| 1994 San Diego Chargers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Alex Spanos |
| General manager | Bobby Beathard |
| Head coach | Bobby Ross |
| Home field | Jack Murphy Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 1st AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Dolphins) 22–21 Won AFC Championship (at Steelers) 17–13 Lost Super Bowl XXIX (vs. 49ers) 26–49 |
| Pro Bowlers | 4 |
| AP All-Pros | 3
|
The 1994 San Diego Chargers season was the team's 35th, its 25th in the National Football League (NFL) and its 34th in San Diego. It featured a surprising run to Super Bowl XXIX, where the Chargers lost to the San Francisco 49ers. To date, this is the only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
The 1994 season began with the team trying to improve on their 8–8 record in 1993. The offense underwent a major overhaul, with the club leaders in rushing and receiving yards (Marion Butts and Anthony Miller) both traded during the offseason. Second-year running back Natrone Means took over the lead rusher role, setting a club record with 1,350 yards during the regular season. At wide receiver, the trio of Tony Martin, Shawn Jefferson and Mark Seay combined for over 2,000 yards. On defense, Junior Seau and Leslie O'Neal repeated as the club leaders in tackles and sacks respectively; Stanley Richard ran two of his four interceptions back for touchdowns. Future All-Pro safety Rodney Harrison joined the team as a fifth-round draft pick but primarily played on special teams, where the Chargers had four touchdowns on kick returns and John Carney led the league in scoring. It was the franchise's first season with long snapper David Binn on the roster. He would play seventeen seasons as a Charger, a franchise record.
San Diego won their first six games en route to an 11–5 record and were crowned AFC West champions. In the playoffs, they defeated the Miami Dolphins 22–21 after trailing 21–6 at halftime, then they produced an upset 17–13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game having trailed 13–3 in the 3rd quarter. They advanced to Super Bowl XXIX, only to lose to the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers 49–26 at Joe Robbie Stadium.[1]