The 1976 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's seventh season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 17th overall. The Chargers improved on their 2–12 record from 1975 and finished 6–8, but missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season. The Chargers started off the season by winning their first three games, but they struggled through the rest of the season by losing eight of their last eleven, which included four shutout losses, two against division rival Denver.
Future Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh spent this season as the Chargers' offensive coordinator, before moving on to Stanford University at the end of the year. Despite the shutouts, he oversaw a general improvement in the offense, as their yards per game improved from second-worst to 11th-best in the NFL. The Chargers began to pass more often, with quarterback Dan Fouts setting new career highs in every major passing category. He was aided by the acquisition of veteran wide receiver Charlie Joiner, who joined the team in a trade for defensive lineman Coy Bacon. Joiner was one of only three players league-wide to have over 1,000 receiving yards in 1976.
With Bacon having departed, the Chargers brought in Leroy Jones to join 2nd-year players Louie Kelcher, Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Fred Dean on the defensive line. This would become a strong unit in the years ahead, known as the “Bruise Brothers”. In 1976, however, the Chargers defense ranked only 22nd in the league, with their pass defense ranked 27th out of 28 teams.
Offseason
Departures and arrivals San Diego were involved in a significant trade in April, sending defensive end Coy Bacon to Cincinnati in exchange for wide receiver Charlie Joiner. Bacon was an eight-year veteran who had spent the past three seasons in San Diego. While he had posted 10 sacks in 1975, he was a critic of the Chargers organization who had frequently asked to be traded. Joiner had spent three and a half seasons in Houston before spending the same period with the Bengals. Joiner’s 1975 season had been the most productive of his career to that point in terms of catches (37) and yards (726). He had an immediate impact, with four consecutive 100-yard games early in the season, and a final total of 1,056 yards, third best in the league. Joiner was voted to the Pro Bowl; quarterback Dan Fouts described him as the best receiver he had played with, praising his intelligence. It was also the start of a long and successful spell in San Diego, covering 11 seasons and including three Pro Bowl nominations and a 1st-Team All-Pro nomination. Joiner eventually retired with the NFL career records for receptions and receiving yards, and was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Other changes to the offense included the departure of two offensive line starters. Guard Ira Gordon had started every game the past two seasons, but joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the expansion draft. Tackle Terry Owens had started over 100 games for the Chargers since being drafted by them in 1966, though he had missed half the previous season with a back injury. A trade to the Saints fell through because Owens had been placed on injured reserve the previous season; he was waived and claimed by the Raiders instead. Like Bacon, Owens parted with the Chargers on bad terms, describing them as a 'dog' team. At running back, the Chargers added two-time Super Bowl winner Mercury Morris, though he retired after only one season in San Diego.
To replace the departing Bacon, the Chargers brought in a new defensive end. Leroy Jones had started his professional career in Edmonton, before being signed by the Los Angeles Rams on 6 May. On 6 September, Jones was traded to San Diego for an undisclosed draft pick. Jones went on to start 90 games and post 45 sacks during an eight-year career in San Diego, playing on the defensive line unit that would become known as the “Bruise Brothers”. The Chargers also brought in defensive tackle Charles DeJurnett from the Southern California Sun of the World Football League. Though primarily a backup, he had sacks during his five years in San Diego. On special teams, long-serving punter Dennis Partee lost his job to former Cowboy Mitch Hoopes. Partee had missed only a single game in eight years with the Chargers, but he had struggled with a back injury in 1975, and his average yards per kick had declined. Hoopes himself was cut and replaced with Jeff West during the season.
San Diego also gained a new offensive coordinator in Bill Walsh, who had built a reputation as a strong coach of the passing game during eight seasons in Cincinnati. Walsh, who would go on to earn a place in the Hall of Fame through his work in San Francisco, stayed with the Chargers for less than a year, but was instrumental in quarterback Fouts' development during that period.
1976 expansion draft
+ San Diego Chargers selected during the expansion draft Round Overall Name Position Expansion team00Ira GordonGuardTampa Bay Buccaneers00Dave TiptonDefensive endSeattle Seahawks00Charles WaddellTight endSeattle Seahawks
NFL draft
The Chargers had the 4th overall pick in the draft, and used it on Joe Washington a running back described as "electrifying" by general manager Johnny Sanders. Washington had scored 43 touchdowns at Oklahoma, and was brought in to partner Don Woods in the backfield, with Woods having missed time with a knee injury in 1975. The plan was derailed in preseason when Washington also picked up a knee injury and required surgery. He didn't play at all during his rookie season, and left San Diego for Baltimore in 1978 without having scored a touchdown for the Chargers. By contrast, San Diego's 2nd round pick Don Macek would be with them for 14 seasons. A college center who the Chargers converted to guard, Macek started every game in 1976. He later shifted back to center, and went on to start a total of 150 games while spending his entire career in San Diego, later being voted to the Chargers 50th Anniversary Team.
In the 5th round, the Chargers acquired another long-time starter in linebacker Woodrow Lowe. Lowe started every game in his rookie season, and proved durable throughout an 11-season career spent entirely in San Diego, appearing in 164 of a possible 165 games, and starting 151, while compiling 26 sacks, 21 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns. Like Macek, he was later named in the 50th Anniversary team. Two further selections at linebacker would eventually break into the first team: Bob Horn was mainly a backup through his first two seasons, but started every game from 1978 to 1980, eventually playing for six years in San Diego; Ray Preston's 29 starts with the team all came in 1979 and 1980, but he appeared in nearly 100 further games throughout a nine-year career, all with the Chargers. The trio played together in every game during the 1979 season, a year when the Chargers went 12–4 with the league's second-ranked defense.
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Preseason
The Chargers scored three rushing touchdowns in their preseason opener against the Eagles. Don Woods scored the first two after an interception and a fumble recovery by Mike Williams, and Washington, the Chargers' 1st-round pick, had the third. Against the Patriots, Woods again scored twice and Washington once, before Chris Fletcher sealed the win with an interception return touchdown on the game's final play. The victory was marred when Washington sustained a knee injury while making a cut. While head coach Tommy Prothro initially reported the injury not to be too serious, Washington eventually needed surgery and missed the entire season.
In their next game San Diego met the Cardinals in Japan; it was the first time an NFL game had been played outside of North America. The Chargers were defeated for the first time in the preseason, with Dwight MacDonald scoring their lone touchdown on a pass from Fouts. Their following game was the NFL's first in Hawaii. Fouts was rested, with backup Neal Jeffrey playing the whole game. Rickey Young scored a touchdown, and Sergio Albert kicked three field goals, the last for a 16–14 lead with 59 seconds to play, but San Francisco came back with a winning field goal as time expired.
The Chargers lost their fifth game in Seattle, giving the expansion Seahawks their first win as an NFL franchise. Fouts and MacDonald combined for another touchdown, and Bo Matthews broke a 10–10 tie with a 9-yard run in the final quarter. However, kicker John Delaney missed the extra point, eventually allowing Seattle to win the game with a touchdown and successful conversion with 13 seconds to play. For their preseason finale, the Chargers returned to San Diego and evened their record at 3–3 by beating the Giants. Charlie Joiner caught touchdown passes from both Fouts and Jeffrey as the Chargers overcame a 13–0 1st quarter deficit, winning 14–13 after New York's kicker missed a late field goal attempt.
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 July 31 Philadelphia Eagles W 20–7 1–0 San Diego Stadium 23,862 2 August 6 vs. New England Patriots W 26–17 2–0 Owen Field, Norman, Oklahoma 23,800 3 August 16 vs. St. Louis Cardinals L 10–20 2–1 Korakuen Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 38,000 4 August 21 vs. San Francisco 49ers L 16–17 2–2 Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii 36,364 5 August 29 at Seattle Seahawks L 16–17 2–3 Kingdome 59,092 6 September 4 New York Giants W 14–13 3–3 San Diego Stadium 28,797
Regular season
Overview
San Diego took only three weeks to improve upon their 1975 win total, unexpectedly starting 3–0. They were unable to maintain that form, winning only three of their final eleven games, sustaining four shutouts and finishing 6–8. Despite the shutouts, the offense improved considerably under Walsh, going from the 25th- to the 11th-ranked team for total yardage.
The passing game became much more productive, with ten more touchdowns and over 800 more yards than the previous year. Fouts played in every game and started all bar one. He comfortably set new career highs for attempts (359), completions (208), yards (2,535) and touchdowns (14), ranking in the top ten of the league in each of those statistics. While his interception count also increased (to 15), his passer rating of 75.4 comfortably exceeded the league-wide average of 67.0. His most prolific receiver was the newly-arrived Joiner, who led the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. His 1,056 yards were the third most in the NFL. With 11th-year wide receiver Gary Garrison missing almost the whole year with a shoulder injury, no other Charger had more receiving yards than fullback Young, with 441, while the second-most productive wide receiver was Dwight MacDonald with 161 yards. Macdonald did score touchdowns on 4 of his 11 receptions. The Chargers were 17th in the 28-team league for rushing yards with 2,040. Young was their leading rusher, his 802 yards coming at 5.0 per carry. Woods, the 1976 Offensive Rookie of the Year, added 450 yards as he returned from a serious knee injury.
The Charger defense ranked 22nd in the league, showing a vulnerability to the pass. Opposing teams passed for 2,628 yards; only the Dolphins gave up more. San Diego did manage 20 interceptions, with Don Goode (6) and Mike Williams (4) accounting for half of them. Louie Kelcher unofficially led the Chargers in sacks with , but the team had only 23 in total, fifth-lowest in the NFL; Bacon, who the Chargers had traded to Cincinnati in the offseason, had a league-leading by himself.