The 49ers (7-2) travel to Qualcomm Stadium for a 1:15 PT kickoff against the San Diego Chargers (6-3).
Drew Brees starts at quarterback for San Diego. LaDainian Tomlinson runs the ball. Curtis Conway leads the receivers. Jeff Garcia starts for the 49ers; Kevan Barlow at running back; Terrell Owens at receiver.
Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson and the 6-3 San Diego Chargers host the 49ers Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium. The 49ers (7-2), off the cross-conference road win over the Chiefs, face the kind of road game where the Chargers' emerging offensive identity will be the kind of test the year's identity tape has not faced yet.
Jeff Garcia stays the starter. Kevan Barlow at running back. Terrell Owens the WR1. The Chargers come in with Brees in his second NFL year and Tomlinson on the verge of his All-Pro pace.
Favored by San Diego by 3 at home. The kind of cross-conference road game where 8-2 would put the 49ers in real conference contention.
Week 11 across the NFC sees the contenders pulling away. The Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, and Bears compete for division titles and wild-card spots. The 49ers (7-2) lead the NFC West. Around the AFC the Patriots, Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers (6-3) compete. The Sunday road game is the kind of week where the 49ers, against an emerging AFC team, will face the year's biggest cross-conference offensive test.
Through nine games the 49ers are 7-2 with a +43 point differential. Jeff Garcia averages 7.5 yards per attempt with 12 TDs and five INTs. Garrison Hearst averages 65 rushing yards a game with four TDs. Terrell Owens averages 86 receiving yards a game with four TDs. The defense allows 16.7 points per game. The Chargers are 6-3 with Drew Brees averaging 215 passing yards a game and 9 TDs/8 INTs. LaDainian Tomlinson averages 100 rushing yards a game with 7 TDs. Vegas opens San Diego as 3-point home favorites; total 41.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 5-4 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 5-4 | L3 |
| New England Patriots | 5-4 | W2 |
| New York Jets | 4-5 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-3-1 | T1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4-5 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-5 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-8 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 5-4 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 5-4 | W4 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 4-5 | W1 |
| Houston Texans | 2-7 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 6-3 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-3 | L2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5-4 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-5 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 7-2 | W3 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4-5 | -- |
| St. Louis Rams | 4-5 | W4 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3-6 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6-3 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 5-4 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-5 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-6 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 8-1 | W7 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-6 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 2-7 | L7 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2-7 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 7-2 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7-2 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-3-1 | T1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 3-6 | L6 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chargers | Reche Caldwell 4 yard pass from Drew Brees ( Steve Christie kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Terrell Owens 32 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jose Cortez kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Terrell Owens 76 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jose Cortez kick) | 14-7 |
| 49ers | Jose Cortez 24 yard field goal | 17-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chargers | Steve Christie 36 yard field goal | 17-10 |
| Chargers | Fred McCrary 1 yard pass from Drew Brees ( Steve Christie kick) | 17-17 |
| OT | ||
| Chargers | Steve Christie 40 yard field goal | 17-20 |
Drew Brees threw two touchdown passes and the San Diego Chargers beat the 49ers 20-17 at Qualcomm Stadium. Brees finished 29-of-50 for 336 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 88. Jeff Garcia threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns. Terrell Owens caught seven for 171 with two touchdowns. Kevan Barlow ran for 49. The 49ers fell to 7-3 in the cross-conference road loss.[1][2][3]
Terrell Owens caught seven passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium. The San Diego Chargers beat the 49ers 20-17 in the kind of cross-conference road loss where, despite Owens's 171-yard receiving day, the year's defense surrendered Drew Brees's 336-yard volume passing.
Jeff Garcia threw for 337 yards with two touchdowns. Owens caught both. Kevan Barlow ran for 49. Brees was 29-of-50 for 336 with two TDs. LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 88. The 49ers' offense produced 17 points but the defense surrendered 20 in the late-game one-score loss.
7-3. The kind of cross-conference road loss where, against an emerging AFC team, the year's identity tape produced the kind of competitive performance the staff has been building. The Philadelphia Eagles at home next Sunday in another NFC matchup. The kind of November where the 49ers' competitive identity, with the kind of season arc the staff is producing, has the kind of season-ending momentum the playoff race requires.
Chargers 20, 49ers 17. Margin: -3. Ten-game record: 7-3, +40 differential.
* Drew Brees: 29-of-50 for 336, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
* LaDainian Tomlinson: 24 carries for 88.
* Curtis Conway: receiving production.
* Jeff Garcia: 25-of-43 for 337, 2 TDs (Owens x2), 1 INT.
* Kevan Barlow: 13 carries for 49.
* Terrell Owens: 7 catches for 171, 2 TDs.
* 49ers 7-3; Chargers 7-3.
A 20-17 cross-conference road loss at Qualcomm Stadium. The 49ers fall to 7-3.
How it unfolded
The Chargers scored on their opening drive with a Brees touchdown to make it 7-0. The 49ers answered with a Garcia touchdown to Owens to tie at 7-7. San Diego added a field goal to make it 10-7. The 49ers added a Garcia second touchdown to Owens to push the lead to 14-10. The second quarter was a Chargers touchdown to make it 17-14. The third quarter was a Jose Cortez field goal that tied it at 17-17. The fourth quarter was a Chargers field goal to win it 20-17. The 49ers' final possession ended without scoring chances.
The turning point
The Chargers' fourth-quarter field goal. With the score tied 17-17 and the year's identity tape on the verge of producing the kind of cross-conference road win the playoff race requires, San Diego's final drive produced the kind of late-game field goal that ended the year's win streak.
By the numbers
Garcia 337 passing on 43 attempts with two TDs and an INT. Kevan Barlow 49 rushing on 13 carries. Owens 171 receiving on 7 catches with two TDs. Brees 336 on 50 attempts with two TDs. LaDainian Tomlinson 88 rushing.
Personnel watch
Terrell Owens's 171-yard receiving day with two TDs. Jeff Garcia's 337-yard passing day with two TDs. Kevan Barlow's productive rushing. The defense surrendering Brees's 336 yards. The kind of cross-conference road loss where the offense produced 17 but the defense surrendered 20.
What it means
7-3 with the Eagles at home next Sunday. The kind of cross-conference road loss where, against an emerging AFC team, the year's identity tape produced the kind of competitive game the playoff-bound team has been building. The NFC West remains the 49ers' division to win.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Garcia | 25/43 | 337 | 2 | 1 | |
| SDG | |||||
| Drew Brees | 29/50 | 336 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Garrison Hearst | 12 | 66 | 0 | 12 |
| Kevan Barlow | 13 | 49 | 0 | 14 |
| Jeff Garcia | 4 | 21 | 0 | 13 |
| Fred Beasley | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| SDG | ||||
| LaDainian Tomlinson | 24 | 88 | 0 | 27 |
| Drew Brees | 2 | 15 | 0 | 10 |
| Tim Dwight | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Jesse Chatman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Terrell Owens | 7 | 171 | 2 | 76 |
| Tai Streets | 8 | 78 | 0 | 17 |
| J.J. Stokes | 3 | 44 | 0 | 20 |
| Garrison Hearst | 3 | 22 | 0 | 12 |
| Cedrick Wilson | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Justin Swift | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Kevan Barlow | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Fred Beasley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| SDG | ||||
| Curtis Conway | 7 | 152 | 0 | 47 |
| Tim Dwight | 5 | 64 | 0 | 23 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | 8 | 57 | 0 | 16 |
| Reche Caldwell | 3 | 21 | 1 | 10 |
| Stephen Alexander | 2 | 18 | 0 | 14 |
| Eric Parker | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Fred McCrary | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Justin Peelle | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2002 W11 - 49ers at San Diego Chargers - Game Thread
