DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 13: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers warms-up prior to a game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on October 13, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
The Chargers beat the Broncos 23-16 to snap their 3 game winning streak. Below is the recap and postgame interviews:
The Chargers won the coin toss and deferred to the 2nd half so the Broncos offense would take the field first.
Bo Nix and the Broncos offense started at their own 30 yard line to begin their first drive and after a couple of handoffs, Bo Nix's high pass targeting Marvin Mims was tipped and intercepted by Elijah Molden and returned to Denver 31 yard line.
So, Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense in great field position, immediately went to the passing game and on the first pass, Pat Surtain had a great breakup but was injured and taken into the locker room in with a possible concussion. Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh also went into the locker room with an illness. The Broncos defense was able to stall the Chargers drive at the 2 yard line after Brandon Jones stopped Ladd McConkey at the goal line and settled for a 20 yard field goal. Chargers early lead 3-0 with 9:26 remaining in the 1st quarter.
Broncos offense went back to work from their own 34 yard line. It seemed like the Broncos would get their first 1st down of the game but on 3rd and 1, a false start doomed the drive. The Chargers would start their next drive from their 17 yard line after a 45 yard punt.
Jim Harbaugh returned to the sideline as Herbert and the Chargers offense looked to build on their early lead. On 3rd and 10, Ja'Quan McMillian slipped and Josh Palmer caught a pass over the middle and took to 24 yards upfield. JK Dobbins got the Chargers to midfield and a couple of plays later, Herbert found Kimani Vidal down the right sideline for a 38 yard touchdown to extend the Chargers lead 10-0 with 4:59 remaining in the 1st quarter.
Now in a 2 score deficit, the Broncos offense was looking for any kind of spark and went back to the ground game with a handoffs to Troy Franklin and Javonte Williams. On 3rd and 6, Bo Nix scrambles to give the Broncos their first 1st down of the game. Unfortunately, that's all the offense could muster as a few plays later, Denver was punting it back to LA.
Starting at their own 9 yard line, the Chargers offense went back to work with 1:50 remaining in the 1st quarter. Once again, on a 3rd and long, Justin Herbert found Josh Palmer over the middle of the field to pick up their initial first down of the drive as we closed out the first quarter. Herbert comfortably moved the offense to midfield as he continued to spread the ball around. JK Dobbins got LA into Denver territory and Herbert, once again, converted on 3rd down to Stone Smartt as they got into Field Goal range. Darius Davis went around the right end on a jet sweep for 10 yards to get the Chargers into the Red Zone. On 3rd and 8, Ja'Quan McMillian was called for pass interference and the Chargers were set up in a goal to go situation at the 7 yard line. On 3rd down, Zach Allen sacked Justin Herbert who fumbled the ball but it bounced right back into his arms. After a TWENTY play drive that took 10:29 off the clock, the Chargers settle for a 33 yard field goal to extend the lead 13-0 with 6:21 remaining in the 1st half.
Bo Nix and the Broncos offense NEEDED to put together some kind of drive together to give the defense a rest and Javonte got a quick 13 yards to get the drive started but once they got to midfield, Javonte had the ball stripped by Khalil Mack and gave it right back to LA at the Chargers 44 yard line with 4:32 remaining in the 1st half.
So, Los Angeles was looking to put the hammer down on the Broncos now given another opportunity to get points before halftime and were able to convert ANOTHER 3rd and long. After a 20 yard catch and run by Will Dissley, the Chargers were right back inside the Red Zone. A few plays later, JK Dobbins punched it in from 4 yards out and the Chargers extended their lead 20-0 with 1 minute remaining in the 1st half.
Bo Nix completed a HUGE 46 yard pass to Courtland Sutton but it was called back on a hold by Quinn Meinerz and the Broncos couldn't get anything going and forced to punt again eventually leading to halftime.
Chargers got the ball to start the 2nd half and, after an initial first down, the Broncos defense FINALLY got their offense off the field on 3rd down and would get the ball back at their own 18 yard line with 10:59 remaining in the 3rd quarter looking to get back into the game somehow.
Bo Nix was able to provide a spark with his scrambling ability, first with a 10 yard run and then with a 20 yard run where he looked like he was going to be sacked by Bud Dupree and escaped down the right sideline. The Broncos were suddenly in Chargers territory but delay of game and illegal formation penalties stalled the drive and Denver punted it back to LA who started their next drive from their own 8 yard line with 7:33 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
The Chargers, once again, TWICE converted 3rd and long plays as they moved into Denver territory looking to add on to their lead. Nik Bonitto sacked Justin Herbert on 1st down at the Denver 30 yard line and eventually LA would settle for a 46 yard field goal, extending the lead 23-0 with 2:35 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
The Broncos quickly went 3 and out which included a 3rd down sack by Morgan Fox and Denver sent it right back to the Chargers who would start their next drive, after a good punt return, at the Denver 45 yard line.
The defense did it's job and forced a 3 and out so the offense would start a drive from their own 5 yard line trailing by 3 scores. FINALLY, the Broncos offense came to life and Bo Nix orchestrated incredible poise completing big passes to Troy Franklin for 27 yards and Devaughn Vele for 37 yards before completing a 2 yard touchdown to his former college teammate Franklin in the back of the end zone for a 2 yard TD, cutting into the Chargers lead 23-7 with 10:06 remaining.
The Denver defense forced a quick 3 and out that included a sack by Justin Strnad and the offense went back to work at their own 36 yard line with 9:23 remaining in the game.
Bo Nix, once again, moved the Broncos offense down the field with big completions to Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele. On 4th and 5, Bo Nix made a heads up play and scrambled for a first down. On the next play, Nix threw the ball to Sutton who made a MIRACULOUS one handed catch in the end zone to cut the lead 23-13. The two point conversion failed, but the Broncos offense at least made things a bit interesting with 5:27 remaining in the game.
The Broncos defense couldn't force a quick 3 and out so after a 6 play drive that took nearly 3 minutes off of the clock, the offense didn't get it back until there was only 2:26 remaining in the game. After a 20 yard completion to Devaughn Vele and 10 yard completion to Javonte Williams, the Bo Nix added a 21 yard scramble that got the team in field goal range to convert a 40 yarder to pull the Broncos within a score 23-16, with 1 minute remaining. A failed onside kick would lead to the Chargers eventually beating the Broncos 23-16
Our next broadcast will be on Thursday as the Broncos are in New Orleans to face the Saints. Coverage on KOA starts at 12pm MTN.
Below are postgame interviews with Sean Payton, Bo Nix