2006 San Diego Chargers season

2006 San Diego Chargers season
2006 San Diego Chargers season
Owner	Alex Spanos
General manager	A. J. Smith
Head coach	Marty Schottenheimer
Offensive coordinator	Cam Cameron
Defensive coordinator	Wade Phillips
Home stadium	Qualcomm Stadium
Results
Record	14–2
Division place	1st AFC West
Playoffs	Lost Divisional Playoffs; (vs. Patriots) 21–24
All-Pros	6 RB LaDainian Tomlinson (1st team); FB Lorenzo Neal (1st team); TE Antonio Gates (1st team); DT Jamal Williams (1st team); OLB Shawne Merriman (1st team); K Nate Kaeding (2nd team);
Pro Bowlers	11 QB Philip Rivers; RB LaDainian Tomlinson; FB Lorenzo Neal; TE Antonio Gates; T Marcus McNeill; C Nick Hardwick; DT Jamal Williams; OLB Shawne Merriman; K Nate Kaeding; ST Kassim Osgood; LS David Binn;

The 2006 season was the San Diego Chargers' 37th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 47th overall and the fifth and final campaign under head coach Marty Schottenheimer. They improved on their 9–7 record in 2005 and finished the campaign as the No. 1 seed in the AFC ending the season at 14–2, the best record in the NFL in 2006 and also the best for Schottenheimer in his 21 seasons as an NFL head coach. Their two regular season losses were by a combined 6 points. However, the team would experience a disappointing home-field playoff loss for the second time in the past three seasons losing in the final minutes, this time to the New England Patriots 24–21. This was the first of four consecutive AFC West titles for the Chargers. The Chargers won all 8 regular season games at Qualcomm.

Running back LaDainian Tomlinson led the league in rushing with 1,815 yards, as well as setting NFL single-season records for rushing touchdowns (28) and total touchdowns (31). It was the final season the Chargers wore the unis they had worn since the 1988 season.

The 2006 Chargers are widely considered to be one of the greatest teams to not make the Super Bowl.