2002 San Diego Chargers season
The 2002 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2001. It was Marty Schottenheimer's first season as the team's head coach. Their stadium, Qualcomm Stadium, hosted Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the season, but the Chargers' failure to secure a playoff berth marked the 18th straight time that the Super Bowl did not include the team in whose region the game was being played. Their division was reduced to four teams at the start of the season with the Seattle Seahawks moving to the NFC. Despite starting the season at 4–0 and ending 6–2 halfway through, the Chargers only went 2–6 in their last 8 games.
Personnel
Staff
| 2002 San Diego Chargers staff |
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Front office
- Chairman of the Board – Alex Spanos
- President/Chief Executive Officer – Dean Spanos
- Executive Vice President – Michael Spanos
- Executive Vice President/General Manager – John Butler
- Assistant General Manager/Director of Pro Personnel – A. J. Smith
- Vice President of Football Operations – Ed McGuire
- Director of Player Personnel – Buddy Nix
- Director of College Scouting – Jimmy Raye
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
- Strength and Conditioning – Dave Redding
- Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Matt Schiotz
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[1]
Schedule
| Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Attendance |
| 1 |
September 8, 2002 |
at Cincinnati Bengals |
W 34–6 |
53,705 |
| 2 |
September 15, 2002 |
Houston Texans |
W 24–3 |
56,098 |
| 3 |
September 22, 2002 |
at Arizona Cardinals |
W 23–15 |
28,980 |
| 4 |
September 29, 2002 |
New England Patriots |
W 21–14 |
66,463 |
| 5 |
October 6, 2002 |
at Denver Broncos |
L 26–9 |
75,065 |
| 6 |
October 13, 2002 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
W 35–34 |
58,995 |
| 7 |
October 20, 2002 |
at Oakland Raiders |
W 27–21 |
60,974 |
| 8 |
Bye |
| 9 |
November 3, 2002 |
New York Jets |
L 44–13 |
59,772 |
| 10 |
November 10, 2002 |
at St. Louis Rams |
L 28–24 |
66,093 |
| 11 |
November 17, 2002 |
San Francisco 49ers |
W 20–17 |
67,161 |
| 12 |
November 24, 2002 |
at Miami Dolphins |
L 30–3 |
73,138 |
| 13 |
December 1, 2002 |
Denver Broncos |
W 30–27 |
66,357 |
| 14 |
December 8, 2002 |
Oakland Raiders |
L 27–7 |
67,968 |
| 15 |
December 15, 2002 |
at Buffalo Bills |
L 20–13 |
61,838 |
| 16 |
December 22, 2002 |
at Kansas City Chiefs |
L 24–22 |
77,899 |
| 17 |
December 29, 2002 |
Seattle Seahawks |
L 31–28 |
52,159 |
Game summaries
Week 1
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| • Chargers |
10 |
10 | 7 | 7 |
34 |
| Bengals |
0 |
0 | 3 | 3 |
6 |
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| Scoring summary |
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| 1 |
| SD | Steve Christie 28 yard field goal | Chargers 3–0 |
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| 1 |
| SD | Josh Norman 1 yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick) | Chargers 10–0 |
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| 2 |
| SD | Steve Christie 27 yard field goal | Chargers 13–0 |
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| 2 |
| SD | LaDainian Tomlinson 1 yard run (Steve Christie kick) | Chargers 20–0 |
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| 3 |
| CIN | Neil Rackers 21 yard field goal | Chargers 20–3 |
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| 3 |
| SD | Curtis Conway 9 yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick) | Chargers 27–3 |
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| 4 |
| SD | Terrell Fletcher 1 yard run (Steve Christie kick) | Chargers 34–3 |
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| 4 |
| CIN | Neil Rackers 54 yard field goal | Chargers 34–6 |
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[2]
Standings
References
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| Franchise | |
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| Stadiums | |
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| Culture | |
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| Rivalries | |
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| Lore | |
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| Division championships (15) | |
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| Conference championships (1) | |
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| League championships (1) | |
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| Current league affiliations | |
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| Former league affiliation | |
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| Seasons (56) | |
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Championship seasons in bold |