Only one NFL team in history has managed to reach the playoffs after starting its season 0-4: the 1992 San Diego Chargers. That season, the Chargers stumbled through their first four games, scoring a mere 29 points and leaving little hope of turning around what looked like another disappointing year.
San Diego entered the 1992 campaign with low expectations. The previous two seasons had ended with identical 4-12 records, a symptom of a struggling offense and a porous defense. The team brought in Bobby Ross, a first-year NFL head coach with a successful college track record, hoping he could revive the Chargers’ fortunes. Ross had previously led Maryland and Georgia Tech to strong seasons, but the NFL presented a tougher challenge.
The turning point came in Week 5 when quarterback Stan Humphries, acquired from Washington after John Friesz’s preseason knee injury, began to find his rhythm. San Diego notched its first win against the Seattle Seahawks, 17-6, with Humphries throwing two touchdown passes. The Chargers then followed that up with a 34-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts the next week.
After that, the Chargers went on a remarkable run, winning 11 of their final 12 games. This surge propelled them to the top of their division and secured their first playoff berth in a decade with a win in Week 17. In the postseason, San Diego defeated the Kansas City Chiefs before falling to the Miami Dolphins, led by Dan Marino, in the divisional round.
The 1992 Chargers’ comeback had an impact beyond just that season. Ross used the momentum to build a stronger team culture, and within two years, the Chargers reached the Super Bowl. The core of that squad—Humphries, wide receivers Tony Martin and Shawn Jefferson—had all played major roles during the 1992 turnaround.
Since then, no other NFL team has managed to reach the playoffs after an 0-4 start. The Chargers remain the only example of a team recovering from such a poor beginning to make the postseason. Their story serves as a rare case of resilience in a league where four straight losses often end playoff hopes early.
According to Yahoo Sports.
