Los Angeles
Chargers
8-3
38
FINAL
7
Denver
Broncos
6-5
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a dominant performance, the Los Angeles Chargers topped the Denver Broncos 38-7 in Week 18 of the 2026 season, solidifying their playoff position. The Chargers showcased their offensive prowess, while the Broncos struggled to find their rhythm, ultimately leading to a lopsided defeat that dashed their postseason hopes.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert led the charge with a commanding 335 passing yards and a touchdown, effectively distributing the ball to his receiving corps. Quentin Johnston was the standout receiver, racking up 120 yards, while Omarion Hampton contributed significantly on the ground with 74 rushing yards. This offensive firepower was too much for the Broncos to handle throughout the contest.
Defensively, the Chargers were stifling, limiting the Broncos to just seven points. The turning point came early in the second half when the Chargers defense forced a turnover, leading to a quick touchdown that extended their lead to 28-7. Despite a solid effort from Denver's Brandon Jones, who registered seven tackles and an interception, the Chargers' cohesive team effort proved insurmountable, sealing their victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 46 | 34 | 74% | 335 | 1 | 2 | 83.1 |
| Bo Nix | QB | 24 | 13 | 54% | 112 | 0 | 1 | 49.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 17 | 74 | 4.4 | 13 | 3 | 19 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 14 | 37 | 2.6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 10 | 28 | 2.8 | — | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Bo Nix | QB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Garrett Wilson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | HB | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 10 | 120 | 12.0 | 15 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 8 | 109 | 13.6 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 6 | 58 | 9.7 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 2 | 33 | 16.5 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Garrett Wilson | WR | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Tre' Harris | WR | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | — | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Adam Trautman | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| KeAndre Lambert-Smith | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Adam Prentice | FB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Jones | FS | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Allen | DT | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Strnad | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathon Cooper | LEDG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nik Bonitto | REDG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dane Belton | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Denzel Perryman | MIKE | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Teair Tart | DT | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Singleton | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Malcolm Roach | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dondrea Tillman | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D'Angelo Ponds | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Khalil Mack | REDG | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Hart | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonah Elliss | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Abrams-Draine | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Onyedim | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bud Dupree | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Eboigbe | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamaree Caldwell | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deane Leonard | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wil Lutz | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 26 |

