An 0-4 start usually feels like a season slipping through a team’s fingers before it’s even had a chance to breathe. And in NFL history, that kind of hole has almost always been too deep to climb out of.
There’s only one team that has turned an 0-4 opening into a playoff berth: the 1992 San Diego Chargers.
That group began the year in rough shape, scoring just 29 points over its first four games and dropping to 0-4. The outlook wasn’t exactly rosy from there. San Diego had gone 4-12 in each of the previous two seasons, and with a shaky defense and an offense that had gone quiet early, the Chargers looked more likely to land near the bottom of the conference than anywhere near the postseason.
But the season did come with one major change. Bobby Ross was in his first year as head coach, bringing a strong college résumé with him after rebuilding Maryland and Georgia Tech. San Diego was banking on that track record translating to the pro game.
The turnaround started in Week 5. Quarterback Stan Humphries, who had been acquired from Washington after John Friesz went down with a knee injury in the preseason, began settling in after a slow start. The Chargers finally broke through with a 17-6 win over the Seahawks, and Humphries threw two touchdown passes in the victory.
They backed it up the next week with a 34-14 rout of the Colts. From there, the momentum snowballed.
San Diego won 11 of its next 12 games and surged to the top of its division. A Week 17 win locked up a playoff spot, giving the Chargers their first postseason trip in 10 years.
Once they got there, they didn’t stop immediately. San Diego beat the Chiefs in the playoffs before the run ended in the divisional round against Dan Marino and the Dolphins.
That season also mattered beyond the standings. It helped Ross establish the kind of culture he wanted in San Diego, and two years later the Chargers were in the Super Bowl. The core that formed during Ross’ first season - Humphries, Tony Martin, and Shawn Jefferson - all played key roles in that 1992 turnaround.
An 0-4 start is brutal. History says it’s almost impossible to recover from. But the 1992 Chargers did it, and they’re still the only team to turn that kind of beginning into a playoff run.
In Other News...
Chargers Injury Pileup Is Raising Bigger Questions About Jim Harbaugh
The injury list around the Chargers has become a weekly burden, with roughly 20 players showing up on reports and nine already on injured reserve heading into Week 5. For a team that opened 0-4, the sheer volume of absences has made it hard to separate bad health luck from a bigger organizational problem, especially as the Broncos come to town and the roster keeps thinning out in key spots.
Jim Harbaugh was brought in to steady things, but the early-season spiral has only intensified the scrutiny around how the staff is navigating it. The latest wave of roster attrition has only added to the pressure, and with Los Angeles still searching for its first win, the conversation is starting to move beyond this weeks matchup and toward what all of it could mean for the coaching staff if the slide continues. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Khalil Mack Decision Before The Deadline
Khalil Macks early-season production has put an unexpected wrinkle into the Chargers build-up to the trade deadline. The veteran edge rusher, now 35, has three sacks in four games and remains one of the more recognizable names on a team trying to sort out its place in the AFC picture, which is why his situation has started to draw attention beyond Los Angeles.
Several league sources and analysts have suggested that a move involving Mack could make sense for both sides, especially given his past mixed feelings about leaving Chicago. The Chargers, though, have not shown any indication they want to move him, and with the deadline set for Nov. 10, the question is whether this becomes a real decision point or just another piece of outside chatter around a player who still matters to what Los Angeles is trying to do. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Injuries Could Force Oronde Gadsden Into A Bigger Role
The Chargers are heading into their game against the Broncos with some real uncertainty at wide receiver, and that could reshape how the passing game is distributed. Quentin Johnston and Brenen Thompson have already been ruled out, while Ladd McConkey is questionable because of a foot injury, leaving Los Angeles thin enough to consider other answers in the middle of the field.
One of those answers could be tight end Oronde Gadsden, who has already shown some involvement and may be asked to do more if the position remains short-handed. With the receiver room compromised and other tight ends potentially limited as well, the Chargers may need to lean on Gadsden for extra snaps and targets in a game that now feels a lot more unsettled than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]