BESTS
This Graham is one tough cookie
Toughness: Broncos tight end Daniel Graham started despite suffering a serious high ankle sprain in the Dec. 13 game at Houston. Graham had no reason to play Monday against the Chargers with Denver out of playoff contention, but he wanted to be on the field to set an example.
Noise: Chargers fans were loud all game long.
Weather: This was Christmas Eve? The weather at Qualcomm Stadium was beautiful, with the temperature in the 60s.
Block: On LaDainian Tomlinson’s 17-yard touchdown run for the Chargers in the first quarter, Chris Chambers had a great block on Broncos cornerback Dre Bly.
Attitude: What makes Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey so great? He doesn’t celebrate when he knocks down a pass. As he showed in the first quarter, he gets mad at himself for not intercepting the ball.
WORSTS
The weakest links
Punts: Paul Ernster had a terrible night in his return. Ernster replaced veteran Todd Sauerbrun, who was released last week. Ernster punted for the Broncos in 2006.
Ball protection: Jay Cutler lost a fumble in the first quarter with Denver driving deep inside San Diego territory.
Quarterback protection: Denver’s offensive line struggled for the second consecutive game. Cutler was under constant pressure.
TURNING POINT
Chargers dominate clock to open it up
San Diego turned the opening possession of the second half into a drive that consumed 7 minutes, 4 seconds of game clock. The Chargers scored on a 14-yard pass from Philip Rivers to Chris Chambers to build a 23-0 lead. The long drive to open the second half ended any illusions Denver might come back from a 16-0 halftime deficit.
CRAZY PLAY OF THE DAY
Peace on Earth briefly shaken
In the first quarter, Broncos safety John Lynch made a big hit on Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson’s helmet was knocked off. In the heat of the moment, Lynch tossed Tomlinson’s helmet and drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, helping the Chargers end up with a field goal on that possession. The play set off a shoving match between several players. Later in the drive, Lynch sought out Tomlinson and offered a handshake.
HIT OF THE DAY
Cromartie puts a stop to things
On a kick return in the first quarter, the Broncos’ Andre Hall ran hard and appeared to be on his way to big yardage when he was upended by the Chargers’ Antonio Cromartie. Hall was stopped at Denver’s 32-yard line.
THE GRADES
OFFENSE
D After a second-half points resurgence, the Broncos’ offense has stalled. It has scored just 16 points in the past two games. A big reason is a lack of protection for quarterback Jay Cutler, who was battered again Monday night. Cutler was sacked four times, and he has been sacked nine times in the past two games. Add three Cutler turnovers to a tough night.
DEFENSE
C The Denver defense was decent at times, although once again playing in tough spots because of turnovers. The defense toughens in the red zone, and San Diego had just two turnovers. But there were enough big plays — San Diego converted 7-of-15 third downs — to make for an awful night.
SPECIAL TEAMS
B The Denver special teams have been quietly solid in recent games. Return men Andre Hall and Glenn Martinez ran hard.
COACHING
C Defensively, Denver competed at times, and the coaching staff seemed to have the team ready to play despite the meaningless nature of the game.
OVERALL
D The Broncos had their opportunities but it was a typical Denver 2007 game. The team couldn’t take advantage of its chances, and it was handily beaten by a superior team.
