The Denver Broncos made good use of the extra rest from the bye week and beat the Los Angeles Chargers fairly easily in Week 12.
The Chargers were able to score 41 points last week in a huge win over the Pittsburgh Steelers but against the Broncos, they found the points hard to come by. Denver played great team defense and held the Chargers to just 13 points in a 28-13 win.
The win takes the Broncos’ record to 6-5 on the season while also dropping the Chargers to 6-5. Both teams are one game behind the 7-4 Kansas City Chiefs, who had their bye this week. The Las Vegas Raiders are also 6-5, making the division race extremely tight coming down the final stretch of the season.
The Broncos jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter but an injury to Teddy Bridgewater threatened to hurt Denver’s chances at a victory as Drew Lock was largely ineffective in relief. The Chargers scored a touchdown just before halftime to make it 14-7 and with the Chargers also receiving the kickoff to start the second half, it certainly looked like they were going to snatch the momentum.
But when Dustin Hopkins missed from 52 yards out, the Broncos got the ball back and had Bridgewater come back into the game. After an interception by Patrick Surtain on the Chargers’ next possession, Bridgewater took the Broncos on a 10-play drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Eric Saubert.
Broncos are very much in the AFC playoff race
A few players later, Surtain intercepted Justin Herbert for the second time, this time taking it back 70 yards for a touchdown to put the game on ice.
The win for the Broncos marks the 14th time in the last 19 meetings that they have beaten the Chargers. It also keeps the Broncos right in the middle of the playoff race, not just the division race.
Currently, at 6-5, the Chargers would hold the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. But if the Broncos can build on this victory, unlike following their win over the Dallas Cowboys, they could get hot at the right time and end their postseason drought.
The Broncos must now prepare for what will be their biggest game in years when they travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs next week on Sunday Night Football.