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If you missed the Chargers’ win over the Broncos or just want to relive it, here are the highlights.
The Chargers completed a double-digit comeback on Thursday night, defeating the Broncos, 34-27.
Justin Herbert threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns. Jesse Minter’s defense held Denver to six points in the second half after allowing three TDs in the first half.
If you missed the game or want to relive it, the entire highlight reel can be seen below.
Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ loss to the Broncos in a game that saw Los Angeles complete a double-digit comeback.
The Chargers pieced together a double-digit comeback in the second half, taking down the Broncos in a 34-27 battle on Thursday night.
Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ Week 16 win.
Justin Herbert pitched the ball to Hassan Haskins, who ran for a 34-yard touchdown with 2:27 remaining to go up by 10.
The Chargers swept the Broncos for the first time since the 2010 season.
The Chargers are back on the road to face the Patriots (3-11) on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 10:00 am PT.
After their loss on Sunday, the Chargers took a little bit of a slide.
The Chargers fell to 8-6 after losing to the Buccaneers last Sunday.
After Week 15, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:
“After surrendering no more than 20 points in their first nine games, they’ve allowed at least 27 in three of the past five, including a forty-burger to the Bucs in Sunday’s loss.”
“Holding a 17-10 lead with just over five minutes left in the second quarter on Sunday, the Chargers fell on a Bucs fumble, and the game appeared to be tilting in their direction. From that point on, Tampa outscored L.A. 30-zip. The Bolts have had some unbelievably poor halves this season, but they absolutely crumbled after halftime in this one and were completely out of it midway through the fourth quarter. It was a hard fall for this team, which has now dropped three of the past four games and appears to be treading water — at best — even with a pretty darned good grasp on a playoff spot. A few weeks ago, the Chargers looked like the kind of first-round opponent no division winner wanted to face in the postseason. Now the defense has been humbled, and a flatlining Justin Herbert is dealing with a left ankle injury heading into a big game against Denver with seeding on the line.”
Biggest improvement: Play-action offense
“Before the Chargers’ Week 5 bye, they used play-action just 25.4% of the time. And it wasn’t particularly effective, either, as quarterback Justin Herbert had a QBR of 40.1 on those plays. Some of this likely had to do with his high ankle sprain from Week 2. Still, since Week 6, they’ve run play-action 34.4% of the time and Herbert has a 61.1 QBR. He also averages 12.1 yards per completion and 7.7 yards per attempt on these plays in that span, which is higher than the first four weeks of the season.”
“That was a horrible showing against the Bucs. They have lost two straight and now face a big Thursday game on the road against the Broncos.”
“I have been accused of being a silver linings guy and that’s a disposition I’m happy to have been saddled with. So I’ll say this after the Chargers were totally boat-raced by the Buccaneers: this isn’t indicative of some developing issue, it’s merely the point in which Los Angeles’s current level of talent and health has met the realities of their situation. I think we can all agree that this team has looked and felt different than the cardiac Chargers of the past, but Jim Harbaugh was saddled with one of the worst rosters—QB removed—in the NFL and is counting on a lot of young talent.”
“Sometimes, statistics don’t tell the whole story about a team. Los Angeles came into Week 15 with the No. 1-ranked scoring defense, slowing down mediocre and below-average offenses, some of which were led by rookies. Whenever Los Angeles plays a high-scoring opponent, its defense looks more porous than stout. The Buccaneers dropped 40 points on the Chargers at SoFi Stadium, and it should leave you questioning whether this club can hang with playoff-caliber teams.”
Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ loss to the Buccaneers, who overwhelmed Los Angeles in every facet of this game.
The Chargers stood no chance against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay won, 40-17. Los Angeles is now 8-6.
Here’s our recap of L.A.’s Week 15 loss.
Baker Mayfield connected with Mike Evans for a 35-yard touchdown to go up 30-17. There was no answer to the Buccaneers’ offensive dominance.
Justin Herbert’s streak without an interception ended at 357 attempts. Herbert failed to become the first player in NFL history without an interception in 12 consecutive games within a single season.
The Chargers face the Broncos (9-5) in a crucial divisional matchup on Thursday night, Dec. 19, at 5:15 pm PT.
The Chargers defense is rolling.
The Chargers are starting to get on a roll.
LA’s second offensive drive netted the team a 41 yard Cameron Dicker field goal to tie the game at 10, followed immediately by a Tarheeb Still interception and a touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston to give the Chargers a 17-10 lead.
Tampa Bay got the ball back on the ensuing possession, pushing towards the first down marker early in the drive. Facing a 3rd and 1, the Buccaneers handed off to running back Rachaad White, who had limped off the field in the first quarter with an unspecified lower body injury.
White looked to have the first down, but kept fighting for extra yards. Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa got a hand on the ball, forcing it out as it bounced directly into the hands of Elijah Molden for Tampa Bay’s second turnover of the game.
The fumble gave the Chargers the ball back on their own 49 yard line.
https://x.com/chargers/status/1868421936176361946
Here’s how the Chargers and Buccaneers stack up statistically on offense and defense ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
The Chargers and Buccaneers are set to square off this Sunday.
Here’s how Los Angeles and Tampa Bay stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 15 matchup:
| Category | Chargers | Buccaneers |
| Points per game | 21.3 ppg (20th) | 27.9 ppg (5th) |
| Passing offense | 198.1 ypg (25th) | 241.0 ypg (6th) |
| Rushing offense | 111.5 ypg (19th) | 138.3 ypg (7th) |
| Total offense | 309.5 ypg (24th) | 379.3 ypg (3rd) |
| 3rd down conversions | 38.37% (15th) | 47.17% (2nd) |
| Red zone scoring | 54.55% (19th) | 68.63% (4th) |
| Sacks allowed | 38 (23rd) | 32 (16th) |
| Turnovers | 6 (1st) | 18 (20th) |
| Category | Chargers | Buccaneers |
| Points allowed | 15.9 ppg (1st) | 23.8 ppg (22nd) |
| Passing defense | 206.1 ypg (8th) | 253.4 ypg (30th) |
| Rushing defense | 117.6 ypg (14th) | 115.2 ypg (11th) |
| Total defense | 323.7 ypg (11th) | 368.5 ypg (28th) |
| 3rd down conversions | 35.03% (7th) | 41.92% (23rd) |
| Red zone defense | 41.94% (1st) | 51.02% (10th) |
| Sacks | 39 (5th) | 35 (11th) |
| Takeaways | 17 (10th) | 16 (14th) |
Two players were out, and six were limited.
The Chargers had their second practice on Thursday in preparation for this Sunday’s contest against the Buccaneers.
Back on the practice field was quarterback Justin Herbert, who was listed as a limited participant on the injury report. Herbert missed Wednesday’s practice with a left ankle injury and a thigh contusion.
Herbert said his left ankle sprain is “not as severe” as the right high ankle sprain he had earlier this season.
Herbert is expected to play against Tampa Bay this weekend.
Edge defender Joey Bosa (hip) upgraded to limited after sitting out Wednesday.
Tight end Will Dissly (shoulder) and wide receiver Jalen Reagor (finger) did not practice for the second consecutive day.
Wide receiver Derius Davis (hamstring), safety Tony Jefferson (hamstring), wide receiver Ladd McConkey (knee/shoulder) and linebacker Deznel Perryman (groin) were limited.
Despite their loss on Sunday, the Chargers did not move that much in the power rankings.
The Chargers fell to 8-5 after losing to the Chiefs last Sunday.
After Week 14, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:
“Pretty good effort Sunday night at Arrowhead, especially with RB J.K. Dobbins and WR Ladd McConkey, the Bolts’ leaders in yards from scrimmage, both unavailable. Their six turnovers are the league’s fewest, yet it still feels like a conservative, mistake-mitigating approach is one that isn’t going to pay many dividends in the playoffs.”
“With no Ladd McConkey against the Chiefs, the Chargers’ offensive struggles reached near-doldrum levels early on, coming off a win where they never reached the end zone offensively. Sunday night’s loss stings, for sure, and it gives the Bolts an idea of what more they need to do to beat quality teams. That’s now three straight one-score losses to Kansas City. Even still, Justin Herbert kept dealing and kept making big throws, and the play-action and run games both started working again. I think the offense will be OK once McConkey returns to the lineup, and as long as the Chargers don’t flounder down the stretch, they will be in the playoffs and will make for an especially thorny first-round opponent.”
Most shocking ranking: 19th in rushing
“Throughout the offseason, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman boasted about the dominant rushing offense they would build in L.A., but it hasn’t panned out that way. Averaging 111.5 yards per game, the rushing offense is slightly improved from where the Chargers finished last season (25th), but it has largely been a disappointment and by far the worst of Harbaugh’s NFL career. During Harbaugh and Roman’s four seasons in San Francisco, they had the second-best rushing offense in the NFL; the lowest the 49ers ranked was eighth in Harbaugh’s first season.”
“That was a tough loss to the Chiefs on the road, but they rallied back and the defense played well, which has been their calling card all year. At 8-5, they would be the sixth seed right now.”
“Quentin Johnston has had issues with his hands since college, but the explosive get off from the line of scrimmage on Sunday night against Kansas City and the ability to hold on to the ball during a massive collision was impressive. If Johnston can develop on this kind of timeline we could have a beast on our hands in Year 3.”
“Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers are more physical. They play tough defense. It’s a squad built to win. Yet they still can’t overcome the bully in the AFC West, with two regular-season losses to the Kansas City Chiefs. While Los Angeles remains in line to capture a wildcard postseason berth, it’s clear the Chargers aren’t quite ready to handle the league’s elite. A playoff run is possible, though it doesn’t feel likely since four of the Chargers’ five losses came against potential postseason opponents.”
The Chargers held the Chiefs to less than 300 yards of total offense, so how did that impact them in the rankings?
The Chargers fell to 8-5 after losing to the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Los Angeles’ defense held its own, limiting Kansas City to less than 300 yards of total offense and containing Patrick Mahomes for most of the game. Offensively, the Bolts couldn’t get anything going in the first half but had a surge in the second half.
With Week 15 coming up, how do the Bolts compare to the rest of the NFL? Here is where Los Angeles ranks:
| Category | Stat | Rank |
| Points per game | 21.3 ppg | 20th |
| Passing offense | 198.1 ypg | 25th |
| Rushing offense | 111.5 ypg | 19th |
| Total offense | 309.5 ypg | 24th |
| 3rd down conversions | 38.37% | 15th |
| Red zone scoring | 54.55% | 19th |
| Sacks allowed | 38 | 23rd |
| Turnovers | 6 | 1st |
| Category | Stat | Rank |
| Points allowed | 15.9 ppg | 1st |
| Passing defense | 206.1 ypg | 8th |
| Rushing defense | 117.6 ypg | 14th |
| Total defense | 323.7 ypg | 11th |
| 3rd down conversions | 35.03% | 7th |
| Red zone defense | 41.94% | 1st |
| Sacks | 39 | 5th |
| Takeaways | 17 | 10th |
The defense was good for most of the game, but couldn’t come up with a stop when needed the most.
The Chargers defense was effective for nearly the entire game before failing to make a stop on the final drive in Sunday night’s 19-17 loss to the Chiefs.
“Just gotta finish the game,” Daiyan Henley said, per the team’s official website.
They had their chances, however.
It started with a kickoff penalty on Cameron Dicker, which allowed the Chiefs to start at their own 40.
On 3rd-and-10, Patrick Mahomes connected with Xavier Worthy for a 14-yard gain to move the chains.
A few plays later, on 3rd-and-7 at the Chargers 20, Mahomes evaded an attempted open-field tackle by Henley and hit a wide-open Travis Kelce for nine yards and the first down to let the clock bleed.
“We thought it was likely [they would throw],” Jim Harbaugh said. “We predicted a couple of those, the roll pass early. But just executed, it wasn’t a surprise or a shock.”
Matthew Wright’s 31-yard field goal hit off the left upright and in for the win as time expired.
It was the same story, just a different day with Mahomes getting the ball at the end of the game.
The Chargers held the Chiefs to less than 300 yards of total offense. Mahomes was kept contained for most of the game and sacked three times, but that doesn’t matter when you can’t close out Kansas City.
“We gotta be ready,” Derwin James said. “As a defense, we want to be on the field, we want that challenge and I feel like we didn’t make the plays in the third and fourth quarter to get off the field.
“I know looking at the tape, we’re going to be sick to our stomach,” James added.
