Cautious optimism is hovering over LA Chargers training camp as the squad prepares for the 2024 campaign. The hiring of Jim Harbaugh as head coach is expected to bring a major culture shift the Chargers have been clamoring for over the last couple of decades. Is this a Super Bowl contender right away? No, but qualifying for the playoffs should not be out of the question.
But the word cautious optimism should ring true for Bolts fans who have witnessed several iterations of the Chargers fall below expectations. Whether it was offseason expectations or late-season surges that fell short, Chargers supporters have become accustomed to disappointment. Fingers crossed this does not happen in 2024.
With all of that said, let us step back in time and reflect on where this team was a decade ago. The 2014 San Diego Chargers were not projected to make waves that season, but sustained success through early portions of the season gave fans hope. How did it end? Well...buckle up.
Weeks 1-6: Chargers bolt out of the gate
The 2014 campaign marked year two of the Mike McCoy era in the SoCal, a head coaching tenure that started with a 9-7 finish in 2013. This season did not start off on the right foot, though, as the Bolts dropped their season opener to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. The Bolts blew a 17-6 lead in the 4th quarter to lose 18-17.
But redemption struck a week later in their home opener. The Chargers shocked the NFL by upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks 30-21 thanks in large part to a legendary performance by tight end Antonio Gates. The should-be Hall of Famer hauled in three touchdown passes, all from quarterback Philip Rivers, against Seattle's vaunted 'Legion of Boom' defense, a feat very few players could accomplish at that time.
The stunning victory over the 'Hawks kickstarted a five-game winning streak that saw San Diego topple the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and Oakland Raiders. Starting the season 5-1 gave Chargers fans early-season visions of playoff football in their beloved team's future.
Weeks 7-10: Coming back to earth
Following their narrow 31-28 win over the Raiders in Week 6, the Bolts squared off against their other AFC West foes in back-to-back affairs. Unfortunately for San Diego, they missed a wonderful opportunity to gain control of the division from the powerhouse Denver Broncos.
The Chargers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs for a key week 7 tilt with a team off to an underwhelming 2-3 start. But Andy Reid's squad did what it always does off the bye week: come in rested and prepared. And the Chargers experienced that first-hand by allowing 149 rushing yards and failing to find a groove offensively. The Chiefs win it 23-20 to drop the Chargers' record to 5-2.
Next up was a Thursday night affair with the 5-1 Broncos at Mile High, and needless to say, the short week did the Chargers few favors. Broncos quarterback and now Hall of Famer Peyton Manning tossed three touchdowns en route to a 35-21 win. Rivers also tossed a trio of scores, but a pair of interceptions were too costly to come back from.
And then it looked the wheels were coming off on the season one week later.
McCoy & Co. traveled to South Beach for a date with the Miami Dolphins. And holy mackerel was it an utter nightmare. The Dolphins swarmed the Bolts in all three phases from the opening kickoff, forcing four turnovers and racking up 441 yards of total offense to win 35-0. The Chargers were suddenly 5-4 but luckily had a bye week to recoup from their massive flop in Florida.
Weeks 11-13: Narrow wins restore playoff hopes
The bye week was the first of two vital breaks for the Chargers following the Miami debacle. The second gift: a Week 11 match with the winless Oakland Raiders.
But it was not the destructive reckoning Bolts fans were expecting. The California rivals settled their differences in a defensive slugfest devoid of any explosive offensive plays. Still, the Chargers grinded out a 13-6 win thanks to superb outings from the defense and special teams, the latter of which pinned the Raiders' offense deep into their own territory on several occasions.
A week later, the 6-4 Chargers hosted another subpar squad in the 4-6 St. Louis Rams. But this time around, San Diego was decisively better. They built up a pair of 10-point leads and Rivers picked apart the Rams' defense with an 82% completion rate. The Rams gave Bolts fans a scare with a late touchdown grab by Stedman Bailey, but the Chargers held on for a 27-24 victory.
After wins over a pair of subpar teams, the Chargers got a vital victory over a playoff contender in the Baltimore Ravens. And they did it in dramatic fashion. Trailing by 10 points on two separate occasions, the Chargers stormed back by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter, capped off with an Eddie Royal touchdown catch with 38 seconds left in regulation. The Bolts won 34-33 to improve to 8-4 and truly enhance their postseason chances.
Weeks 14-16: Comeback win outshines disappointing December start
Next up was a Sunday night clash with the New England Patriots. And the optimism from the three-game winning streak was quickly dashed in front of a nationwide audience. The 9-3 Patriots controlled the game immediately and got a prototypical performance from the GOAT Tom Brady, who tossed two touchdowns off 317 yards passing. The Pats won it 23-14 in San Diego.
The disappointing loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions was followed up by another defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos. This time, it was in front of a sea of orange inside Qualcomm Stadium who made it feel like a Broncos home game. Denver won it 22-10 and got help from an underwhelming Rivers outing, who threw two interceptions and completed just 58% of his passes.
It felt like the Chargers were teetering with blowing their postseason chances. But their playoff hopes were revived one week later in the Bay Area when they faced the San Francisco 49ers. In arguably one of the best games of the 2014 season, the Chargers trailed by 21 points on two separate occasions. But they played arguably their best second half of the season to rally and defeat the Niners 38-35 in overtime off a Nick Novak game-winning field goal.
The Chargers improved to 9-6 and appeared to be in the driver's seat for a playoff berth.
Week 17: The Chargers Chargering
And then the Bolts fully electrocuted themselves.
The Chargers controlled their own destiny: defeat the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and advance to the postseason. The Chiefs capitalized on a slow start by the Bolts offense to take a 10-0 lead into the second quarter. San Diego responded with a 6-play 69-yard touchdown drive capped off by a one-yard plunge from running back Branden Oliver. It was 10-7 Chiefs in the second frame.
That's when the wheels finally came off on the season. The Chargers followed up that drive with two interceptions, a fumble, a missed field goal, and a pair of failed fourth-down conversions. It was a collapse Chargers fans are unfortunately used to, and it led to a 19-7 Chiefs win.
Just like that, a season filled with both excitement and nerves was over. The tumultuous ending carried over to the following campaign when the Chargers finished 4-12, leading to the firing of Mike McCoy.
A decade later, the Bolts are in a promising position entering the 2024 season. Can Harbaugh and Herbert lead this squad to new heights, or will the ghosts of Chargers' past continue to haunt the franchise? Only time will tell.