Occasionally during the dead points of this offseason, we’ll look back at some of the quirks, highlights, lowlights and follies from recent years. Today, we relive the time the Chargers looked drunk against Green Bay.
The San Diego Chargers can’t blame it on the weather. After all, this was a September game at San Diego Stadium. And they can’t blame it on the opponent. This was, after all, a mediocre late-1970s Green Bay Packers team. The Bolts were probably the better team, but something went horribly wrong on Sept. 24, 1978.
That’s the day the Chargers committed an incredible 11 turnovers — which remains the highest single-game total in modern NFL history. That was 22 percent of their season turnover total on one day, and an embarrassing 24-3 loss at home.
It didn’t help that San Diego started the game without Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, who was injured. Eventually Fouts had to relieve his backup, James Harris, but both threw a pair of interceptions on a day in which Packers All-Pro defensive back Willie Buchanon registered a record four picks.
To put it all into perspective, and to show how much the NFL has changed over the years, consider that the 2010 New England Patriots and 2011 San Francisco 49ers both had fewer turnovers in 16 games than San Diego did that day against Green Bay.
Somewhat incredibly, the Chargers recorded a team-record 10 sacks that day. That kept them in the game for much of the afternoon, but eventually turnovers did them in.
But it all could have been a blessing in disguise for the Chargers. Following that historically ugly loss, head coach Tommy Prothro remained at the stadium until almost midnight looking at film before deciding to resign. A day later, Don Coryell was hired as his replacement and the Chargers became a high-flying force for much of the next decade.
