The Denver Broncos are now 14-3 and have finished the regular season atop the AFC. With the win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Broncos secured the top seed in the AFC playoffs and have earned the first-round bye.
This was a huge goal that Sean Payton talked about for multiple years, and after winning the division in Week 17, Denver accomplishes the next goal with the no. 1 seed locked up here in Week 18. The Broncos got out to a quick 10-0 lead, but then, the struggles began.
Denver did not get into the endzone on offense and had to score their lone touchdown thanks to a Ja'Quan McMillian pick-six in the first quarter. However, the Broncos managed to win by 16 points and played quite well on defense. In this victory, starting QB Bo Nix did something he's never done in the NFL.
Bo Nix had never beaten the Los Angeles Chargers, until Week 18
Coming into this game, Bo Nix was 0-3 against the Los Angeles Chargers with five touchdowns and one interception. Nix has played well against LA in his career, which is great, but in some of the losses, the Broncos just could not seal the deal.
Wins aren't necessarily a quarterback stat, but the NFL recognizes them as a QB stat, so that does reflect well for Nix. The second-year QB is now 24-10 as a starter in the NFL and 1-3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
A win is a win - Denver lost to the Bolts in the beginning of the season on a field goal as time expired. Nix has now also tied Russell Wilson for the most wins by a quarterback in his first two seasons. The quarterback is simply a winner, and winning has followed him for years.
While he's not put up the best regular season statistics, he's done enough to win and has helped lead the Broncos to the top seed in the AFC for the first time since 2015.