The Broncos (9-6) did not clinch their first playoff look for the reason that 2015 season because the Los Angles Chargers (9-6) exploded within the second half, outscoring Denver 21-6 en path to a 34-27 victory on ‘Thursday Night Football’ and a season sweep of their AFC West rival.
The results of the Chargers’ victory is Los Angeles and Denver swap locations within the convention standings with the Chargers now standing because the AFC’s sixth seed and the Broncos tumbling all the way down to the seventh and ultimate postseason slot with two weeks remaining within the common season for each franchises.
Both groups entered Week 16 tied atop the NFL, together with the Philadelphia Eagles, for the league’s finest scoring protection, permitting 17.6 factors per recreation, and whereas Los Angeles’ protection did not look a prime scoring protection early, it definitely did late.
The Broncos offense did not have any points shifting the ball towards the host Chargers’ No. 1 scoring protection within the first two quarters, scoring touchdowns on every of their first three drives. The first concluded with a 3-yard dashing landing by fifth-round rookie operating again Audric Estime; the subsequent two had been a 1-yard landing go from first-round rookie quarterback Bo Nix to fullback Michael Burton, and one other landing go, a 6-yard strike, from Nix to seventh-round rookie vast receiver Devaughn Vele.
However, their offense went utterly chilly after their first three drives. Five of the Broncos’ ultimate seven drives resulted in punts with the opposite two being a 41-yard discipline objective to open the second half, and a 55-yard discipline objective on their ultimate possession of the evening. Nix completed the sport with 248 yards passing and two touchdowns on 29 of 40 passing, however he threw for under 109 yards on 14 of 19 passing within the recreation’s ultimate two quarters.
Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense fed off the momentum of concluding the half with a 57-yard discipline objective off the primary fair-catch kick since 1976 from kicker Cameron Dicker after the Broncos dedicated a good catch interference penalty on a punt with no time left on the clock that trimmed their halftime deficit to eight, 21-13. The Chargers scored three touchdowns on their 4 second-half possessions previous to recovering a last-ditch onside kick by the Broncos with slightly below a minute left to play. Running again Gus Edwards added his second dashing landing of the sport from 5 yards out and completed the sport with 68 dashing yards and two scores on 14 carries.
Then, Herbert locked in, throwing two landing passes, together with a miraculous 19-yarder to vast receiver Derius Davis wherein the Chargers quarterback launched the soccer to the tip whereas rolling to the left with a defender draped throughout him. A shovel go to operating again Hassan Haskins for a 34-yard rating with 2:27 left to play sealed the victory as Herbert completed with 284 yards passing, two touchdowns and an interception on 23 of 30 passing.
Why the Chargers received
Herbert heroics, and a protection that stepped up after a horrific begin. Herbert completed this recreation 23 of 30 for 284 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception, however the stat line does not do his efficiency justice — even once you account for his 40 dashing yards. He was firing lasers all around the discipline, and he repeatedly got here up with large performs on the most important moments. He was the very best participant on the sector. And L.A.’s protection yielded simply six factors the remainder of the sport, after permitting the Broncos to start the evening with three consecutive landing drives.
Why the Broncos misplaced
Their offense peaked too early, and their protection had no solutions as soon as the Chargers obtained going. As beforehand talked about, the Broncos scored touchdowns on every of their first three drives. But past the 21 factors they obtained, the convenience with which they did it was astounding. They opened the sport by going 72 yards on 10 performs, 70 yards on 12 performs and 70 yards on six performs. They did not take a adverse play till there have been round 4 minutes remaining within the first half. It was SO simple for them … till it wasn’t. After these first three possessions, Denver ran simply 35 extra performs, and gained solely 143 yards on these snaps. And after holding the Chargers to 10 factors on their first 5 possessions, the protection yielded three touchdowns on 4 second-half drives earlier than the ultimate possession the place the Chargers ran out the clock.
Turning level
Leading 21-10 late within the second quarter, the Broncos had the ball deep in their very own territory. They’d been rolling offensively so with 41 seconds left they tried to place collectively an actual drive reasonably than simply operating out the clock. But it went disastrously unhealthy. A primary-down go to Javonte Williams went backward. Crucially, a second-down go fell incomplete. And then a third-down run was stopped after only a yard, with 8 seconds left. The Chargers referred to as timeout to power a punt. Why not, proper? Something unusual would possibly occur. And then one thing unusual occurred.
That’s proper, we obtained a fair-catch free kick for the primary time since 1976. Aided, naturally, by a good catch interference penalty, which moved the ball into Cameron Dicker’s vary. That sequence left the Chargers down by just one rating at halftime, and began their run to ultimately win the sport.
Highlight play
It’s robust to decide on between Herbert’s ridiculous landing throws, however let’s go together with the one with a better diploma of issue.
SHEESH. That is a frozen rope, on the transfer to his left, thrown again throughout his physique, excessive of a defender and proper on the cash to the receiver, in stride, in the long run zone. Hard to make a greater throw than that.
What’s subsequent
L.A. improves to 9-6 with this win and in addition moved forward of the Broncos within the standings. The Chargers now maintain the No. 6 seed within the AFC and maintain the tiebreaker over Denver within the occasion the 2 groups end with the identical document. Their ultimate two video games of the season are at New England and at Las Vegas.
Denver drops to 9-6 with the loss and falls behind the Chargers within the standings. Denver now holds the No. 7 seed within the AFC however stays pretty protected within the playoff race, with the Colts, Dolphins and Bengals all sitting at 6-8 and needing loads of issues to interrupt their manner (doubtless together with Denver shedding out) in an effort to make the sector. The Broncos end out the season with video games at Cincinnati and residential towards the Chiefs.
