On a season-best four-game winning streak, the Denver Broncos enter the playoff race with the upper hand against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night in Inglewood, Calif.
The Broncos (9-5) last reached the playoffs in 2015, when they won the Super Bowl behind quarterback Peyton Manning. Rookie QB Bo Nix brought hopes for a bright future, guiding Denver from a 5-5 start to a double-digit win streak for the first time since the Manning days.
There’s also an outside chance the Broncos could clinch a playoff spot this week. If Denver wins or ties on Thursday, and the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts follow with losses or ties over the weekend, the Broncos will be in the playoffs.
While Nix threw three touchdown passes in Sunday’s 31-13 home win over the Colts, he also had a career-high three interceptions.
“I thought I saw the game well, (but) I have to avoid turning the ball over,” said Nix.
Nix and the Broncos could have gone on a four-game winning streak earlier this season, but the Chargers came to Denver and won 23-16 in Week 6.
Nix threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in that game and ended up with 216 yards through the air. However, he lost a duel against Chargers QB Justin Herbert, who threw for a TD and passed for 237 yards.
On Sunday against the Colts, Nix had just 130 passing yards, but Denver put up another strong defense by putting up 24 points in the second half, including 21 in the fourth quarter.
“Later in that game, when we needed it, man, there’s a maturity and a moxie about him, which I like,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Nix. “I think it’s contagious to the team. When you have that at quarterback, your team knows you’re in every game.”
If there was a moment when the Broncos found their footing this season, it might have been the second half against the Chargers. Trailing 23-0, Denver scored 16 fourth quarter points while shutting out Los Angeles to come back and make it a game.
Since then, the Broncos have gone 6-2 to pull ahead of the Chargers in the AFC West. Denver currently holds the No. 6 playoff seed in the AFC, while the Chargers (8-6) have dropped to No. 7.
The No. 7 seed could face a wild-card tie against the Buffalo Bills, while the No. 6 seed could face the AFC North champion, where the Pittsburgh Steelers hold a one-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Chargers have lost three of their last four games after losing 40-17 at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. More than just the Los Angeles defense struggling, the offense only gained 32 rushing yards and Herbert threw a shutout for the first time in 12 games.
Not only did the Chargers give up the most points they allowed this season, but they also produced a team-high 506 yards, including a season-high 223 yards on the ground.
The Chargers still have two games against their closer with three games left, so their situation isn’t bad. They will also secure a playoff spot in a nearly identical situation to the Broncos, with games remaining against the New England Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders, the five-time winners.
With so much on the line, Thursday’s game is expected to have a playoff feel.
“It’s up to us as an offense and us as a team to come out and play the way we should,” said Herbert, who has been nursing his left ankle. “Obviously all the important games are in December and January. That’s where we want to be.”
Herbert was limited in practice on Tuesday but is expected to play. Los Angeles’ Will Dissly (shoulder), guard Zion Johnson (ankle), defensive ends Otito Ogbonnia (pelvis) and defensive ends Cam Hart (concussion) and Elijah Molden (knee) they did not practice on Tuesday.
The only Broncos player to miss practice on Tuesday was linebacker John Franklin-Myers (foot).
–Field Level Media
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