CARSON, Calif. — There were four tough games of pent-up frustration released early and a subdued sense of relief when the contest was finished.
The 2019 Broncos did not become the first team in their 60-season franchise history to start a season 0-5. The Broncos jumped to a 17-0 halftime thanks to an explosive offense early and a determined, opportunistic defense throughout, then held on through a nervous finish to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers and their mistake-riddled quarterback Philip Rivers, 20-13, here Sunday before a mostly Broncos-rooting crowd of 25,357 at cozy Dignity Health Sports Park.
"I think 'hang on' is a better term than 'finish,''' said Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. "We finished, but it was painful."
The Broncos are now 1-4 while the Chargers fell to 2-3. A 1-4 record doesn't make the history books. An 0-5 record would have. So the win was bigger than one game.
"I think I saw that earlier in the week,'' safety Kareem Jackson said about the dubious 0-5 historical threat. "But for us as a team, we can't pay attention to the outside noise. It was great to get this first win in the fashion that we got it.''
It was a win in unique fashion. The Broncos threatened to win in a route early, then hit a lull in the middle portion of the game, then came up with some clutch Phillip Lindsay runs late to help seal the win.
It was the first-ever win as an NFL head coach for Fangio, who was presented with the game ball by the man who hired him, Broncos' general manager John Elway. Fangio promptly re-gifted the game ball to linebacker Alexander Johnson, a surprise starter who had 9 tackles and a huge interception off Rivers in the end zone to kill a Charger goal-to-go from-the-2-yard-line chance.
"I don't look at it as my first win,'' Fangio told 9NEWS outside the victorious visiting locker room. "I look at it as the first win for 2019 Broncos. Hopefully, we can start getting a few more here."
On the game's first play, Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco faked the handoff to Lindsay, pulled up straight and delivered a 26-yard strike down the middle to wide-open tight end Jeff Heuerman.
"That was a great start,'' Lindsay said. "That loosened us up."
Second play, Lindsay took the handoff, exploded through the middle and cut left for a 21-yard gain.
Two plays and the Broncos had moved from their own 25-yard line to the Chargers’ 28. Lindsay finished with 114 yards rushing on just 15 carries in what was his first 100-yard game since the Broncos last win nine games ago -- last December 2 at Cincinnati.
He was asked which long run was his favorite Sunday -- the 21-yard burst that helped set the tone, or the 32-yard run on the Broncos final, full drive that set up a game-clinching field goal?
"The biggest run was when we took a knee," Lindsay said of Flacco's welcome 1-yard loss on the final play from the victory formation. "We lost a couple yards but it was a sweet feeling."
Entering the game with an 0-4 mark that included two losses on final-play field goals, the Broncos played their best football of the season in the first quarter. But then the offense hit a lull after their first two possessions and the Chargers had several chances to slowly creep back in the game.
"We made it harder than we had to,'' Lindsay said. "That's for sure. We've got to go back and clean things up.''
A 69-yard punt return for a touchdown by Desmond King II with 31 seconds left in the third quarter brought the Chargers within, 17-7. The Chargers added a field goal after taking advantage of good field position following a Brandon McManus' missed 54-yard attempt to close the score to 17-10 with 6:47 remaining.
It could have been worse but the Denver D twice stopped the Chargers from inside their 2-yard line. Johnson picked off Rivers on third-and-goal from the 2 in the third quarter.
"I was just doing my job,'' Johnson said. "I was reading eyes, playing the middle and man, I saw him look back and I looked back and he threw it to me and I was ready. I caught the ball. I was actually looking to take it out of the end zone and a couple teammates were telling me, get down, get down.'''
The first half ended with the Denver defense coming up with a four-down, goal-to-go stop. Kareem Jackson, who finished with a team-high 10 tackles in his return to full-time safety, stopped Ekeler’s reverse run a half-yard short. Ekeler desperately reached and threw the ball toward the goal line but he was short of the goal line when he lost control and the touchback ended the half.
"It was a great call,'' Jackson said. "Coach Fangio put us in a great call for that particular play that they ran. We know they have some speedy backs that like to get out on that edge and was able to make a play.''
More than half the crowd went wild. Bronco fans have always traveled well to Chargers games, whether they be played in San Diego or, for the past three years, to the 25,300-seat soccer stadium that serves as the Bolts’ temporary home.
“Obviously, the crowd here, the Broncos fans that we had here, were great,'' Fangio said."I was told that it would be that way, but until you experience it, you really don’t know. It kind of speaks well of Broncos Country. When you’re with one of the flagship franchises, I was with the Bears recently, they travel well. The Niners traveled well. Then you have to put the Broncos in that category, also.”
The road faithful were quickly rewarded as Lindsay finished off the first Broncos’ drive with a 4-yard scoring run up the middle.
The second touchdown was even easier. Flacco threw a beauty of a deep flag pattern to receiver Courtland Sutton, who cut outside from the left slot. Sutton broke two tackles around midfield and raced in for the touchdown.
"It was a play we game-planned,'' Sutton said. "I was able to get in and make a play."
Midway through the first quarter, the Broncos were up 14-0 after two possessions. They were on their way for more after safety Justin Simmons intercepted an overthrown Rivers pass for the Denver D’s first takeaway of the season.
"It was almost like a big sigh of relief,'' Simmons said. "It was like, 'All right, let's go, play ball now.''
But as the Broncos were driving to the red zone and a chance to turn the game into their lopsided favor, Chargers outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu beat left tackle Garett Bolles around the edge and whacked the ball out of Flacco’s hand as the quarterback reared to throw. Nwosu recovered and the Chargers marched deep into Broncos’ territory until Rivers took an intentional grounding penalty.
That knocked kicker Chase McLaughlin’s field goal try back to 48 yards and his attempt was ticked at the line of scrimmage by Broncos’ defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones.
PHOTOS | Broncos at Chargers
The Broncos came back and drove down far enough for Brandon McManus to kick a 40-yard field goal.
A frightening moment in the game occurred when Broncos cornerback De’Vante Bausby was inadvertently clobbered by his linebacker teammate Johnson as both were closing in to tackle Austin Ekeler, a product of Eaton.
Bausby was strapped to a backboard, carted off the field and taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The Broncos announced Bausby did have movement in his extremities.
Bausby was diagnosed with a cervical sprain -- a significant injury that figures to sideline him several weeks -- but he cleared from the hospital to fly back with the team.
"It hurt me a lot knowing I hurt one of my teammates, and I was the cause of him being out of the game,'' Johnson said. "But, I was running, trying to fire off at the ball, get the ball carrier and instead of hitting blue (Ekeler's blue jersey) I ended up hitting white and it hurt me a lot. That amped me up even more to go even harder and hit the right jersey a little harder.
"Thoughts of the most prayers for Baus and it is tough.''
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