Chargers-Steelers 1982 Divisional Playoff
From AFL origins to Super Bowl contender, the Chargers' legacy spans six decades.
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Quick Facts
- Event
- 1982 NFL Divisional Playoff
- Date
- January 3, 1983
- Location
- Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh
- Chargers coach
- Don Coryell
- Steelers coach
- Chuck Noll
- Result
- Pittsburgh Steelers won 31-28
Lore & Background
The franchise has experienced three major periods of success. The first was from 1960 to 1965, when the Chargers were AFL West champions five times and AFL champions once (in 1963). The second was from 1978 to 1982, when the Chargers had five consecutive winning records, four playoff appearances and three division championships. The most recent spell of sustained success ranged from 2004 to 2009, with the franchise reaching the playoffs five times in six years, each time as the AFC West champion. This run included their best regular season record, as they went 14–2 in 2006. Their only Super Bowl appearance was in 1994 (a loss to the San Francisco 49ers).
Reader's Guide
The Chargers have been division champions 14 times: five in the AFL West and nine in the AFC West. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Chargers have played 65 seasons, with a cumulative record of 494–495–11 in the regular season and 12–20 in the postseason.
Did You Know?
- The Chargers were founded in 1959 by Barron Hilton.
- The team played the 1960 season in Los Angeles, then moved to San Diego the next season.
- In 2017, the Chargers relocated back to the Greater Los Angeles area.
- The Chargers' worst record to date was 1–15 in 2000.
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