The Los Angeles Chargers came from 11 points down in the third quarter to beat AFC West and wildcard rivals the Denver Broncos 34-27.
Justin Herbert threw touchdown passes to Derius Davis and Hassan Hawkins in the fourth quarter as the Chargers pulled alongside the Broncos at 9-6.
A win would have secured the Broncos’ first playoff spot since they won the Super Bowl in 2016. A first loss in five games drops them below the Chargers to third in the division, but both look on course for the postseason.
CALL IT A COMEBACK pic.twitter.com/Y1HtsggHm8
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 20, 2024
Audric Estime put the Broncos ahead with a three-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, Gus Edwards replying from one yard.
Bo Nix, who threw for 263 yards, connected with Michael Burton and Devaughn Vele from close range for scores as the Broncos took a 21-10 lead in the second quarter, Cameron Dicker landing a 37-yard field goal between those scores.
Dicker grabbed his second score on the brink of half-time as the Chargers took advantage of a rarely-used rule – connecting from 57 yards with a fair-catch kick, which allows teams to take a shot at goal from the line of scrimmage after a fair catch from a punt.
Dicker’s kick – helped by a 10-yard penalty – was the longest fair-catch kick in the NFL and the first successful one since 1976.
Wil Lutz stretched the lead back out to 11 with a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter, Edwards’ second rushing score from five yards making it 24-19.
Herbert, who threw for 284 yards with an interception, found Davis and Haskins to push the Chargers ahead for the first time, a last-minute Lutz kick from 55 yards providing the only response from the Broncos.
