Chargers rally in second half to overcome Broncos, improve AFC playoff seed
Jim Harbaugh called. The Chargers responded.
Needing to bounce back quickly from a blowout loss last Sunday to not only save their playoff seeding but also reinforce Harbaugh’s first-year turnaround of the much-maligned franchise, the Chargers delivered a thrilling second-half comeback against the Denver Broncos, winning 34-27 at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night.
The Chargers (9-6) clawed back from a near-disastrous first half to secure their first season sweep over the Broncos (9-6) since 2010, backing up a Week 6 win in Denver that was the team’s first road win in the series since 2018.
“This is a challenge and the challenge is how you’re going to respond,” Harbaugh said. “I knew how our guys were going to respond and they did.”
Chargers rally to defeat the Denver Broncos 34-27
🏈 Chargers 34, Broncos 27 — FINAL
Chargers linebacker Nick Niemann recovered an onside kick by the Broncos with just under a minute left in the game to secure a thrilling comeback victory that moves L.A. to the cusp of a playoff berth.
Wil Lutz kicked a 55-yard field goal with 57 seconds left for the Broncos, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Denver from being swept this season by the Chargers.
The Chargers improved to 9-6 and the Broncos fell to 9-6. If the Chargers defeat New England on Dec. 28, they’ll make the playoffs.
Justin Herbert completed 23 of 31 passes for 284 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. Gus Edwards rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns in 14 carries and Ladd McConkey had six catches for 87 yards.
Denver quarterback Bo Nix completed 29 of 40 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
Chargers extend their lead on Hassan Haskins’ 34-yard TD
🏈 Chargers 34, Broncos 24 — 2:23 left in the fourth quarter
Hassan Haskins scored on a 34-yard catch-and-run, weaving in and out of Broncos defenders after hauling in a flip pass from Justin Herbert to give the Chargers a 10-point lead.
Herbert kept the scoring drive alive when he scrambled 16 yards on third down to pick up a critical first down. He was by far the Chargers’ leading rusher until the next play when Gus Edwards broke off a 43-yard, tackle-shedding run that forced the Broncos to use their first timeout to stop the clock.
Haskins scored on the next play to cap the six-play, 90-yard drive.
Chargers defense making life miserable for Bo Nix in fourth quarter
🏈 Chargers 27, Broncos 24 — 4:28 left in the fourth quarter
The resurgent Chargers defense has forced the Broncos to punt on five of their last six possessions — holding Denver to just a field goal after it scored touchdowns on its first three possessions.
On the last Broncos possession, Bud Dupree sacked Nix on first down before another falter Denver drive.
Of course, the Broncos aren’t letting up on Justin Herbert. Drew Sanders sacked Herbert on third down to snuff out an L.A. drive before it could even start.
Derius Davis touchdown catch pushes Chargers into lead
🏈 Chargers 27, Broncos 24 — 12:23 left in the fourth quarter
Derius Davis caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert and Joshua Palmer made a spectacular catch on the two-point try to give the Chargers their first lead of the game.
The two-point conversion was tipped by a Broncos defender, then Palmer batted down the ball with one hand to make a catch in the back of the end zone. And Herbert was nearly sacked on his touchdown pass to Davis.
Davis’ first career receiving touchdown came one play after Herbert connected on a 17-yard pass to Ladd McConkey. The seven-play, 78-yard drive also included a 12-yard reception by Palmer.
Herbert has completed 20 of 24 passes for 236 yards, with a touchdown and an interception so far. McConkey has 87 yards on six catches.
Gus Edwards touchdown makes it a five-point game
🏈 Broncos 24, Chargers 19 — 2:58 left in the third quarter
Gus Edwards scored on a five-yard touchdown run, but the Chargers failed to convert on a two-point try to make it a five-point game late in the third quarter.
The touchdown capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive by the Chargers, that included a 19-yard reception by Stone Smartt and an 18-yard scramble by Justin Herbert.
Chargers make history with rare fair catch kick against Broncos
The Chargers ended an otherwise disastrous first half against the Denver Broncos with a rare fair catch kick from Cameron Dicker that cut the Chargers deficit to 21-13 entering the locker room.
Chargers punt returner Derius Davis was tripped up on a fair catch attempt as time expired for the second quarter. The first half was extended for one untimed down with the Chargers getting the ball at the Denver 47 yard line. The Chargers, who turned the ball over on a Justin Herbert interception on their previous offensive drive, initially ran the offense onto the field to possibly throw a Hail Mary.
But after deliberation, Dicker ran on.
Teams are allowed to kick immediately after a fair catch, but the obscure rule is almost never used. The last NFL player to connect on such a kick was the Chargers’ Ray Wersching on Nov. 21, 1976. The made a kick from 45 yards on the final play of the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills.
Broncos take a 24-13 lead over Chargers in third quarter
🏈 Broncos 24, Chargers 13 — 8:31 left in the third quarter
Wil Lutz kicked a 41-yard field goal to extend the Broncos’ lead off their first possession of the second half.
The Broncos drove 47 yards on 11 plays, and converted on fourth and two before eventually moving into field-goal range.
Chargers score on ‘fair catch kick’ to cut into Broncos’ lead
🏈 Broncos 21, Chargers 13 — HALFTIME
Cameron Dicker made a rare 57-yard “fair catch kick” field goal on the final play of the first half, capitalizing on a Broncos penalty to cut into the Broncos’ lead in unusual fashion.
It was the first successful “fair catch kick” since 1976 and came about after Denver’s Tremon Smith was called for fair-catch interference on the final play of the first half. The penalty moved the ball to the Denver 38 and allowed the Chargers to try for three points.
The obscure “fair catch kick” rule allows any team that has made a fair catch to try for a free-kick field goal at the spot of the catch.
It allowed the Chargers to save some face after Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine picked off a pass at the goal line to stymie the Chargers’ efforts to score another touchdown before halftime.
Abrams-Draine got underneath Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer, making a perfect read on the play to pick off Justin Herbert. The Chargers quarterback has thrown interceptions in back-to-back games. Before Sunday, he hadn’t thrown an interception since Week 2.
A sack by Joey Bosa on Bo Nix allowed the Chargers to finally get a stop on defense late in the second quarter.
Nix completed 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Herbert completed 12 of 15 passes for 140 yards.
Bo Nix connects with Devaughn Vele for another Denver TD
🏈 Broncos 21, Chargers 10 — 6:22 left in the second quarter
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix connected on a six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devaughn Vele to extend the Broncos lead.
Denver has scored touchdowns on a three of its possessions so far. While Denver wasn’t having much of problem against the Chargers’ defense on the six-play, 70-yard drive, officials missed an apparent call for an ineligible man downfield against the Broncos on the touchdown play.
A 54-yard, tackle-evading catch-and-run by Marvin Mims Jr. helped set up the touchdown.
Adding to the Chargers’ woes — Gus Edwards was limping on the sideline after the Chargers’ previous possession.
Chargers cut into Broncos’ lead with field goal
🏈 Broncos 14, Chargers 10 — 8:50 left in the second quarter
Cameron Dicker kicked a 37-yard field goal after the Chargers fail to convert on third and inches.
Gus Edwards was hit behind the line by Denver defensive end Zach Allen on that third down, persuading Jim Harbaugh to go with the field-goal try.
Until that play, the Chargers looked like they were on their way to the end zone. Ladd McConkey kicked off the drive with a 27-yard catch-and-run and Stone Smartt caught at 12-yard pass two plays later. But the eight-play, 51-yard drive sputtered once it reached the red zone.
Broncos retake lead with Michael Burton TD catch
🏈 Broncos 14, Chargers 7 — 12:17 left in the second quarter
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix rolled out and connected with fullback Michael Burton on a one-yard touchdown pass to cap an efficient, 12-play, 70-yard drive for Denver.
It’s clear injuries are having an impact on the Chargers’ defense, especially in the secondary — starting safety Elijah Molden (knee) and starting cornerback Cam Hart (concussion) aren’t playing tonight.
Denver’s scoring drive included a 15-yard run-and-catch by Devaughn Vele and a 18-yard pass from Nix to Courtland Sutton. Nix has completed nine of 11 passes for 71 yards.
Chargers tie game on Gus Edwards touchdown run
🏈 Broncos 7, Chargers 7 — 3:09 left in the first quarter
Running back Gus Edwards scored on a one-yard touchdown run as the Chargers responded decisively after Denver’s opening touchdown.
Justin Herbert helped orchestrate an eight-play, 70-yard drive that included a 24-yard reception by Joshua Palmer and a 19-yard run by Kimani Vidal.
Herbert has connected on four of four passes for 43 yards.
Broncos score a touchdown on their first possession
🏈 Broncos 7, Chargers 0 — 7:34 left in the first quarter
Broncos rookie Audric Estime scored on a three-yard touchdown run to cap an impressive opening drive against the Chargers’ defense.
The touchdown was set up by a 13-yard catch-and-run by Blake Watson that ended with Chargers safety Tony Jefferson drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty after making helmet-to-helmet contact with Watson.
Broncos running back Javonte Williams had a 15-yard run and tight end Nate Adkins caught a 13-yard pass to help fuel the 10-play, 72-yard drive.
The Chargers went three and out on the first possession of the game. Going back to Sunday, the Chargers have give up 37 straight points without scoring.
Chargers safety Marcus Maye sustained an ankle injury and is questionable to return.
NFL Week 16 picks: Packers poised to clinch a playoff berth
Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups this week. Lines according to FanDuel Sportsbook (O/U = over/under). Record last week 13-3 (.813); season 154-70 (.688). Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 9-7 (.563); season 120-102-2 (.541). Times Pacific. TV channels are Los Angeles local.
BRONCOS (9-5) AT CHARGERS (8-6)
Tonight, 5:15. TV: Channel 11 (FOX), Amazon Prime Video
Line: Chargers by 2½. O/U: 42½.
The Chargers are really struggling on offense, and it looks as if losing J.K. Dobbins hurts them more than a lot of people anticipated. There’s something to the coach-quarterback combo of Sean Payton and Bo Nix.
Pick: Broncos 24, Chargers 20
Short week is a tall order as Chargers aim to surpass Broncos with a season sweep
It’s December, but Troy Dye has been transported back to the dog days of training camp, when the calls were simple. The hours and days on the field ran together. His body aches were the same.
A Thursday night game can have that effect.
“It’s a true football test game for sure,” Dye said.
Four short days after a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chargers will try to regroup to face the Denver Broncos at 5:15 p.m. PST on Thursday at SoFi Stadium.
Chargers starting DB Elijah Molden inactive against Broncos
The Chargers will be without starting safety Elijah Molden against the Denver Broncos as the defensive back is inactive with a knee injury, the team announced. Molden didn’t practice this week as the Chargers had only four days to prepare for their “Thursday Night Football” game.
Cornerback Cam Hart (concussion) was already ruled out and Molden’s injury will further test a Chargers secondary that already has Alohi Gilman (hamstring) on injured reserve. They’ve been relying on last-minute additions Tony Jefferson, who was elevated from the practice squad, and waiver-wire find Marcus Maye to fill in for Gilman.
Molden is the team’s third-leading tackler with 68 stops and three interceptions, which ranks second on the team.
The Chargers will welcome back a key piece to the defense in linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin). He missed the last four games. Left guard Zion Johnson, who was questionable with an ankle injury, will play Thursday, along with Hayden Hurst (hip) as the tight end was activated off injured reserve this morning.
Other Chargers inactives:
- QB Easton Stick (emergency quarterback)
- LB Shaquille Quarterman
- OL Brenden Jaimes
- OL Jordan McFadden
- TE Will Dissly (shoulder)
And here are the inactives for the Broncos:
Against the Broncos, Chargers will face a problem (Bo Nix) that L.A. created
Bo Nix isn’t the same quarterback the Chargers prepared for in Week 6. Jesse Minter knows he’s partially to blame.
“We kind of sparked his run on what we let him do to us in the fourth quarter of that game,” the Chargers defensive coordinator said sheepishly this week.
After Nix threw two touchdowns to help score 16 points in the fourth quarter against the Chargers in Week 6, Minter must now face the monster he helped unleash. The rookie quarterback leads the Broncos (9-5) into a critical divisional rematch Thursday as the Chargers (8-6) try to reverse a late-season swoon.
The Broncos started 3-3, including a 23-16 loss to the Chargers in Denver on Oct. 13, but have won six of their last eight with a four-game winning streak entering Thursday’s prime-time game at SoFi Stadium.
Chargers-Broncos game could decide playoff opponents, a scary prospect
The game got away. Needing to pick up the pieces after a 40-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chargers will try to ensure the season doesn’t slip away next.
With just their second losing streak of the season, the Chargers (8-6) face a critical AFC West game against the Denver Broncos (9-5) that could decide each team’s playoff seeding.
The winner of Thursday night’s game at SoFi Stadium has the upper hand for the No. 6 seed that likely would face the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) or Baltimore Ravens (9-5) in the first round of the playoffs. The Chargers and Broncos already lost to both AFC North contenders this season, but the alternative is even more treacherous.
Chargers takeaways: Thursday matchup with Broncos critical after loss to Buccaneers
Jim Harbaugh’s news conference after the Chargers’ 40-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday was part postgame recap and part pregame look-ahead. The Chargers didn’t have any time to waste with the Denver Broncos coming to SoFi Stadium on Thursday.
“It’s football,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve seen the good times and today we’re staring at adversity. It’s how we respond. That’s where my mind is on to: Getting ready for this next game.”
Thursday’s AFC West rematch against the Broncos (9-5) is the most important game of the Chargers’ season, safety Derwin James Jr. said.
Chargers vs. Denver Broncos: How to watch, predictions and betting odds
The Chargers already ended one streak against the Denver Broncos this season. Now they’ll try to end an even longer drought with greater stakes.
After earning their first win in Denver since 2018 this season in October, the Chargers will play for their first season sweep of their AFC West rivals since 2010 on Thursday at 5:15 PST at SoFi Stadium. The division rematch can shake up the playoff picture.
The Broncos (9-5) have won four games in a row, tied for the longest active streak among AFC teams. The surge has pushed them into the sixth seed in the AFC playoff standings and a win or tie Thursday will clinch their playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Chargers (8-6) are flailing for the first time this season.
It’s not just their two-game losing streak, but it’s also that the Chargers got blown out for the first time under Jim Harbaugh last Sunday. The Buccaneers hung 40 points on the NFL’s stingiest defense.
The shocking performance dropped the Chargers into a tie for first among the NFL’s best scoring defenses. They are now even with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Broncos, allowing 17.6 points per game.