| Team: | San Diego Chargers |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Record: | 9–7 |
| Division Place: | 3rd AFC West |
| Coach: | Mike McCoy |
| Owner: | Alex Spanos |
| General Manager: | Tom Telesco[1] |
| Stadium: | Qualcomm Stadium |
| Radio: | KIOZ, KLSD |
| Playoffs: | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Bengals) 27–10 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Broncos) 17–24 |
| Shortnavlink: | Chargers seasons |
The 2013 season was the San Diego Chargers' 44th in the National Football League (NFL), their 54th overall, and their first under head coach Mike McCoy. The Chargers finished the regular season with a record of 9–7, improving on their 7–9 record from 2012. Also, they qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Chargers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round by a score of 27–10, but lost to division rival Denver Broncos in the Divisional round by a score of 24–17. This was the Chargers' final playoff appearance in San Diego. They did not play in the postseason again until 2018, after relocating to Los Angeles.
The new head coach, Mike McCoy, along with offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, completed the Chargers' first winning season since 2010. Only two offensive coaches returned from 2012 in an overhauled coaching staff, and a revamped offensive system had quarterback Philip Rivers release the ball earlier and taking what opposing defenses conceded. Rivers was sacked 30 times, compared to 49 the previous year, and threw for 4,479 yards and 32 touchdowns while tying a career-high with a 105.5 passer rating. San Diego's rushing attack improved from the prior season's 1,461 yards and 3.6 yards per carry—tied for the second worst in the league—to 1,965 yards and a 4-yard average.[2] Although they were speculated to have a poor, disappointing season, and getting off to a shaky start, the Chargers finished in the top eight of the overall standings. Rivers was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and Keenan Allen broke out into the national scene as a rookie sensation, breaking multiple wide receiver rookie records. Whisenhunt left at the conclusion of the season to become the head coach of the Titans.
| Pos. | Player | 2012 Team | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 4 years, $20 million | ||
| DE | 2 years, $8.7 million | ||
| TE | 3 years, $5.2 million | ||
| OT | 2 years, $3.7 million | ||
| RB | 2 years, $3.5 million | ||
| CB | 1 year, $855,000 | ||
| RB | 1 year, $630,000 | ||
| LB | 1 year, $555,000 | ||
| Pos. | Player | 2013 Team |
|---|---|---|
| G | Denver Broncos | |
| LB | New York Jets | |
| CB | Arizona Cardinals | |
| CB | Denver Broncos | |
| LB | Denver Broncos | |
| WR | New Orleans Saints | |
| LB | Retired | |
| LB | ||
| G | ||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 8 | Seattle Seahawks | L 10–31 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | |
| 2 | August 15 | at Chicago Bears | L 28–33 | 0–2 | Soldier Field | Recap | |
| 3 | August 24 | at Arizona Cardinals | W 24–7 | 1–2 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap | |
| 4 | August 29 | San Francisco 49ers | L 6–41 | 1–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Texans | L 28–31 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 15 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 33–30 | 1–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap | |
| 3 | September 22 | at Tennessee Titans | L 17–20 | 1–2 | LP Field | Recap | |
| 4 | September 29 | Dallas Cowboys | W 30–21 | 2–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | |
| 5 | October 6 | at Oakland Raiders | L 17–27 | 2–3 | O.co Coliseum | Recap | |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts | W 19–9 | 3–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | ||
| 7 | October 20 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–6 | 4–3 | EverBank Field | Recap | |
| 8 | Bye | ||||||
| 9 | November 3 | at Washington Redskins | L 24–30 | 4–4 | Fedex Field | Recap | |
| 10 | November 10 | Denver Broncos | L 20–28 | 4–5 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | |
| 11 | November 17 | at Miami Dolphins | L 16–20 | 4–6 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap | |
| 12 | November 24 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 41–38 | 5–6 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| 13 | December 1 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 10–17 | 5–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | |
| 14 | December 8 | New York Giants | W 37–14 | 6–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | |
| 15 | at Denver Broncos | W 27–20 | 7–7 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 22 | Oakland Raiders | W 26–13 | 8–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | |
| 17 | December 29 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 27–24 | 9–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap | |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
See also: 2013–14 NFL playoffs.
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 5, 2014 | at Cincinnati Bengals (3) | W 27–10 | 1–0 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap | |
| Divisional | January 12, 2014 | at Denver Broncos (1) | L 17–24 | 1–1 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | Recap |
With the loss, the Chargers started their season 0–1.
This game was moved to an 8:35 pm. PDT kickoff, and from CBS to NFL Network as a "special edition" of Thursday Night Football, as extended time was required to convert the field back from its baseball configuration due to an Oakland Athletics American League Division Series game the previous night.[3]
Kansas City missed a field goal as with a few seconds left to send the game into overtime, where Nick Novak kicked the game winner. With the win, the Chargers finished the 2013 season with a record of 9–7 and clinched the second wild card spot, becoming the 6th seed entering the playoffs.
See also: 2013–14 NFL playoffs.
With the Chargers defeating the Bengals, 27–10, they recorded their first playoff victory since 2008 and advanced to the AFC Divisional Playoff Game.
With the Chargers falling to the Broncos, the Chargers finished the season 10–8, their first double-digit winning season since 2009.