2 winners (and 3 losers) for Broncos in Week 6 loss vs. Chargers

After winning three straight games to improve to 3-2, the Denver Broncos were a little too welcoming to the Los Angeles Chargers who came in and handed the Broncos their third loss of the season. It was an ugly game for the majority, but the Broncos made a bit of a furious comeback in the second half to at least show some signs of life in an otherwise rough game.

There are obviously plenty of folks to blame when the team loses but where can we sort of pinpoint what exactly went wrong (and right) in this game for the Broncos? Every loss tells a story, and every game is an opportunity to evaluate.

Who were the biggest winners and losers from Denver's unfortunate loss in Week 6 against the Chargers?

Biggest winners and losers from Broncos Week 6 loss to Chargers

Broncos winner: Courtland Sutton, wide receiver

Courtland Sutton has made a number of incredible, jaw-dropping plays in his NFL career but there might not be any more spectacular than the one we saw against the Chargers on Sunday. It's just a shame it came in defeat, ultimately.

Sutton would have likely gone over 100 receiving yards in this game against the Chargers if it weren't for his huge catch and run before the end of the first half getting called back due to a holding penalty on Quinn Meinerz. But that's neither here nor there. On his six targets, Sutton had four receptions for 53 yards and that sensational touchdown, and we're seeing more and more the chemistry build between he and Bo Nix these last handful of weeks.

There have been a number of frustrating games from Sutton this season but he came up in big spots against the Chargers.

Broncos loser: Garett Bolles, offensive tackle

Well, we had to start with the good because it's never fun to start with the bad, but we have to talk about the performance of Garett Bolles in this game against the Chargers. Even without Joey Bosa on the field, Bolles was getting whipped and making far too many mistakes that are unacceptable for a veteran of his experience and pedigree.

Just look at Bolles on this play, which was only made possible by Bo Nix in the end:

Bolles was called for a back-breaking false start on a 3rd-and-1 in the first half. He was called for illegal formation at one point. We've gotten too used to hearing his number being called out by the officials when it comes to penalties and this whiff in pass protection can't be thrown under the rug just because Nix made a play.

The Broncos are already down multiple tackles on the right side. Having this kind of play from Bolles on the left side is inexcusable and he has to be better immediately.

Broncos winner: Young players

We saw some outstanding contributions from the Denver Broncos' young players against the Los Angeles Chargers, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Seventh-round pick Devaughn Vele led the team with four receptions for 78 yards and had some outstanding plays after the catch. He also might have gone over 100 yards receiving on the day if it weren't for a drop in the fourth quarter. Despite the drop, Vele has been excellent dating back to training camp and he's proven he's deserving of more opportunities.

Troy Franklin had a 29-yard reception in this game for the Broncos as well as his first NFL touchdown catch, a gimme in the back of the end zone in a goal-to-go situation.

Audric Estimé -- a 5th-round running back who has spent time on IR this season -- came back for his first action since Week 1 and had an 11-yard run on a touchdown drive.

Hopefully going forward, we will see more and more of these young guys and contributions in wins, not just late in losses.

Broncos loser: Javonte Williams, running back

Well, we had a couple of great weeks eating crow on things that had previously been said about Javonte Williams, but his performance against the Los Angeles Chargers may have been the final straw in terms of the Broncos truly "featuring" him in the offense.

Williams had six carries for 23 yards and three catches for just 13 yards on six targets. One of the targets he didn't reel in was a screen pass that was set up for big yardage that he just flat-out dropped. The major issue from this game for Williams, however, was a back-breaking fumble after the Broncos crossed midfield when they were still down just 13-0 in this game.

The Chargers recovered his fumble and immediately put 7 points on the board to increase their lead to 20. That's the second game now this season in which Williams fumbled and it resulted in 7 points in a one-score game.

Broncos loser: Ja'Quan McMillian, cornerback

As great as Ja'Quan McMillian has been this season from the slot, he struggled badly against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The young nickel corner fell down early in the game leading to a big play for the Chargers' offense, and he was called for multiple penalties including one penalty which wiped a turnover off the board for the Broncos and gave the Chargers an automatic first down late.

McMillian popped up on the injury report on Monday with an ankle issue, so perhaps that was part of the problem. I don't expect this kind of play to continue for him but it was sloppy and rough out there for him against LA.