The Chargers came out on top against the Broncos 23-16, despite a late run from Denver.
The First half was all Chargers. On Denver’s first drive, Elijah Molden picked off Bo Nix to give the Chargers the ball at midfield. The offense got in position for Cameron Dicker to kick a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Chargers added on with their next drive, with an explosive 38-yard pass from Herbert to first-year RB Kimani Vidal putting LA up 10-0. The Chargers put together a masterful 76-yard drive that lasted ten minutes to start the second quarter, ending in another field goal. Denver then fumbled the ball with Taeir Tart picking it up. The Chargers capitalized on the turnover with another TD drive, the score coming from a JK Dobbins four-yard run. Heading into halftime, the Chargers were dominating 20-0.
The Chargers offense went stagnant in the second half. They scored their only points of the second half with a Cameron Dicker FG to take a 23-0 lead. Then, the Broncos offense got going. Bo Nix led Denver 95 yards downfield, hitting Troy Franklin in the End Zone to get on the board. The next drive was just as crucial, and they did not disappoint. Courtland Sutton capped off a 64-yard drive with a great catch in the corner of the end zone, making it a ten-point game. However, Denver went for two and missed it, keeping it a two-score game. With time expiring, Denver got into field goal range and made it a seven-point game. Attempting the onside kick, Denver was not able to get to the ball before it went out of bounds, and the Chargers were able to kneel it out and advance to 3-2.
Despite the win, there are many things the Chargers will work on heading into week seven. First off is closing out strong. The offense dominated in the first half and the defense shut Denver out, but they almost blew the game. That has plagued the Chargers for years, and Jim Harbaugh has to address it if he wants to change the culture in Los Angeles.
Another problem the Chargers had was getting to Bo Nix. Nix had multiple plays in big drives that stemmed from a near sack and turned into ten or fifteen-yard runs. If the Chargers can get to Nix on those plays, the team will head home much happier.
One thing worth noting was Jim Harbaugh’s brief trip to the locker room in the first quarter. After the game, Harbaugh said he was dealing with an Atrial Flutter episode, a heart problem. Harbaugh came back to the sideline and led his team to the win.
The offense also looked much stronger this week. Greg Roman ran a balanced offense, and it worked very well (when it was working). JK Dobbins almost hit 100 rushing yards again, and Justin Herbert threw a season-high 237. If they can close out better, LA can learn from this game moving forward.
Overall, however, this is a huge statement win for the Chargers. They didn’t play their best football for 60 minutes and still won against one of the league’s hot teams. Going into the longest and hardest stretch of the season, they will need to improve on their mistakes and be more disciplined. With Harbaugh at the helm, it is easy to believe that that could be the case, and he could take the Chargers further than they’ve been before.