Record 12–2 Start date 1961 Owner Barron Hilton Home field Balboa Stadium | Division place 1st Western Division Head coach Sid Gillman General manager Sid Gillman | |
Playoff finish Lost AFL Championship (Houston Oilers, 10–3) People also search for 1962 San Diego Chargers season | ||
The 1961 San Diego Chargers season was the team's second in the American Football League. It was the Chargers' first season in San Diego, where the team remained until 2017. The Chargers won their first eleven games and clinched the Western Division by mid-November, but only managed one victory in December. Like the previous season, the Chargers' season ended with a loss to the Houston Oilers in the AFL championship game, this time 10–3 at Balboa Stadium in San Diego.
The 1961 Chargers set a modern-era pro football record with 66 takeaways, most in AFL or NFL history. The Chargers also recorded the most interceptions returned for a touchdown in both league histories with nine, with the team recording a total of 49 interceptions for 929 yards, both NFL records.
Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.