Stick here for live updates and analysis as Denver takes on the Chargers in Inglewood, Calif.
Live updates
Final | Chargers 34, Broncos 27
As the Broncos returned to action ahead of a game against Indianapolis, he called out one area that he was particularly concerned about.
“Our penalty numbers are still problematic,” he said on Dec. 9. “I don’t like our penalties relative to the offensive line. We’re near the bottom of the league in that category. We’re in the bottom of the league relative to the secondary.
“Those have to get cleaned up or they’ll end up costing you.”
That costly moment arrived Thursday night in Los Angeles, helping to swing a dominant start for Denver to a 34-27 Chargers win. Read Parker Gabriel’s full story.
More Broncos coverage
- Renck: Sean Payton gets greedy at end of first half, and Broncos’ playoff bid gets struck by lightning.
- Broncos rookie watch: Denver’s 2024 class flashed, but not enough to beat Chargers.
- Broncos’ four-year extension with Garett Bolles designed to hold 2025-26 cap numbers down.
- Broncos Four Downs: Denver had playoff berth in hand, until Jim Harbaugh outfoxed Sean Payton.
- WATCH: Broncos’ Audric Estime runs in 1st NFL touchdown against Chargers.
Broncos Mailbag
Fourth-quarter updates
Onside kick attempt (9:16 p.m.): … went right into a Chargers’ hands. That’s pretty much ballgame. — Nguyen
Field goal, Broncos (9:13 p.m.): Wil Lutz nails the 55-yard field goal. Chargers 34, Broncos 27 with 57 seconds to go. Now for the onside kick attempt. — Nguyen
Sean Payton opts to kick a field goal with a minute to go. Seven point game. And it comes down to an onside kick.
Those three points at the end of the first half really hurt right now. — Schubert
Reminder (9:12 p.m.): Sean Payton signed off on flexing into this game. Looking awfully brutal following a second-half collapse against the Chargers with a playoff spot on the line. — Schubert
Touchdown, Chargers (9:02 p.m.): Freelance shovel pass from Justin Herbert goes for a 34-yard touchdown, and it’s lights out for the Broncos.
This is going to be a brutal loss. So many mistakes. Penalties. Missed opportunities. Clock management gaffes. This really had it all. — Schubert
Big run (9 p.m.): Gus Edwards busts loose and that could be game. — Schubert
First down (8:59 p.m.): Justin Herbert scrambles for 16 on third-and-10. Broncos are running out of time. Pretty soon, Sean Payton is going to have to start using his timeouts. — Schubert
Now or never (8:56 p.m.): The Chargers will start with the ball at their own 10-yard line after the punt. Denver’s defense needs to come up big now. — Nguyen
Chargers ball at their own 10-yard line with 4:28 left in the game. Broncos desperately need a stop. — Schubert
Sacked (8:52 p.m.): Bud Dupree sacked Bo Nix for a 10-yard loss. That’s not a great way to open the drive. — Nguyen
Broncos go three-and-out after getting the ball at midfield. Bo Nix takes a bad sack and everything unravels from there. The downfield passing game just has not been there for the Broncos tonight. — Schubert
Sacked (8:48 p.m.): Jonathon Cooper comes through with a batted down pass on second down. And Drew Sanders delivers with a sack on third down. What a time for him to show up.
That was Sanders’ first defensive snap of the season? — Schubert
Pretty confident that was Drew Sanders’ first defensive snap of the season. What a way to get back into action. — Gabriel
Great defense (8:48 p.m.): Great defense by Jonathon Cooper to deflect Justin Herbert’s pass. — Nguyen
Under pressure? (8:47 p.m.): The Broncos pass rush has not generated enough pressure tonight. If you’re looking for reasons why the Broncos will lose this game, that is near the top of the list. — Schubert
Special teams (8:45 p.m.): Broncos special teams delivers with Tremon Smith catching a punt on the fly at the Chargers’ 5. If the defense doesn’t deliver here, the Chargers have a chance to burn a lot of clock on this drive. — Schubert
Wide open (8:40 p.m.): Mims wide open down the sideline and Nix underthrew him. — Gabriel
Just an awful downfield throw from Bo Nix. Can’t miss those types of throws in a game like this. — Schubert
Third-down conversion (8:39 p.m.): Great work from Bo Nix on third drown.
Draws the spy and dumps it off for a first down. — Schubert
Touchdown, Chargers (8:31 p.m.): Justin Herbert connects with Derius Davis for a 19-yard touchdown, capping a seven-play, 78-yard drive. Two-point conversion is good on an incredible catch by Joshua Palmer. Chargers 27, Broncos 24 with 12:23 to go. — Nguyen
Good lord, what a throw by Justin Herbert. And the Broncos are trailing for the first time all night.
Then the Chargers get a MASSIVE break on a tipped ball two-point conversion. It’s 27-24 Chargers with 12:23 to go. And the Broncos offense has been sitting for a while. — Schubert
And another one (8:30 p.m.): Make that the third penalty of the drive. Or third flag at least. — Schubert
Another penalty (8:28 p.m.): Offsides on Zach Allen this time. — Nguyen
Zach Allen flagged for offside on second-and-10. This is starting to become a problem. ܲ
Big penalty (8:26 p.m.): Another bad penalty for the Broncos. This time a horse collar tackle on Jonathon Cooper.
Broncos will have only themselves to blame if they give this one away. — Schubert
Third-quarter analysis — Broncos 24, Chargers 19
Troy Renck, sports columnist: Broncos lead 24-19 heading to the fourth quarter. Going to have to tie a knot and hang on. Offensively, their stats suggest they should be in control. But they Chargers have rallied, almost as proficient offensively. They have 261 yards to Denver’s 288. Feels like Denver will need strip sack or special teams play to seal this one.
Matt Schubert, sports editor: The Broncos gave the Chargers an opening with a pair of really bad penalties. Do the math, and that’s six points (field goal + TD instead of FG) that swung to L.A. Bo Nix is going to have to make a few more plays to win this thing.
Third-quarter updates
Role reversal (8:20 p.m.): Chargers have been a fast-starting team this year and the Broncos have been a second-half team.
So, naturally, we’ve got Los Angeles rolling now after Denver got off to a blistering start. — Gabriel
Lucky break (8:18 p.m.): Uh-oh. Ruled a catch by Williams as Derwin James tried to rip away ball and his helmet. Broncos avoid disaster. — Renck
Derwin James and Javonte Williams lock up with the ball on third-and-6, but it’s ruled a catch rather than an INT. Gives the Broncos the chance to punt rather than turning the ball over.
Chargers have a chance to take the lead now. — Gabriel
Tightening up in SoFi. The Chargers defense has answered the bell in the second half. — Schubert
Touchdown, Chargers (8:11 p.m.): Gus Edwards caps off Chargers’ drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion fails. Broncos 24, Chargers 19 with 2:58 to go in the third quarter. — Nguyen
Huge play by Nik Bonitto on the two-point conversion to get Herbert to the ground and keep the lead at five. — Gabriel
Nik Bonitto with a massive stop on the two-point conversion. It’ll be a five-point game when the Broncos get the ball back late in the third quarter. — Schubert
Ticky-tack (8:11 p.m.): Justin Herbert making plays off the cuff. But Dondrea Tillman gave him no chance on first down just outside the 20. But Justin Strnad gets flagged for a ticky-tack personal foul. Drive continues. — Schubert
I get that it is the rule. Wow, that’s a soft call against Strnad. I guess for the slight elbow. Chargers turn it into a TD. We have a game. — Renck
Sacked (8:09 p.m.): Dondrea Tillman with the sack on Justin Herbert for a 10-yard loss. — Nguyen
Zach Allen (8:08 p.m.): Zach Allen causing all sorts of problems up front. — Schubert
Standing tall (8:07 p.m.): The Broncos run defense has been solid all night. Big reason this Chargers offense is struggling to move the ball. — Schubert
Field goal, Broncos (8 p.m.): Broncos convert on fourth down, makes for a shorter FG later in drive for Lutz. He converts a 41-yarder. Helps apply soothing balm to the sting of the free kick FG to end half. Broncos widen lead to 24-13. — Renck
Screen pass nearly works again, this time to Marvin Mims Jr. Instead, fourth-and-3 and a Wil Lutz field goal. All-in-all, not a bad start to the third quarter for the Broncos. — Schubert
Fly me to the moon (8 p.m.): I’m just going to guess that moonshot was a throwaway from Bo Nix. — Schubert
Fourth-down conversion (7:58 p.m.): Fourth-and-2? No problem. A quick pass to Courtland Sutton. — Nguyen
Sean Payton, rightly, gets aggressive on fourth-and-2. Screen pass to Courtland Sutton was easy money. — Schubert
Broncos are 4/7 on third down and 1/1 on fourth down now after that screen to Sutton. — Gabriel
All alone (7:56 p.m.): Troy Franklin all alone on third down. The Broncos offense back at it to start the third quarter. Driving and on the Chargers’ side of the field. — Schubert
Running game (7:54 p.m.): Audric Estime running like a young man with fresh legs. — Schubert
Halftime analysis — Broncos 21, Chargers 13
Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Bo Nix is dealing. Sean Payton is dialed in as a play caller. However, Tremon Smith’s penalty, resulting in a free kick could change the momentum of the game if Denver doesn’t come out firing on offense to start the third quarter.
Troy Renck, sports columnist: Broncos lead 21-13 after silly end to first half. Denver can take solace in its offensive domination. They have 236 yards of total offense and 16 first downs. If Broncos can continue to run the ball — they have 89 yards on the ground — they will be fine.
Matt Schubert, sports editor: The final 30 seconds were a bit of a disaster for the Broncos, but outside of that, hard to complain about much of anything else. Sean Payton is in the zone. So is Bo Nix. And Kris Abrams-Draine is showing that the Broncos are loaded with competent cornerbacks. Get a score to open the third quarter, and Denver can take a stranglehold on this game.
Second-quarter updates
Field goal, Chargers (7:39 p.m.): So Cameron Dicker nails a 57-yard field goal on a free kick. Broncos 21, Chargers 13 going into halftime. — Nguyen
I’ve been dreaming off seeing that happen for roughly 10 years.
Big error from the Broncos, essentially gifting the Chargers three free points with a bad penalty that gives L.A. a fair catch free kick. Any competent NFL kicker is going to drill that. — Schubert
Chargers take advantage of running into returner to steal 3 points at end of half. According to what I am seeing, it is the first free kick converted field goal since 1976. Ugly ending to great first half for Broncos. Payton got greedy. Should have run out clock after going nowhere on first down on last drive. — Renck
So the rule for the uninitiated: Any team can opt to try a free kick the play after a fair catch on a punt. So the Chargers got the credit for the penalty after the fair catch on the punt and opted for the free kick. — Gabriel
Crazy end (7:38 p.m.): Chargers elected to take free kick after the fair catch. So a 57-yard FG attempt with no rush. — Renck
Picked (7:31 p.m.): Rookie cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine with the goal line interception. Broncos have a little bit of time left before the half ends to add to their lead. — Nguyen
The eventual stories about the Broncos’ 2024 draft class won’t be told without Kris Abrams-Draine. Kid is a player. — Gabriel
Dealin’ (7:27 p.m.): Broncos are in control of this game but Justin Herbert is dealin’. — Gabriel
Under pressure (7:25 p.m.): Denver has only generated two pressures so far in the first half, per Next Gen Stats. — McFadden
Punt (7:22 p.m.): The Broncos will have to punt for the first time all game … with 2:45 left in the second quarter. — Schubert
Driving (7:20 p.m.): Really big sequence here. Just get a first down and the Broncos can at the very least think about running this clock down and getting the ball to start the third quarter with a shot at putting the game away. — Schubert
Sacked (7:19 p.m.): A Derwin James blitz helped collapse the Broncos’ pocket. Joey Bosa records the sack on Bo Nix for an 8-yard sack. — Nguyen
Run, Bo, run (7:18 p.m.): Nice 15-yard scramble by Bo Nix. — Nguyen
Three-and-out (7:15 p.m.): Three-and-out for the Chargers, with safety Brandon Jones at the right spot at the right time to break up a poorly thrown ball from Justin Herbert.
Land another haymaker here, and the Broncos might end this thing. — Schubert
Brandon Jones was a solid pickup. He has played well all season. — McFadden
Slipping away (7:15 p.m.): This is getting perilously close to Jim Harbaugh being forced to do something he absolutely doesn’t want to do: Turn the game over to Justin Herbert. — Schubert
Driving (7:13 p.m.): Broncos three drives thus far:
- 10 plays, 74 yards, touchdown
- 12 plays, 70 yards, touchdown
- 6 plays, 75 yards, touchdown
21-10, Broncos with 6:22 left in the first half. — Schubert
Rookie numbers (7:12 p.m.): Bo Nix is 13-17 with 146 yards and two touchdowns. — McFadden
Touchdown, Broncos (7:08 p.m.): Bo Nix finds Devaughn Vele for a 6-yard touchdown. It was a six-play, 70-yard drive for Denver. Broncos 21, Chargers 10 with 6:22 to go in the first half. — Nguyen
Sean Payton is in his bag right now. — McFadden
The Broncos offense is a behemoth.
Javonte Williams gets things going with a critical third-and-11 conversion, and then Sean Payton dials up some nonsense. What a start for the Broncos offense. Three drives, three touchdowns. — Schubert
Broncos offense is humming. They had never scored TDs on their first two possessions this season, let alone first three. Nix making safe throws with a lot of yards after the catch. Thank you, Marvin Mims Jr. Broncos 21, Chargers 7. — Renck
Mimsy! (7:07 p.m.): Fun things with Marvin Mims, Jr.! — Schubert
Big time (7:06 p.m.): Big-time effort from Javonte Williams there to get the first down on third-and-11. — Gabriel
If the Broncos are going to get this sort of game from their running backs, the Chargers are in serious trouble. — Schubert
Field goal, Chargers (7 p.m.): Zach Allen stops Gus Edwards for a 2-yard loss. Chargers settle for a field goal to cut Denver’s lead to 14-10. — McFadden
Hell of a play there by Zach Allen. And had he not made it, looked like Dondrea Tillman was in position to stuff Edwards, too. — Gabriel
Zach Allen kills a drive almost all by himself. — Schubert
The Chargers’ drive went eight plays for 51 yards. Zach Allen with the killer tachi-ai on third down. — Nguyen
Picking apart (6:57 p.m.): Justin Herbert is making a killing working underneath against the Broncos’ linebackers. — Gabriel
First time (6:57 p.m.): With help from Parker Gabriel and my crack research staff — Me — it appears that is the first time that Broncos have scored touchdowns on their first two drives of a game this season. Still efforting. But that’s what it appears. — Renck
Touchdown, Broncos (6:52 p.m.): Bo Nix finds Michael Burton for a 1-yard touchdown. The drive was 12 plays for 70 yards. Broncos 14, Chargers 7 with 12:17 to go in the first half. — Nguyen
Nix to Burton for TD. Another well-designed play. Thought for second, Burton was going to mic drop and just run into tunnel to locker room. And call it a night. 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:52 seconds. Broncos on point tonight. — Renck
Sean Payton’s in his bag tonight. — Gabriel
Again (6:50 p.m.): Immediately followed by a 14-yard gain for Sutton. — Nguyen
Nix to Sutton (6:49 p.m.): Courtland Sutton gets his first catch of the day, a 4-yard gain. — Nguyen
First-quarter analysis — Broncos 7, Chargers 7
Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Sean Payton’s heard the gospel on rookies and he might just ride Audric Estime and Blake Watson to a postseason spot.
Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Keep giving Audric Estime the ball!
Troy Renck, sports columnist: This is a well-played game featuring appropriate urgency and execution. And Broncos running the ball has been welcomed changed.
First-quarter updates
Run, Bo, run (6:43 p.m.): A nice scramble by Bo Nix for 10 yards for the first down on third-and-9. — Nguyen
After four games without really running the ball, Nix has incorporated his legs the past two weeks. Broncos on move again as Estime remains, well, in the mix. — Renck
Touchdown, Chargers (6:37 p.m.): Gus Edwards runs in for a 1-yard touchdown for the Chargers to cap an eight-play, 70-yard drive. Broncos 7, Chargers 7 with 3:09 to go in the first. — Nguyen
This is already shaping up to be a good one. — Gabriel
Payton has talked repeatedly about the importance to a fast start in Thursday night games, saying the trends say it matters. So, it is disappointing the Broncos’ D did not get the equivalent of a pitcher’s shutdown inning after the early score. This could be fun. — Renck
A big day coming? (6:36 p.m.): Justin Herbert will not be going quietly into the good night. — Schubert
Running (6:32 p.m.): Sean Payton wrote “Run It!!!” at the top of his play sheet. — Gabriel
Sean Payton wrote “Run It!!!“ at the top of his play sheet.
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel)
Touchdown, Broncos (6:27 p.m.): The Broncos capped off a 10-play, 72-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Audric Estime. Broncos 7, Chargers 0 with 7:34 to go in the first quarter. — Nguyen
The Broncos just bullied the Chargers all the way down the field. That was an emasculation. — Schubert
Audric Estime does not need Siri to find the end zone. Was TD machine at Notre Dame. Nix put arms in the air as soon as he handed off. O-line rolled up its sleeves with a 10-play, 72-yard, 5:56 march. Broncos 7, Chargers 0. — Renck
Broncos totaled 43 yards on seven carries during that scoring drive. Denver had four different players with a carry. — McFadden
Blake. Watson. (6:26 p.m.): Didn’t see this as The Blake Watson Game. But he’s definitely part of the game plan tonight. Very Patriots like to have a RB emerge from nowhere one week. — Renck
Running wild (6:25 p.m.): A very Harbaugh-esque drive from the Broncos to start this thing tonight. I immediately regret my prediction. — Schubert
The Spanish Inquisition?! (6:24 p.m.): Nobody ever suspects Nate Adkins. — Schubert
Big game coming? (6:23 p.m.): Correct me if I’m wrong, but Javonte Williams’ best game of the season to date was also on Thursday night. — Schubert
Run game (6:21 p.m.): Three snaps, three different guys getting carries for the Broncos in Audric Estime, Javonte Williams and Marvin Mims.
Sean’s running the rock tonight, folks. — Gabriel
First down (6:21 p.m.): Javonte Williams follows it up with a 6-yard run. — Nguyen
Opening play (6:20 p.m.): Estime’s first carry is a 6-yard gain. — McFadden
Estime had more yards on that first carry than Javonte Williams had in the last three games. I kid because I care. — Renck
RB1 (6:19 p.m.): Broncos RB Audric Estime starts at running back. — McFadden
Three-and-out (6:18 p.m.): Broncos defense starts with a three-and-out. — Gabriel
Crowd (6:14 p.m.): Looks like about 40% of the crowd is still out on the 405 trying to get here. — Gabriel
Coin toss (6:14 p.m.): Broncos won the toss but elected to defer to the second half. — McFadden
Pre-game updates
Prediction (6:10 p.m.): Three of our four “experts” picked the Broncos to win this one. Sadly, I must agree with the lone holdout, Sean Keeler. The playoff drought does not end tonight.
Chargers 19, Broncos 16. — Schubert
File under things I find interesting (5:39 p.m.): Before the game, Larry David was chatting up Jim Harbaugh and Jack Harlow was hanging out on the sideline. And man there is a lot of orange in the stadium. The three suites behind the Broncos bench are filled 99 percent with folks in Denver jersey. — Renck
File under moderately interesting (5:37 p.m.): Drew Sanders going through warmups with the ILBs tonight in warmups. — Gabriel
Fanbase (5:04 p.m.): The three field level suites directly behind the Broncos bench are full of 99 percent Denver fans. Flexing this game to Thursday shafted many fans, but apountry appears poised to take over at least 50 percent of SoFi tonight. — Renck
Unis (5 p.m.): Uniform combinations for tonight. Chargers wearing white helmets, baby blue tops and yellow pants. Broncos are in navy blue helmet, white jersey and blue trousers. — Renck
Broncos inactives (4:46 p.m.):
- RB Jaleel McLaughlin (quad)
- CB Riley Moss (knee)
- QB Zach Wilson (emergency third QB)
- CB Levi Wallace
- ILB Levelle Bailey
- OL Frank Crum
- DL Matt Henningsen
— Gabriel
Big one on tap tonight at SoFi Stadium (4:40 p.m.): Broncos are out for early warmups, including QB Bo Nix. Denver, obviously, has a chance to clinch its first postseason appearance since 2015. Chargers are trying to stop a mini-skid. Neither team has run the ball well recently. Should be a fun one. — Gabriel
It is a gorgeous day in Los Angeles (3:54 p.m.): Temps in the high 70s. Ideal weather for the open-air SoFi palace. Chargers are tenants here. Not going to lie, my favorite trip on the Broncos beat was always going to San Diego. Outdoor press box. Loud crowd. The Chargers still feel like interlopers. But that could change under Harbaugh. Fun fact about the Chargers. They play up the electricity angle strong. But the Chargers nickname comes from former team owner Barron Hilton, who used it was a way to promote his credit card. — Renck
Scouting report (3:54 p.m.): Check out how the Broncos match up with the Chargers in Ryan McFadden’s scouting report.
Game predictions
Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Broncos 23, Chargers 20
Sean Payton called his shot. He wanted this game flexed to Thursday night. He wanted his team to get another rep in prime time. He looked at the way everything set up and thought this played into Denver’s hands this week and next against Cincinnati. And he’s got a team thatap fully buying what he’s selling. If they rise to the occasion, postseason football is back in apountry.
Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Broncos 17, Chargers, 13
Los Angeles has lost two straight and is coming off one of its worst performances of the season against Tampa Bay. At the same time, Denver is banged up. Even if Pat Surtain II plays, Denver’s depth on the defensive line might be tested with injuries to John Franklin-Myers and D.J. Jones. The Broncos have shown they can win games in a multitude of ways. Despite their limitations, they will figure out a way to win on Thursday Night Football.
Troy Renck, columnist: Broncos 19, Chargers 16
The Chargers want a rock fight. Their defense remains strong, even with a recent slump, and they don’t turn the ball over. The Broncos’ path to an upset is scoring first and leading at halftime. The Chargers’ passing attack is not equipped to chase. apountry, say thank you to Wil Lutz. You are going to the playoffs.
Sean Keeler, columnist: Chargers 23, Broncos 18
Too soon. No, really. Too soon. Itap never ideal to go marching into Jim Harbaugh’s backyard — well, technically Stan Kroenke’s backyard — in a short week. But doing so while Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers and Jaleel McLaughlin are all some degree of banged up feels like courting trouble in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Broncos-Chargers NFL Week 16: Must-reads
How Vance Joseph leads a league-leading, havoc-wreaking Broncos defense with calm: “The guy’s got tremendous poise”
Head coach Sean Payton likes to say that each winter teams take their puzzles, dump them upside down and start over.
Vance Joseph did that, retaining much of the verbiage and structure but tailoring an approach built around All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II.
Along the way, Joseph and the Broncos have made all kinds of tweaks. They’ve unleashed Zach Allen, capitalized on Riley Moss’ abilities and watched Nik Bonitto turn into a star. They’re playing a ton of man coverage — doing it better than anybody in the NFL. They’ve got pressure packages for days. Read Parker Gabriel’s full story.
Sean Payton embraces national spotlight. And Broncos players love that about him: “He has this swag to him”
Sean Payton wants the biggest spotlight there is.
When the league asked Denver’s head coach if he wanted his team’s upcoming road matchup against the Chargers to be flexed into Thursday night, three days earlier than originally scheduled, he didn’t hesitate.
When it was announced Tuesday that the Broncos will play Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 28, in their third nationally televised game in four weeks, Payton told his players to get used to it. Read Ryan McFadden’s full story.
Renck: Difference between Bad Bo and The Bo Show is real. Broncos QB must learn how to have short memory in NFL.
Don’t take the wag out of the puppy’s tail.
Nobody wants Sean Payton to become too conservative with Bo Nix. He needs enough leash to make plays.
However, there remains a middle ground where the coach trusts Nix, while the quarterback regains his rhythm. By any measure, Nix has exceeded expectations this season with 20 passing touchdowns, making him only the second Broncos quarterback to reach this mark since 2014. Read Troy Renck’s full column.
