INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Denver defense deserves better. The best.
Like a legitimate quest for the AFC West title, never mind the wild card.
The Broncos’ offense, at least until Courtland Sutton comes to the rescue, goes through long stretches where its lucky to have the Denver defense is on its side.
Thanks to a terrific one-handed, touchdown catch by Sutton and a defensive turnover that set up a one-play, 3-yard touchdown drive, the Broncos whipped the home-team-in-venue-only Los Angeles Chargers, 24-7 here Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.
A crowd made up of around 50 percent Broncos fans roared its approval.
The way this game played out, it was never in doubt, even if it was only 7-0 Broncos until the final 5 seconds of the first half. The Sean Payton-coached Broncos were clearly the more physical, tougher team. It just took a while for them to wear down the Chargers, who let's just say have never been known as a rough, tough team.
“That’s what Sean's teams were in New Orleans,'' said tight end Adam Trautman, who clinched the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. "Every one sees Drew Brees throw for 5,000 yards a season but it’s always built on being the most physical team every Sunday. Now you see why we are coming out on top of these games is because we try to diminish your will when you play against us. That’s why it’s not always pretty but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
A team does not come off a 70-20 loss in Miami to fall to 0-3 and bounce back to win six of its last seven to climb into the playoff race without being tough and physical. And mentally tough.
“I think you got to practice (toughness and physicality) in training camp,'' said Payton, whose camp was much more arduous than Nathaniel Hackett's camp in 2022. "There’s certain things you just have to demand and do. ... I hope that’s something that you can say about our team, we’re a physical team because that’s something we emphasize. We think emotionally and physically you have to be tough. And we were today.”
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs, who have been leading the AFC West since Peyton Manning retired going on eight years ago, lost to the Buffalo Bills, 20-17.
Here's how it now looks at the top of the AFC West standings:
Chiefs 8-5
Broncos 7-6
"We're in a horse race,'' said Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
“It’s good to be right there but you think about the opportunities where we could have taken over,'' said defensive end Zach Allen. "There were certain game we (let get) away a little bit. All we can is what we can control which is right now Detroit and take it week by week and see where it falls.”
The Chiefs would have the tiebreaker based on a better conference record but with four games remaining, there’s plenty of season to catch up. If not the division title, the Broncos are in decent shape for a wild card berth as they joined a logjam of 7-6 AFC teams for the No. 6 or 7th playoff berths.
How did this team get to this point given their start? And has it mentioned the Broncos lost 70-20 to fall to 0-3?
“You get in these routines where I can’t believe Christmas is around the corner,'' Payton said. "I really can’t cause it’s just the next week. It really is, 'OK we play Detroit on a Saturday, what’s the schedule like? Tomorrow we’ll have a scouting report, we’ll hit the Lions and all this other stuff goes on outside. There’s not a lot of reflection. We’ll take a peek at what the AFC did today and then, let’s go. It’s on to the next challenge.’’
Allen thinks the Broncos' physical toughness began to surface the week after after the 70-20 debacle, in game 4 at Chicago. The Broncos were trailing the Bears, 28-7 late in the third quarter -- well on their way to 0-4 - when they rallied for a 31-28 win.
“What was it, Chicago we were talking about (being a tough, physical team) being our calling card,'' Allen said. "We were able to come back in that game. Our goal was always to be a bully ball type of team. It just took a little longer that we would have liked for it to happen. But it did happen.’’
As for the game, the Broncos were in complete control all game, yet their lack of offense through most of the first half kept the score close. The Denver defense had 4 sacks for 37 yards in the first half on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who after scrambling so effectively early in his career, has remained stationary in the pocket.
Herbert left late in the first half with a right finger injury and didn't return. Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said afterwards Herbert suffered a fractured right index finger.
Herbert's replacement, Easton Stick, played pretty well. Stick played really well on a 94-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter as he completed back-to-back passes to Quentin Johnson for 57 and 22 yards. Austin Ekeler of Eaton High School and Western Colorado, scored from 3 yards out to narrow the score to 17-7 with 10:37 remaining.
But as good (playoff-bound?) teams do, the Broncos' offense came right back with a long scoring drive. Javonte Williams burst up the middle for 20 yards to start the drive. Trautman broke a Derwin James tackle to pick up 9 yards to convert a third-and-8 and Wilson scrambled up the middle for another first doewn. Wilson finished the 7 minute, 26-second drive with a roll-left, toss to a wide open Trautman for a 10-yard touchdown play.
“I’ve never been that wide open in my entire career,'' Trautman said. "It was like a Turkey Bowl pass on Thanksgiving play.”
The Broncos were going to win another road game as they were up, 24-7 with 3:11 left.
Payton’s game plan had Jeudy involved in the passing attack but the receiver couldn’t finish. You know who knows how to finish? Courtland Sutton.
Midway through the third quarter, Wilson on first down dropped back from the shotgun and fired a perfect go-ball down the right sideline to Sutton, who had a step on cornerback Michael Davis. With Davis holding Sutton's left arm, Sutton reached up with his right and made the catch in the end zone. Sutton makes that type of catch at least once a week in a practice so remarkable as the catch was, it was not a surprise.
It was Sutton's 10th touchdown catch of the season, the first time the Broncos had a pass-catcher with double-digit touchdowns since Demaryius and Julius Thomas pulled it off in 2014 -- Peyton Manning's last full-time season as a starter.
The Broncos led 7-0 after the first quarter thanks to the greatest of touchdown drives: One play, 3 yards.
Herbert, who threw an inch high on two huge pass attempts early in the quarter, was backed up to near his goal line when his pass across the middle was batted out of his hand by Broncos’ edge rusher Baron Browning. The ball deflected into the arms of the Broncos’ other outside linebacker, Jonathon Cooper, who had dropped into coverage.
Cooper caught it at the 7 and returned to the 3. The orange-clad SoFi Stadium crowd went wild.
From there, Javonte Williams made a one cut into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of the season.
Earlier, the Broncos got away with a bad turnover as Michael Davis took a low throw by Wilson away from intended receiver Marvin Mims at the 13 yard line. It became fourth and 3 at the 6 when Chargers’ head coach Brandon Staley continued his usual baffling decision of going for it rather than take the early 3 points. Herbert’s pass to tight end Gerald Everett was slightly high and fell incomplete.
The Broncos took over on downs.
The Denver defense registered six sacks from six different players -- P.J. Locke became the first safety in Broncos' history to have a sack in three consecutive games -- and held the Chargers to 0 for 12 on third-down conversions.
Midway through the second quarter, neither quarterback was exactly lighting ‘em up.
Wilson was 6 of 9 for 50 yards with an interception for a 41.2 passer rating.
Herbert was 4 of 11 for 42 yards with an interception for a 10.4 rating.
Herbert’s pick was converted; Wilson’s was not. So the Broncos were up 7-0.
Wilson rallied pretty well though as he finished 21 of 33 for 224 yards and two touchdowns for a 91.0 rating. Herbert finished 9 of 17 for only 96 yards. Stick was 13 of 24 for 174 yards. The Chargers fell to 5-8.
The Broncos didn't get much of a running game going until late. Williams finished with 66 yards on 17 carries. Jaleel McLaugjhlin added 25 yards off five carries.
The Broncos' offense finished strong while the Denver D was terrific from beginning to end.
The Broncos play next Saturday at Detroit, where the Lions are 9-4.
Meinerz to hospital with irregular heartbeat
Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz was to found to have a racing heart at halftime and was taken to a local hospital by ambulance as a precaution. Meinerz heartbeat soon got under control. It's not known whether he will join the team on the flight back to Denver on Sunday night.
Bronco Bits
Broncos' edge rusher Nik Bonitto was carted off the field with what appeared to be a serious left knee injury. ...
No. 2 running back Samaje Perine had an extensive workout pregame to test out his knee. He then consulted with sports science guru Beau Lowry, trainer Vince Garcia, general manager George Paton and running backs coach Lou Ayeni and it was decided Perine could play. The Broncos had elevated running back Tyler Badie from the practice squad as a precaution but didn’t activate on the game-day roster when it was decided Perine was cleared.
The Chargers formally inducted former tight end Antonio Gates into the Chargers’ Hall of Fame. Among those in attendance was former Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers.
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