1973 San Diego Chargers season

1973 San Diego Chargers season
Head coach	Harland Svare
General manager	Harland Svare
Owner	Gene Klein
Home field	San Diego Stadium
Results
Record	2–11–1
Division place	4th AFC West
Playoff finish	did not qualify

The 1973 San Diego Chargers season was the team's fourteenth year, and fourth year in the National Football League.

The team was coming off a season that ended with a 4–9–1 record. Despite the fact that he was offered a five-year contract toward the end of the previous season, 1973 would prove to be Harland Svare's final season as the team's head coach.

The team obtained legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas in a trade with the Baltimore Colts, but Unitas was a shell of his former greatness. In the middle of the season he would be replaced by at quarterback by rookie Dan Fouts, the team's third round pick in that year's draft.^[1]

NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 16, 1973	at Washington Redskins	L 38–0	53,589
2	September 23, 1973	Buffalo Bills	W 34–7	47,588
3	September 30, 1973	Cincinnati Bengals	L 20–13	46,733
4	October 7, 1973	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 38–21	48,795
5	October 14, 1973	Oakland Raiders	L 27–17	50,672
6	October 21, 1973	Atlanta Falcons	L 41–0	41,527
7	October 28, 1973	at Cleveland Browns	T 16–16	68,244
8	November 4, 1973	Kansas City Chiefs	L 19–0	50,234
9	November 11, 1973	at Denver Broncos	L 30–19	51,034
10	November 18, 1973	New Orleans Saints	W 17–14	34,848
11	November 25, 1973	at Oakland Raiders	L 31–3	40,195
12	December 2, 1973	at New England Patriots	L 30–14	58,150
13	December 9, 1973	Denver Broncos	L 42–28	44,954
14	December 16, 1973	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 33–6	43,755

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Oakland Raiders	9	4	1	.679	4–1–1	7–3–1	292	175	W4
Kansas City Chiefs	7	5	2	.571	4–2	6–4–1	231	192	W1
Denver Broncos	7	5	2	.571	3–2–1	7–2–1	354	296	L1
San Diego Chargers	2	11	1	.179	0–6	1–9–1	188	386	L4

References

1. Fouts would go on to play 15 seasons for the Chargers, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.