Chargers rally, escape with 19-16 overtime win over Broncos

INGLEWOOD, California -- The Los Angeles Chargers sideline erupted successful jubilation pursuing 2 peculiar plays by a history-plagued peculiar teams unit.

With 4:58 remaining successful overtime, the Bolts recovered a muffed punt connected the Denver Broncos 28-yard line. Then, 4 plays later, kicker Dustin Hopkins -- playing done a close hamstring wounded -- knocked down a 39-yard tract extremity to springiness the Chargers a 19-16 triumph astatine SoFi Stadium.

With the win, the Bolts amended to 4-2 -- keeping them successful the heavy of the contention for the AFC West, portion proving that they tin travel up clutch.

Last Sunday, the Chargers were talented a triumph from the Cleveland Browns erstwhile kicker Cade York missed a imaginable game-winning 54-yard tract goal.

On Monday Night Football, the Chargers near nary uncertainty that they could triumph connected their terms.

Los Angeles Chargers

QB breakdown: Herbert and the Bolts' discourtesy struggled to find a bushed against a accelerated and carnal defense. Herbert completed 37-of-57 passes for 238 yards with an interception.

Through regulation, Herbert averaged 2.2 aerial yards connected his completions, beneath his erstwhile career-low of 2.7.

Cornerback Pat Surtain II efficaciously eliminated go-to people wide receiver Mike Williams, who finished with 2 catches for 17 yards -- including a clutch nine-yard reception successful overtime to acceptable up a game-winning tract goal.

Herbert's lone touchdown thrust came successful the archetypal quarter, erstwhile helium enactment unneurotic a seven-play, 84-yard thrust that resulted successful Austin Ekeler rushing six yards for a people to enactment the Bolts connected the board, 10-7.

In the 4th quarter, connected first-and-10 from their ain 17-yard line, Herbert had a walk intercepted that was intended for Gerald Everett -- his 2nd interception of the play erstwhile targeting his caller choky end.

Herbert, who was sacked twice, is continuing to play done fractured rib cartilage, which helium said earlier this week "I deliberation it's getting better. I deliberation clip is astir apt the champion help."

Troubling trend: Cornerback J.C. Jackson not playing to modular aft signing a five-year, $82.5 cardinal declaration successful escaped agency.

Jackson could lone watch, connected an evident blown assignment, arsenic choky extremity Greg Dulcich sprinted by for a 39-yard touchdown reception successful the archetypal 4th to springiness the Broncos a 10-0 lead. A fifth-year pro, Jackson played 4 seasons successful New England, wherever helium led the NFL successful interceptions (25) since 2018.

Jackson awaits his archetypal prime arsenic a Charger, and it's unclear precisely what has caused his dilatory commencement to the season, betwixt learning a caller strategy and coming backmost from ankle country performed successful precocious August.

Buy connected a breakout performance: After spending astir of the 2021 play connected the sideline pursuing ankle surgery, borderline rusher Khalil Mack is proving successful his ninth NFL play that helium has plentifulness remaining successful the tank.

Mack acknowledged entering Monday nighttime that it is nary amusive chasing astir Broncos backmost Russell Wilson, yet helium kept changeless unit connected Wilson, sacking him erstwhile and besides batted down a pass.

Mack ranks 2nd successful the NFL, tied with six different players, with six sacks. The Chargers sacked Wilson 4 times. -- Lindsey Thiry

Underrated statistic to know: Herbert threw 0 TD connected 57 passes Monday. It's the 2nd clip this play a subordinate threw astatine slightest 57 passes and nary TD (Kyler Murray)

Next game: vs. Seahawks (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Denver Broncos

One of Denver Broncos manager Nathaniel Hackett's biggest items connected the to-do database erstwhile helium took the occupation was to amended the Broncos' dismal show successful the AFC West, particularly connected the roadworthy successful the division.

The Broncos stumbled into SoFi Stadium Monday nighttime 2-11 successful their past 13 part games dating backmost to the commencement of the 2020 season, 0-7 connected the roadworthy with the nonaccomplishment successful Las Vegas already connected this season's docket. So, adhd different connected the increasing heap arsenic their discourtesy unopen it down successful the 2nd fractional -- again -- and rookie Montrell Washington muffed a punt astatine the Broncos' 28-yard enactment with 4 minutes, 46 seconds to play successful overtime to assistance acceptable up a 19-16 overtime nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Chargers.

It each had a acquainted ringing for the Broncos, who had a 10-0 pb successful the archetypal 4th earlier their still-struggling discourtesy fundamentally called it a night. A squad that has scored each of 5 points successful the 3rd 4th this play -- 2 of those connected a information by the defence earlier this twelvemonth -- was unopen retired successful the 3rd again arsenic the Broncos had each of 19 yards worthy of offense.

The Chargers simply pushed backmost against a battered Broncos violative enactment for overmuch of the 2nd fractional -- near tackle Garett Bolles volition miss the remainder of the play aft helium fractured his close fibula successful the nonaccomplishment to the Indianapolis Colts -- to support Russell Wilson retired of sync.

The Broncos' defence slugged it retired capable to get it to overtime, but each the enactment they said they did connected discourtesy during the 11 days betwixt a Thursday nighttime nonaccomplishment to the Colts and Monday's to the Chargers surely did not amusement up.

Troubling trend: Rookie cornerback Damarri Mathis got a preview of what the remainder of the play could look similar for him. Mathis, who is successful the lineup owed to the season-ending genu wounded to Ronald Darby, was targeted by Chargers backmost Justin Herbert connected the game's archetypal play from scrimmage -- Mathis was called for walk interference -- and the Chargers didn't fto up.

Mathis had 3 walk interference penalties successful the archetypal fractional unsocial that accounted for 81 yards, 4 successful the game, and passim the evening whenever Herbert faced adjacent a minimal accent concern helium sent the shot Mathis' way. The rookie amended get utilized to it and respond due to the fact that the infinitesimal immoderate of the Broncos' aboriginal opponents look astatine what the Chargers did Monday night, they'll judge they tin marque it enactment arsenic well.

Mathis showed immoderate resiliency with a cardinal fourth-down walk breakup to unfastened the 4th quarter, but the play was yet different indicator that it volition not beryllium a relaxing thrust for him successful the coming weeks.

Biggest spread successful the gameplan: Hackett has spent plentifulness of clip since helium got the occupation talking astir however important the tally crippled is, and volition beryllium successful the team's offense.

And past arsenic the squad struggles on the learning curve wide erstwhile they person the ball, the tally crippled is ornamental astatine best. Granted, the season-ending wounded Javonte Williams suffered successful the nonaccomplishment to the Raiders volition interaction the Broncos' plan, but they ran the shot conscionable 7 times successful the archetypal fractional and 1 of those was a Wilson scramble.

The effect has been abbreviated possessions astatine times erstwhile the Broncos usage up conscionable implicit a infinitesimal connected an ill-timed three-and-out to nonstop their defence backmost connected the field. And the team's continued struggles connected archetypal down -- they faced second-and-18, second-and-12 and second-and-9 successful the archetypal fractional unsocial -- has pushed them distant from thing they request to beryllium bigger portion of what they're doing.

All you person to spot is connected third-and-1, successful their archetypal possession of overtime, Wilson was successful the shotgun arsenic helium threw an incompletion nether dense unit from a Chargers walk unreserved with nary crushed to dilatory down.

QB breakdown: Wilson deed his archetypal 10 walk attempts Monday nighttime and looked acold much comfy overall. But without the payment of overmuch play enactment successful the Broncos' discourtesy and a still-ongoing disconnect with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy that seems to look with regularity, Wilson completed 3 of his adjacent 11 passes.

He completed passes to 9 antithetic receivers, including the archetypal touchdown for rookie choky extremity Greg Dulcich. The archetypal down woes, however, proceed to disrupt the tempo of things and truthful portion Wilson was amended successful the archetypal fractional Monday, determination is inactive plentifulness of enactment the beryllium done. -- Jeff Legwold

Underrated statistic to know: Wilson started the crippled completing his archetypal 9 attempts to 9 antithetic pass-catchers. According to Elias, nary QB dating backmost to 1978 started a crippled 9-for-9 to 9 antithetic players.

Next game: vs. Jets (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)