Chargers get closer to postseason, Justin Herbert shines in win vs. Broncos: Key takeaways By Daniel Popper, Nick Kosmider and Amos Morale III

The Los Angeles Chargers put themselves one step closer to the postseason with their 34-27 win against the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football.

With the win and losses by the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts this weekend, Los Angeles would clinch a playoff berth in coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season with the franchise.

After giving up 40 points and 506 yards of offense in Week 15, the Chargers (9-6) were hoping to have a better showing defensively.

That wasn’t the case as the Broncos scored touchdowns on their first three possessions. The Chargers didn’t get a third-down stop until the 2:49 mark in the second quarter.

Los Angeles built some momentum heading into the half thanks to a rarely used fair-catch kick as time expired.

Los Angeles’s defense stepped up in the second half holding the Broncos to just three points over the final two quarters while Justin Herbert both of his touchdown passes and Gus Edwards scored his second rushing touchdown of the game.

The Broncos could have secured their playoff spot with a win.

Momentum shifts after Dickers kick

The clear line of demarcation in this Chargers win was their successful fair catch kick at the end of the first half. Herbert threw his second interception in as many games. The Broncos took over at their own 18 with 41 seconds remaining. The Chargers forced a stop. On the ensuing punt, Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith interfered with the fair catch of returner Derius Davis. The 15-yard penalty set the Chargers up at the Broncos’ 47-yard line. Jim Harbaugh utilized the rule to attempt a 57-yard place kick. Cameron Dicker nailed it with room to spare. The effect of the swing was evident on the Chargers sideline. Several players, including Davis, were 10 yards off the sideline on the field celebrating as Dicker jogged off. The kick revitalized the Chargers. And they outscored the Broncos 21-3 in the second half. The Chargers defense, in particular, found its form in the second half, after the fair catch kick made it a one-possession game. The pass rush came alive. The run defense improved. There was an energy that was not present in the first half.

Herbert being Herbert

Herbert went nuclear after the interception. He has the ability to find a refuse-to-lose gear. And even while he was dealing with a sprained left ankle, Herbert ascended to that plane in the second half. He had three huge scrambles in the second half and finished with 45 yards rushing. On one of those scrambles, he drew a late hit that kept a third-quarter touchdown drive alive. That was one of two personal fouls Herbert drew through his sheer will to keep plays alive. The other was a horse collar early in the fourth quarter. The defining play of the second-half comeback: an outside-the-pocket, off-platform touchdown throw to Derius Davis down the left sideline through a massive hit. The Chargers needed a response. They got it from their leader and best player.

Broncos can’t solve Herbert

When Drew Sanders blitzed into the backfield and dropped Herbert for a sack midway through the fourth quarter, it felt like a critical play for Denver’s defense. It forced the Chargers, leading 27-24 at that point, to punt, and the Broncos began their next drive with good field position as they tried to drive for a tying or go-ahead score.

But after the Broncos were forced to quickly punt, their defense couldn’t stop Herbert again. It was a major theme in the game. The Chargers quarterback kept throwing counters to what Denver’s top-ranked defense threw at him. No play was bigger than his 16-yard scramble on third-and-10 from his own 10-yard line. That third-down failure seemed to take the wind out of the Broncos’ defense. Three plays later, the Chargers were in the end zone.

Now, they have to figure out a way to slow down Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow on the road in Week 17 if they want to punch their long-awaited playoff ticket.

Penalties loom large for Broncos in loss

Sean Payton sounded the alarm on penalties as his team returned from its bye week earlier this month. The Broncos were in the middle of the pack in infractions overall, but the coach had seen a “problematic” trend of increased penalties that needed to be reversed as critical late-season games arrived.

His concerns were validated in Thursday’s loss. Two critical flags led directly to six Chargers points. The Broncos kicked a field goal on their opening possession to extend the lead to 11 points once again, but the special teams blunder — and the poor clock management that preceded it — kept haunting the Broncos.

On the Chargers’ first drive of the third quarter, quarterback Justin Herbert scrambled for 7 yards on a third-and-13 play in the red zone. The play would have set up a likely short field-goal attempt, but linebacker Justin Strnad was called for unnecessary roughness after hitting Herbert at the end of his slide, giving the Chargers a first down. Gus Edwards ran into the end zone on the next play to cut Denver’s lead to 24-19.

The Chargers took the lead on their next offensive series, buoyed by three more Broncos penalties (two offsides calls) for 20 yards. Overall, the Broncos committed six penalties for 51 yards. Those aren’t absurdly large totals, but nearly everyone felt like a gut punch for the Broncos in a game they let slip away.

Broncos offense fizzles after fast start

On Thursday, the Broncos scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, a feat the team had accomplished only three other times in a game since 2000. The Broncos were running the ball effectively, with four different players recording carries on a physical, tone-setting drive to begin the game. Bo Nix, meanwhile, threw two first-half touchdowns and helped the team convert its first three third-down attempts.

After that flurry, though, the Broncos punted on five of their next six possessions, including three three-and-outs that amassed a total of 5 yards. The early promise in the run game fizzled and the Broncos had a critical breakdown in protection that led to Bud Dupree’s drive-spoiling sack in the fourth quarter. The Broncos converted only two of their nine third-down conversions that followed the 3-of-3 start.

The fast start was an encouraging sign for a team that has struggled offensively at the start of too many games this season. But their quest to reach the playoffs — as it stands now, they must win one of their final two games to clinch a berth — will remain a tense ride if they can’t cobble together something closer to a four-quarter effort offensively.