Denver
Broncos
2-1
20
FINAL
31
Los Angeles
Chargers
1-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a crucial Week 16 matchup, the Los Angeles Chargers topped the Denver Broncos with a final score of 31-20, solidifying their playoff aspirations. The victory keeps the Chargers firmly in the hunt as the regular season winds down, while the Broncos find themselves needing to regroup as they face a challenging path ahead.
Leading the charge for the Chargers was quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw for an impressive 309 yards and connected on one touchdown pass. Quentin Johnston was a standout target, racking up 103 receiving yards and providing Herbert with a reliable option downfield. The Denver ground game was led by RJ Harvey, who managed 53 rushing yards but struggled to find the end zone.
Defensively, the Broncos were anchored by Jahdae Barron, who recorded eight total tackles and snagged an interception, but it wasn't enough to stymie the Chargers' offensive momentum. The turning point came late in the second quarter when the Chargers scored a quick touchdown, shifting the momentum and allowing them to maintain control throughout the second half. Despite a strong defensive showing in some areas, the Broncos couldn't capitalize on their opportunities, ultimately falling short in a must-win game.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 40 | 29 | 73% | 309 | 1 | 1 | 92.6 |
| Bo Nix | QB | 31 | 19 | 61% | 228 | 1 | 0 | 94.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Harvey | HB | 18 | 53 | 2.9 | 18 | 1 | 25 | 1 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 12 | 52 | 4.3 | 21 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 5 | 23 | 4.6 | — | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Jonah Coleman | HB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Bo Nix | QB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 4 | 5 | 1.3 | — | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jack Westover | FB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| David Njoku | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamari Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 9 | 103 | 11.4 | 19 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 5 | 103 | 20.6 | 59 | 1 | 65 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 6 | 84 | 14.0 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 5 | 52 | 10.4 | 16 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Jamari Johnson | TE | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Mike Matthews | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Alec Ingold | FB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jack Westover | FB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 4 | 3 | 0.8 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonah Coleman | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chamarri Conner | FS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Jones | FS | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathon Cooper | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Surtain II | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | REDG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Colson | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nik Bonitto | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Johnson | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Hart | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyler Onyedim | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Bolton | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Jefferson | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| A'Mauri Washington | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Abrams-Draine | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sai'vion Jones | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zaire Franklin | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonah Elliss | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Murdock | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Zach Allen | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalyx Hunt | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ellis Robinson IV | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Dicker | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 23 |
| Jeremy Crawshaw | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lucas Carneiro | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 48 |

