By Duane Barker
(Inglewood, CA) The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Denver Broncos 34-13 Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium to keep their postseason hopes alive and set up a huge game next Sunday against AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders.
In the win, Justin Herbert broke Phillip Rivers single season touchdown pass record when he hit Mike Williams on a 45-yard bomb. Rivers’ record had been around since 2008.
The win avenges the 28-13 beating that the Broncos put on the Chargers back on November 28th.
The Chargers scored on their opening drive going 55-yards on eight plays with Austin Ekeler getting the call from 3-yards out. Dustin Hopkins added the extra point for an early 7-0 lead. The score was set up with a kick return out to the 45 by Andre Roberts. More to come from Roberts later on!
The Chargers didn’t get on the board again until early in the second quarter. Hopkins came on to boot a 19-yard field goal after a 14-play drive stalled at the Bronco two.
The Chargers extended their lead to 17-0 late in the first half when Herbert found Keenan Allen on an eight-yard pass to the endzone. Hopkins was good again on the extra point.
Instead of just heading to the locker room to lick their first half wounds, the Broncos stayed aggressive and Drew Lock hit on two passes to push the ball to the Charger 43. Brandon McManus trotted on the field and booted through a 61-yard field goal to get the Broncos on the board to finish the half and cut the lead to 17-3.
Midway through the third quarter the Chargers pushed their lead back to 17 on a 23-yard field goal by Hopkins.
The Broncos responded with a scoring drive that culminated in a McManus 23-yard field goal. The field goal came after a Melvin Gordon III touchdown run was called back on an illegal formation penalty. Down 20-6, there was still hope for Denver,
Lightning struck (pun intended) on the ensuing kickoff. Roberts fielded the McManus kickoff a yard deep in his own endzone and proceeded to take it out. Roberts bobbed and weaved his way through the Bronco defenders and was off to the races. 101-yards later Roberts found paydirt and the Chargers’ a 27-6 lead.
The Chargers next drive saw the 45–yard touchdown from Herbert to Williams to break the record.
Down 34-6 the Broncos managed one last touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Lock to Noah Fant.
The loss officially eliminates the Broncos from the post season and the win for the Chargers leaves their postseason fate in their own hands.
The Sunday Night game should be a fun one to watch.
Raiders or Chargers??