2003 San Diego Chargers season
NFL team 44th season
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The 2003 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 34th season in the National Football League (NFL), its 44th overall and the second under head coach Marty Schottenheimer. They finished the campaign last in their division with only four wins and earned the #1 pick in the 2004 NFL draft. They played one “home” game during the season, against the Miami Dolphins, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona where the Arizona Cardinals played, due to the Cedar Fire. The team declined from the previous season, as the Chargers won four games and surrendered the second most points per game (27.6), trailing only the Arizona Cardinals during the season. It was the worst season of Schottenheimer's career, and also his fourth consecutive non-winning season in the NFL, but also his final losing season as a coach.
OwnerAlex Spanos
Home stadiumQualcomm Stadium
| 2003 San Diego Chargers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Alex Spanos |
| General manager | A. J. Smith |
| Head coach | Marty Schottenheimer |
| Home stadium | Qualcomm Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 4–12 |
| Division place | 4th AFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | 1
|
| Pro Bowlers | None |
On April 11, 2003, general manager John Butler died from lymphoma and A. J. Smith, a former assistant to Butler, took over the position for the next 10 seasons; during the season the Chargers wore a patch on their jerseys with the initials "JB" to commemorate John Butler.
For the first time since 1989, Junior Seau was not on the opening day roster.
NFL draft
| 2003 San Diego Chargers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Sammy Davis | CB | Texas A&M | Pick from PHI |
| 2 | 46 | Drayton Florence | CB | Tuskegee | |
| 2 | 62 | Terrence Kiel | S | Texas A&M | Pick from GB |
| 3 | 80 | Courtney Van Buren | OT | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | |
| 4 | 112 | Matt Wilhelm | LB | Ohio St | |
| 5 | 149 | Mike Scifres | P | Western Illinois | |
| 6 | 188 | Hanik Milligan * | S | Houston | |
| 7 | 229 | Andrew Pinnock | FB | South Carolina | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 10 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 7–20 | 0–1 | Seahawks Stadium | |
| 2 | August 16 | Arizona Cardinals | L 10–16 | 0–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | |
| 3 | August 22 | at Houston Texans | W 19–17 | 1–2 | Reliant Stadium | |
| 4 | August 28 | San Francisco 49ers | W 24–3 | 2–2 | Qualcomm Stadium |
Regular season
Schedule
In addition to their regular games with AFC West rivals, the Chargers played teams from the AFC North and NFC North as per the schedule rotation, and also played intraconference games against the Jaguars and the Dolphins based on divisional positions from 2002.
Oddly, this season marked the first time that the Chargers played the Jaguars, despite that team existing since 1995. This occurred due to old NFL scheduling formulas in place prior to 2002, whereby teams had no rotating schedule opposing members of other divisions within their own conference, but played interdivisional conference games according to position within a season’s table.[3] The Chargers played the Tennessee Titans only once during this period[4] (in 1998) but played the Bengals five times[5] during these years.
In preceding years, even longer gaps between two teams playing each other had occurred. For instance the Jets never opposed the Cardinals between 1979 and 1995 inclusive.[6]
The Week 8 home game against the Miami Dolphins was relocated to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona due to a massive wildfire that turned Qualcomm Stadium into an evacuation site.[7]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 14–27 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,048 | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | Denver Broncos | L 13–37 | 0–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | 65,445 | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | Baltimore Ravens | L 10–24 | 0–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | 52,028 | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at Oakland Raiders | L 31–34 (OT) | 0–4 | Network Associates Coliseum | 54,078 | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 21–27 | 0–5 | Alltel Stadium | 48,954 | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | ||||||
| 7 | October 19 | at Cleveland Browns | W 26–20 | 1–5 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 73,238 | Recap |
| 8 | October 27 | Miami Dolphins | L 10–26 | 1–6 | Sun Devil Stadium | 73,014 | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | at Chicago Bears | L 7–20 | 1–7 | Soldier Field | 61,500 | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | Minnesota Vikings | W 42–28 | 2–7 | Qualcomm Stadium | 64,738 | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Denver Broncos | L 8–37 | 2–8 | Invesco Field | 75,217 | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 27–34 | 2–9 | Qualcomm Stadium | 52,069 | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 24–28 | 2–10 | Qualcomm Stadium | 57,671 | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Detroit Lions | W 14–7 | 3–10 | Ford Field | 61,544 | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | Green Bay Packers | L 21–38 | 3–11 | Qualcomm Stadium | 64,978 | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 24–40 | 3–12 | Heinz Field | 52,527 | Recap |
| 17 | December 28 | Oakland Raiders | W 21–14 | 4–12 | Qualcomm Stadium | 62,222 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 1: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 7
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), relative humidity 36%, wind 6 mph
- Game attendance: 78,048
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 2: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 14 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 37 |
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: September 14
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), relative humidity 69%, wind 8 mph
- Game attendance: 65,445
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson, Brent Jones, Scott Kaplan
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 3: Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: September 21
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), relative humidity 77%, wind 8 mph
- Game attendance: 52,028
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots and Scott Kaplan
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: at Oakland Raiders
Week 4: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Raiders | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 34 |
at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: September 28
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 14 mph
- Game attendance: 54,078
- Referee: Peter Morelli
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 5: San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: at Cleveland Browns
Week 7: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 6 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
| Browns | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: October 19
- Game time: 1:02 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), relative humidity 50%, wind 8 mph
- Game attendance: 73,238
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 8: Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 10 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 26 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Date: October 27
- Game time: 7:09 p.m. MST
- Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), relative humidity 12%, wind 3 mph
- Game attendance: 73,014
- Referee: Ron Blum
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Lisa Guerrero
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: at Chicago Bears
Week 9: San Diego Chargers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Bears | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: November 2
- Game time: 12:05 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), relative humidity 96%, no wind
- Game attendance: 61,500
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Chargers | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 9
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), relative humidity 57%, wind 9 mph
- Game attendance: 64,738
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (FOX): Kenny Albert and Brian Baldinger
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Denver Broncos
Week 11: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Broncos | 10 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 37 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- Date: November 16
- Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), relative humidity 25%, wind 6 mph
- Game attendance: 75,217
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 12: Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 14 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 34 |
| Chargers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 23
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), relative humidity 49%, wind 9 mph
- Game attendance: 52,069
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee, Beasley Reece and Scott Kaplan
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 30
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 8 mph
- Game attendance: 57,671
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: at Detroit Lions
Week 14: San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: December 7
- Game time: 1:03 p.m. EST
- Game weather: N/A (game played indoors)
- Game attendance: 61,544
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Jerry Glanville
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 15: Green Bay Packers at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 38 |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 16: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Steelers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 40 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: December 21
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), relative humidity 43%, wind 15 mph, wind chill 27
- Game attendance: 52,527
- Referee: Bill Carollo
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 17: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 484 | 332 | W1 |
| (6) Denver Broncos | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 381 | 301 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 270 | 379 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 313 | 441 | W1 |
Awards
No Chargers were named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad.[8] However, LaDainian Tomlinson was voted a second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.[9] He also finished in second place for the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, with 8 of the 50 available votes.[10]