Los Angeles
Chargers
10-6
31
FINAL
28
Denver
Broncos
8-8
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Los Angeles Chargers narrowly defeated the Denver Broncos 31-28 in a thrilling Week 18 showdown that had playoff implications. With this victory, the Chargers solidified their position heading into the postseason, leaving the Broncos to reflect on a hard-fought battle that ultimately fell short.
Justin Herbert led the Chargers' offensive charge with 288 passing yards, connecting frequently with standout receiver Oronde Gadsden, who racked up 113 receiving yards. Meanwhile, the Broncos found success through the air as well, with Bo Nix throwing for three touchdowns, and De'Von Achane dominating on the ground with 134 rushing yards, showcasing Denver's explosive potential.
Defensively, the Broncos made their presence felt, with Jahdae Barron recording eight total tackles and an interception, while Nik Bonitto contributed 1.5 sacks. The game's turning point came in the fourth quarter when Barron's interception gave the Broncos a chance to tie the game, but ultimately, the Chargers' defense held firm, sealing their victory and securing their playoff berth.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 39 | 23 | 288 | 3 | 1 | 96.9 |
| Bo Nix | QB | 42 | 26 | 267 | 3 | 2 | 84.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Von Achane | HB | 15 | 134 | 8.9 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 9 | 31 | 3.4 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 12 | 28 | 2.3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 4 | 17 | 4.3 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | HB | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jonah Coleman | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Marvin Mims Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Adam Prentice | FB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 7 | 113 | 16.1 | 2 | 30 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 7 | 75 | 10.7 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 5 | 75 | 15.0 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Marvin Mims Jr | WR | 6 | 74 | 12.3 | 1 | 20 | 1 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 5 | 71 | 14.2 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 7 | 67 | 9.6 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 4 | 36 | 9.0 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Adam Prentice | FB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 4 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Starling Thomas V | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Jones | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathon Cooper | LEDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nik Bonitto | REDG | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jonah Elliss | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Barrett | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Onyedim | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Surtain II | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charles Omenihu | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarvarius Moore | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Allen | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Eboigbe | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Colson | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dondrea Tillman | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Singleton | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Perryman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Hart | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyle Kennard | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamaree Caldwell | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Teair Tart | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wil Lutz | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jeremy Crawshaw | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 1 | 2 | 4 | 24 |

