24-yard pass to Joiner and connected with Jesse Bendross on two passes for 17 yards only to have the Bengals' defense stiffen and force the Chargers to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Bob Thomas to give San Diego a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

The Bengals would respond with a nine-play, 75-yard drive which was capped off with a 18-yard touchdown pass from Esiason to Collinsworth to give the Bengals a 7-3 lead with 3:53 left in the opening period.

Bengals wide receiver Cris Collinsworth would catch 10 passes for 161 yards and scored two TDs.

The Chargers would come back with an eight-play, 73-yard drive that did not end until the second play of the second quarter when Fouts threw a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Sievers to give San Diego a 10-7 lead.

Back would come the Bengals as they drove from their 20-yard-line to the Chargers' seven-yard-line thanks to three straight completions by Esasion for 36 yards plus a 32-yard run by Brown.

However on 2nd & goal, the Bengals would turn it over when Esiason lost the football following a quarterback sack as San Diego defensive tackle Keith Ferguson recovered the fumble for the Chargers at the Bengals' 16-yard-line.

The Chargers would fly down the field as Fouts completed a 19-yard pass to tight end Pete Holohan to start the drive, then connected with James on a 34-yard completion that became 39 when the Bengals were called for a five-yard face mask to give San Diego a 1st down at the Cincinnati 22-yard-line.

A 12-yard pass to Holohan, followed by a five-yard run by James set up Fouts' five-yard touchdown pass to Sievers that increased the Chargers' lead to 17-7 midway through the second quarter.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Chargers would get the ball back at their 38-yard-line only to give it right back to the Bengals as Fouts was picked off by James Griffin to give the Bengals the ball at the San Diego 41-yard-line.

From there, Esiason would connect with Collinsworth for 18 yards, then again for 22 yards, to set up James Brooks' one-yard touchdown run to cut the Chargers' lead to 17-13 as Jim Breech's extra point attempt bounced off the right upright.

The Bengals would force the Chargers to go three-and-out on their ensuing possession to get the ball back at their five-yard-line as Cincinnati drove to its 34-yard-line until Esiason was intercepted again by Walters, whose 14-yard return gave San Diego the ball at the Bengals' 39-yard-line with just over three minutes left in the first half.

The Chargers would drive to the Bengals' 11-yard-line before they settled for a 28-yard field goal by Thomas which increased their lead to 20-13 with just 27 seconds left before halftime.

The Bengals would run out the clock to go into the locker room down 20-13 as Cincinnati would get the ball to start the second half.

A 42-yard return by Mike Martin gave the Bengals the ball at their 44-yard-line where after two plays picked up five yards, Esiason threw it deep for Collinsworth who was able to draw a pass interference penalty to give Cincinnati a 1st down at the San Diego 16-yard-line.

Esiason would eventually connect with Collinsworth for a 16-yard touchdown that with the successful extra point tied the game at 20 just 72 seconds into the second half.

It would not take long for the Chargers to respond as they took off at their 36-yard-line as Fouts found Joiner for 22 yards to start the drive, then handed the ball off to James who broke loose for a 39-yard run to give San Diego a 1st & goal at the three-yard-line when Found hit Holohan for a three-yard touchdown to give the Chargers a 27-20 lead only 65 seconds after the Bengals' touchdown.

Cincinnati would slow it down on their next possession as they drove 66 yards in 11 plays which culminated with a four-yard touchdown run by Larry Killebrew to tie the game 27-27 with 6:42 to go in the third quarter.

Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason completed 26 of 44 passes for 320 yards and threw three TDs.

The Chargers appeared to have retaken the lead when James returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown only to have called it back because of an illegal block, forcing the Chargers to begin their next possession from their six-yard-line instead of having a 34-27 lead.

The Bengals would force the Chargers as Cincinnati would get the ball back at the San Diego 47-yard-line after Martin's 20-yard punt return to set up a seven-play, 47-yard drive that ended with Esiason's 11-yard touchdown pass to Jennings to give the Bengals a 34-27 lead with 1:28 left in the third quarter.

Just like they had done earlier in the third quarter, the Chargers quickly came back to tie the game as James exploded for a 56-yard touchdown run to tie it at 34 with seven seconds left in the third quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Bengals had the ball at their 45-yard-line early in the fourth quarter as Cincinnati drove 22 yards in three plays until Esiason completed a eight-yard pass to Dan Ross, only to have the tight end fumble the football which was recovered by San Diego linebacker Billy Ray Smith, giving the Chargers the ball at their 26-yard-line.

But six plays later, the Chargers would give it back to the Bengals when at the end of a 12-yard reception, Joiner lost the football which was recovered by Griffin, who scooped up the ball and ran 29 yards to the San Diego 21-yard-line.

The Bengals would run the ball four straight times with Killebrew getting the last carry which was an eight-yard touchdown to put Cincinnati back on top 41-34 with 4:39 left in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers would begin its next drive at their 34-yard-line with Fouts connecting with Holohan on a six-yard completion to set up 2nd & 4 when Fouts found James on a post pattern across the middle for a 60-yard touchdown to tie the game 41-41 with 3:45 left in regulation.

After Martin returned the ensuing kickoff 15 yards, the Bengals would take over at their 22-yard-line hoping to drive down the field for the game-winning score.

Esiason would complete a 20-yard pass to Eddie Brown to give the Bengals a 1st down at their 42-yard-line when disaster struck as Brooks was drilled by Billy Ray Smith, knocking the ball loose as Chargers nose guard Chuck Ehin recovered the football to give Fouts and the Chargers the ball at the Cincinnati 43-yard-line with 2:26 to play.

Fouts would hand the ball off to James, who ran for five yards which was followed by an eight-yard pass from Fouts to Sievers to give the Chargers a 1st down at the Bengals' 30-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

Lionel James had 316 all-purpose yards as he ran the ball 12 times for 127 yards, caught five passes for 118 yards, returned two kickoffs for 47 yards, and had a 24-yard punt return. 

Fouts would then find Holohan for eight more yards, before handing the ball off twice to James, who picked up six yards to drive the Chargers to the Cincinnati 16-yard-line where Thomas came on to try and make a 33-yard field goal that would give San Diego the lead.

Thomas' kick was true as it sailed through the uprights to give the Chargers a 44-41 lead with just four seconds to go.

The Bengals had one last chance on the kickoff but Jennings would only return it 24 yards to the Cincinnati 35-yard-line as time expired with the Chargers on top 44-41.

The Bengals would eventually end the season with a 7-9 record while the Chargers would finish with a 8-8 record as both teams missed the playoffs for the third year in a row.

Unfortunately for Coryell and the Chargers things would get much better the following year as the team went 1-7 over the first half of the 1986 season which lead Coryell to stepping down as head coach and being replaced by Al Saunders.

Coryell never coached in the NFL again as he finished his career with a 111-83-1 record, going 69-56 during his time in San Diego.