Did you know that the San Diego Chargers are the only former AFC West foe the Seahawks have a winning record against? It's not even an impressive winning record, with the Hawks winning only 26 of 49 total regular season meetings. Whenever you hear an old-school Twelve blathering about how they miss being in the NFC West, please point out that our combined record against the Broncos, Raiders and Chiefs while we were in the AFC West was 63-81. That's a .437 winning percentage. For some perspective, the NL Central DEAD LAST Chicago Cubs have a .437 winning percentage today. Shout it from the rooftops: Realignment was the best thing that ever happened to the Seattle Seahawks.
In order to get psyched for Friday night's preseason home opener, here's our Top 10 wins over our old Southern California rivals... Enjoy!
BONUS GAME: 12/24/06 Chargers 20 @ Seahawks 17
Why am I wasting time writing about a loss? Seattle came into this one on a two-game skid, losing at Arizona and completely crapping their pantaloons on national television against the Niners. The mighty 12-2 Chargers were coming to Seahawks Stadium, and while a loss wouldn't knock Seattle out of the playoff hunt, another home blowout loss would have psychologically killed the reeling Hawks.
Thankfully, the Seahawks showed some moxie and took a 17-13 lead late into the 4th, buttressed by one of the last great games of Shaun Alexander's career (140 yards on 31 carries with 2 TDs). Late in the game word spread: The Cardinals had beaten the 49ers, and the NFC West title was Seattle's once again. Phillip Rivers hit Vincent Jackson for a late go-ahead TD to spoil some of those good vibes, but the Hawks would take the regular season finale at Tampa before defeating Dallas in the 2006 NFC Wild Card Game. The salvaging of the 2006 season started in this loss to the Chargers.
10. 12/14/86 Seahawks 34 @ Chargers 24
This was part of the magical 5-game winning streak that ended the 1986 season. Dave Krieg out-dueled future Hall-of-Famer Dan Fouts, going 15-21 for 305 yards, with 4 TDs and zero picks. Steve Largent snagged two touchdowns and Curt Warner ground out 93 yards rushing. Side note: For almost the entire decade of the 1980s, the Seahawks OWNED the Chargers, going 12-2 against them from 1981-1989.
9. 9/21/97 @ Seahawks 26, Chargers 22
This was the first win I attended as a Seahawks season ticket holder back in 1997, and it was a dramatic one. The Hawks fell behind 13-3 early, but Warren Moon hit Mack Strong for a short touchdown and Galloway for a 53-yarder in the 4th. A late Steve Broussard TD sealed the win, and I went home happy after two embarrassing losses to start my tenure as a season ticket holder.
8. 10/26/96 @ Seahawks 32, Chargers 13
Remember how I said the Hawks dominated the Bolts in the '80s? Well, San Diego won 10 out of our first 13 meetings in the 1990s until this satisfying 1996 blowout. Chris Warren glided for 146 yards and a touchdown, and Darryl Williams ran a pick back 79 yards for another score. This one was a rare moment of joy in a dreary 7-9 campaign.
7. 11/27/87 @ Seahawks 34, Chargers 3
The Chargers came into the Dome at 8-1, with (still plausible) dreams of hosting Super Bowl XXII. After this comprehensive demolition they'd go on to end the season with five MORE losses, and end up out of the playoffs at 8-7. Curt Warner, John L. Williams and Steve Largent all scored, and Fredd Young notched two sacks in this season-killing win.
6. 10/29/84 Seahawks 24 @ Chargers 0
On Monday Night Football the Hawks blanked the Chargers at Jack Murphy Stadium, powered by Krieg's trio of TD strikes to Steve Largent. This game was the start of a 4-game stretch that saw Seattle's defense allow only 20 total points. Perhaps the Chargers were still bummed about their Padres roommates getting wiped out in the 1984 World Series?
5. 11/16/81 @ Seahawks 44, Chargers 23
At this point, the Seahawks had never defeated the Chargers, and the 3-7 Hawks looked doomed going into an MNF tilt against the playoff-bound Bolts. Even if you don't remember the game (I don't), you might have seen Dan Doornink's electrifying 80-yard TD scamper on an NFL Films highlight reel. Sure, the Chargers would go on to win the greatest game ever played, and the Hawks would meekly finish 6-10, but Seattle's 0-8 streak v. Air Coryell was over.
4. 9/15/85 Seahawks 49 @ Chargers 35
Both QBs had RIDICULOUS stat lines in this one...
Dan Fouts: 29/43, 440 yards, 4 TDs, 1 int
Dave Krieg: 22/32 307 yards, 5 TDs!!, 0 int
Seattle speedster Daryl Turner? He just had 7 catches for 121 yards and FOUR TDs! This was probably the highlight of the Seahawks' mind-meltingly inconsistent 1985 season.
3. 12/30/01 Seahawks 25 @ Chargers 22
The Hawks were fighting for thier playoff lives in the penultimate game of the 2001 season, and it looked like they were about to blow a late lead. San Diego tied the game with seconds left, and overtime looked inevitable.I was home visiting the Tri-Cites, watching the game on TV with my family. The rest of you may have had a similar experience screaming this during the ensuing kickoff...
"GO CHARLIE ROGERS! GO CHARLIE ROGERS!!!!"
Roger's big kickoff return set up Rian Lindell for the 54-yard game winner at the gun. Trent Dilfer fired three touchdown passes in arguably his best performance as a Seahawk, with two of those TDs being snagged by D-Jack.
2. 12/29/02 Seahawks 31 @ Chargers 28
Matt Hasselbeck out-dueled Drew Brees (and not for the last time), piling up a career-high 449 yards passing. Seattle trailed 28-14 in the 4th quarter, but Beck fired one touchdown pass to Koren Robinson to draw Seattle within seven, and scored the tying touchdown himself with a lone second left in regulation. Rian Lindell would sink the Chargers again (in OT this time), and Hasselbeck wrapped up an astounding 10-game stretch where he'd throw for over 3000 yards and help salvage a 7-9 season after an abysmal 1-5 start.
1. 9/26/10 @ Seahawks 27, Chargers 20
It seems strange, but less than four years ago the Seahawks were an almost entirely different team. The Marshawn Lynch trade hadn't happened yet, so our leading rusher was still Justin Forsett (Aww. I just made myself miss Young Nastyman). Russell Wilson was still at North Carolina State, and Richard Sherman was still being coached by Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. The Hawks took the field as heavy underdogs against the mighty Chargers, and if all you did was look at the statline, you would have thought San Diego won in a blowout. But as I wrote in this space back then:
Yeah, the Chargers outgained the Seahawks 518-271. Who gives a fuck when you've got Leon Washington racking up 253(!) kickoff return yards and two spectacular touchdowns? Yeah, Philip Rivers threw for 455 yards. Good for him and his fantasy owners. He also threw 2 key interceptions to Earl Thomas (including the game-clincher late in the 4th) and took a pretty fucking brutal beating. Finally, the Chargers didn't turn the ball over five times. The Seahawks TOOK the ball away 5 times, you sumbitches!
As we know now, that upset of San Diego was only the appetizer before the biggest upset in NFL playoff history a few months later. This was also the day we saw Earl Thomas' first steps toward football immortality.
Any other warm and fuzzy memories of blacking out the Chargers you wanna share, Twelves? Have at it in the comments section!
3. 12/30/01 Seahawks 25 @ Chargers 22
The Hawks were fighting for thier playoff lives in the penultimate game of the 2001 season, and it looked like they were about to blow a late lead. San Diego tied the game with seconds left, and overtime looked inevitable.I was home visiting the Tri-Cites, watching the game on TV with my family. The rest of you may have had a similar experience screaming this during the ensuing kickoff...
"GO CHARLIE ROGERS! GO CHARLIE ROGERS!!!!"
Roger's big kickoff return set up Rian Lindell for the 54-yard game winner at the gun. Trent Dilfer fired three touchdown passes in arguably his best performance as a Seahawk, with two of those TDs being snagged by D-Jack.
2. 12/29/02 Seahawks 31 @ Chargers 28
Matt Hasselbeck out-dueled Drew Brees (and not for the last time), piling up a career-high 449 yards passing. Seattle trailed 28-14 in the 4th quarter, but Beck fired one touchdown pass to Koren Robinson to draw Seattle within seven, and scored the tying touchdown himself with a lone second left in regulation. Rian Lindell would sink the Chargers again (in OT this time), and Hasselbeck wrapped up an astounding 10-game stretch where he'd throw for over 3000 yards and help salvage a 7-9 season after an abysmal 1-5 start.
1. 9/26/10 @ Seahawks 27, Chargers 20
It seems strange, but less than four years ago the Seahawks were an almost entirely different team. The Marshawn Lynch trade hadn't happened yet, so our leading rusher was still Justin Forsett (Aww. I just made myself miss Young Nastyman). Russell Wilson was still at North Carolina State, and Richard Sherman was still being coached by Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. The Hawks took the field as heavy underdogs against the mighty Chargers, and if all you did was look at the statline, you would have thought San Diego won in a blowout. But as I wrote in this space back then:
Yeah, the Chargers outgained the Seahawks 518-271. Who gives a fuck when you've got Leon Washington racking up 253(!) kickoff return yards and two spectacular touchdowns? Yeah, Philip Rivers threw for 455 yards. Good for him and his fantasy owners. He also threw 2 key interceptions to Earl Thomas (including the game-clincher late in the 4th) and took a pretty fucking brutal beating. Finally, the Chargers didn't turn the ball over five times. The Seahawks TOOK the ball away 5 times, you sumbitches!
As we know now, that upset of San Diego was only the appetizer before the biggest upset in NFL playoff history a few months later. This was also the day we saw Earl Thomas' first steps toward football immortality.
Any other warm and fuzzy memories of blacking out the Chargers you wanna share, Twelves? Have at it in the comments section!
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