The Chargers' latest appearance in the NFL playoffs may be their most crushing.In the first postseason appearance for Justin Herbert and Brandon Staley, Los Angeles blew a
David Ross Jersey 27-point lead to Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars, ultimately falling 31-30 on a walk-off Riley Patterson 36-yard field goal.In the 21st century, the Chargers have endured their share of heartbreak in the playoffs, but suffering it in the wild-card round is a first. Here is a look at the worst of the franchise's playoff history.MORE: In the 21st century, the Chargers had made seven playoff appearances before this season, and there were five seasons in which the franchise entered the playoffs with 11 wins or more in the regular season.In those seven playoff appearances, the Chargers advanced past the divisional round one time. A look at how those seasons with 11 or more victories ended:2004 AFC wild-card round: Jets 20, Chargers 17 (OT)Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson led the Chargers to a 12-win season with coach Marty Schottenheimer, but the Jets hung around in a tight wild-card contest. Nate Kaeding mi sed a 40-yard field goal attempt in overtime, and the Jets won on Doug Brien's 40-yard kick on the ensuing drive.2006 AFC divisional round: Patriots 24, Chargers 21The Chargers were 14-2 in the regular season, Tomlinson won the NFL MVP award, and San Diego had home-field advantage in the AFC. The Patriots flipped that behind Tom Brady, who pa sed for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Stephen Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining sealed the victory for the Pats. Schottenheimer was fired as a result.2007 AFC championship: Patriots 21, Chargers 12Norv Turner led the Chargers to a 11-5 record the following season, and San Diego beat Tenne see and Indianapolis in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Quarterback Philip Rivers suffered a torn ACL in the victory against the Colts,
Mark Grace Jersey and he played through it against New England on the road. Brady threw two second-half TDs to pull the Patriots ahead to give New England a 18-0 record ahead of their Super Bowl XLII lo s to the Giants.2009 AFC divisional round: Jets 17, Chargers 14The Chargers finished 13-3 in the regular season, but they ran into a hot Jets' team at the wrong time. Mark Sanchez
Chicago Cubs Custom Jersey led two fourth-quarter scoring drives for New York, and Rivers threw two interceptions in another shocking playoff lo s.2018 AFC divisional round: Patriots 41, Chargers 28Anthony Lynn led the Chargers to a 12-4 record as one of the league's surprise teams, but the season ended in familiar fashion. Rivers pa sed for 331 yards and three TDs, but only after New England had built a 38-7 lead. This was the Chargers' last playoff appearance.AFC wild-card round: Jaguars 31, Chargers 30For all of the pain and suffering endured by the Chargers in the postseason, this lo s may top it all. The Chargers didn't make the 11-win cutoff this year, finishing 10-7, but the 2023 wild-card game was a unique sort of pain.MORE:After dominating the first 28 minutes and building a 27-0 lead, the Chargers were outscored 31-3 and lost on a walk-off field goal following a ma sive fourth-and-1 conversion by the Jags. The miracle comeback mounted by Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville was .AFL championshipThe San Diego Chargers were a regular in the AFL championship from 1960-65 with five championship appearances in that stretch.Chargers in the Super BowlThe Chargers have one Super Bowl appearance, and that was in the 1994 season. San Diego finished 11-5 in the regular season under coach Bobby Ro s, and a roster led by Stan Humphries, Natrone Means and Junior Seau made a run to Super Bowl XXIX. The 49ers beat the Chargers 49-26 behind a record-setting six-touchdown performance by Steve Young.Chargers in the AFC championshipThe Chargers have made four AFC championship appearances, with the only victory coming on Jan. 15, 1995
Chicago Cubs Jersey against the Pittsburgh Steelers before that Super Bowl XXIX appearance. San Diego lost to Cincinnati 27-7 on Jan. 10, 1982 in the Freezer Bowl, one of the coldest games in NFL history. The Chargers also lost 34-27 to the Oakland Raiders in the 1980 AFC championship game.Chargers' most memorable playoff victoryOf course, the week before the
Mike Montgomery Jersey Freezer Bowl the Chargers won one of the greatest playoff games of all time. San Diego beat Miami 41-38 in the AFC divisional playoffs in a game where Dan Fouts pa sed for 433 yards and three TDs in a back-and-forth thriller at the Orange Bowl. This is the game where teammates helped Kellen Winslow who had 13 catches for 166 yards off the field.Staley in his second season as Los Angeles' head coach. The Chargers just mi sed the playoffs with a 9-8 record last season. Los Angeles finished 10-7 this season and was a 1.5-point favorite against Jacksonville (9-8). Herbert, the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has put up 14,089 yards, 94 TDs and 35 interceptions in his first three seasons. This was his first start in the postseason, and it came against Trevor Lawrence, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Chargers' latest appearance in the NFL playoffs may be their most crushing.In the first postseason appearance for Justin Herbert and Brandon Staley, Los Angeles blew a David Ross Jersey 27-point lead to Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars, ultimately falling 31-30 on a walk-off Riley Patterson 36-yard field goal.In the 21st century, the Chargers have endured their share of heartbreak in the playoffs, but suffering it in the wild-card round is a first. Here is a look at the worst of the franchise's playoff history.MORE: In the 21st century, the Chargers had made seven playoff appearances before this season, and there were five seasons in which the franchise entered the playoffs with 11 wins or more in the regular season.In those seven playoff appearances, the Chargers advanced past the divisional round one time. A look at how those seasons with 11 or more victories ended:2004 AFC wild-card round: Jets 20, Chargers 17 (OT)Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson led the Chargers to a 12-win season with coach Marty Schottenheimer, but the Jets hung around in a tight wild-card contest. Nate Kaeding mi sed a 40-yard field goal attempt in overtime, and the Jets won on Doug Brien's 40-yard kick on the ensuing drive.2006 AFC divisional round: Patriots 24, Chargers 21The Chargers were 14-2 in the regular season, Tomlinson won the NFL MVP award, and San Diego had home-field advantage in the AFC. The Patriots flipped that behind Tom Brady, who pa sed for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Stephen Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining sealed the victory for the Pats. Schottenheimer was fired as a result.2007 AFC championship: Patriots 21, Chargers 12Norv Turner led the Chargers to a 11-5 record the following season, and San Diego beat Tenne see and Indianapolis in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Quarterback Philip Rivers suffered a torn ACL in the victory against the Colts, Mark Grace Jersey and he played through it against New England on the road. Brady threw two second-half TDs to pull the Patriots ahead to give New England a 18-0 record ahead of their Super Bowl XLII lo s to the Giants.2009 AFC divisional round: Jets 17, Chargers 14The Chargers finished 13-3 in the regular season, but they ran into a hot Jets' team at the wrong time. Mark Sanchez Chicago Cubs Custom Jersey led two fourth-quarter scoring drives for New York, and Rivers threw two interceptions in another shocking playoff lo s.2018 AFC divisional round: Patriots 41, Chargers 28Anthony Lynn led the Chargers to a 12-4 record as one of the league's surprise teams, but the season ended in familiar fashion. Rivers pa sed for 331 yards and three TDs, but only after New England had built a 38-7 lead. This was the Chargers' last playoff appearance.AFC wild-card round: Jaguars 31, Chargers 30For all of the pain and suffering endured by the Chargers in the postseason, this lo s may top it all. The Chargers didn't make the 11-win cutoff this year, finishing 10-7, but the 2023 wild-card game was a unique sort of pain.MORE:After dominating the first 28 minutes and building a 27-0 lead, the Chargers were outscored 31-3 and lost on a walk-off field goal following a ma sive fourth-and-1 conversion by the Jags. The miracle comeback mounted by Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville was .AFL championshipThe San Diego Chargers were a regular in the AFL championship from 1960-65 with five championship appearances in that stretch.Chargers in the Super BowlThe Chargers have one Super Bowl appearance, and that was in the 1994 season. San Diego finished 11-5 in the regular season under coach Bobby Ro s, and a roster led by Stan Humphries, Natrone Means and Junior Seau made a run to Super Bowl XXIX. The 49ers beat the Chargers 49-26 behind a record-setting six-touchdown performance by Steve Young.Chargers in the AFC championshipThe Chargers have made four AFC championship appearances, with the only victory coming on Jan. 15, 1995 Chicago Cubs Jersey against the Pittsburgh Steelers before that Super Bowl XXIX appearance. San Diego lost to Cincinnati 27-7 on Jan. 10, 1982 in the Freezer Bowl, one of the coldest games in NFL history. The Chargers also lost 34-27 to the Oakland Raiders in the 1980 AFC championship game.Chargers' most memorable playoff victoryOf course, the week before the Mike Montgomery Jersey Freezer Bowl the Chargers won one of the greatest playoff games of all time. San Diego beat Miami 41-38 in the AFC divisional playoffs in a game where Dan Fouts pa sed for 433 yards and three TDs in a back-and-forth thriller at the Orange Bowl. This is the game where teammates helped Kellen Winslow who had 13 catches for 166 yards off the field.Staley in his second season as Los Angeles' head coach. The Chargers just mi sed the playoffs with a 9-8 record last season. Los Angeles finished 10-7 this season and was a 1.5-point favorite against Jacksonville (9-8). Herbert, the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has put up 14,089 yards, 94 TDs and 35 interceptions in his first three seasons. This was his first start in the postseason, and it came against Trevor Lawrence, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
