Tag: nfl news

Chargers secure second-half comeback over Broncos: Instant analysis of Week 16 win

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.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert pitched the ball to Hassan Haskins, who ran for a 34-yard touchdown with 2:27 remaining to go up by 10.

Notable number

The Chargers swept the Broncos for the first time since the 2010 season.

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: 281 yards, 2 passing touchdowns
  2. RB Gus Edwards: 2 rushing TDs
  3. WR Ladd McConkey: 6 catches, 87 yards

Quick hits

  • Before their win, the Chargers had lost 13 straight games when trailing by double digits, the fifth-longest active streak in the NFL.
  • Credit offensive coordinator Greg Roman for devising a game plan that resulted in 34 points against the league’s best defense.
  • The Chargers totaled 380 yards, 263 passing and 117 rushing, averaging 6.2 yards per play. They went 3 of 4 in the red zone.
  • Justin Herbert connected with ten different pass-catchers.
  • According to Next Gen Stats, Herbert used play action on a career-high 47.2% of his dropbacks against Denver, finishing 12 of 15 for 155 yards with a play fake.
  • Ladd McConkey led all receivers with 87 yards. Joshua Palmer was second with 41 yards on three catches.
  • Before his 43-yard run, Gus Edwards was only averaging 1.9. yards per carry. Still, Edwards found the end zone twice, bringing his touchdown total to four on the season.
  • After giving up three touchdowns in the first half, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter made some adjustments by dialing up and executing more pressure to mitigate the thin defensive backfield.
  • In the second half, Los Angeles forced four punts, two of which were three-and-outs, on five of Denver’s possessions.
  • Ryan Ficken, knowing the free-kick law, paid off as Cameron Dicker’s 57-yard field goal was good right before the half, the first free-kick FG since 1976.
  • The Chargers now have a 97% chance to make the playoffs after the win.

What’s next?

The Chargers are back on the road to face the Patriots (3-11) on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 10:00 am PT.

Pat Surtain’s dad was not happy with Broncos during ‘Thursday Night Football’

“Sean [Payton] run the ball. Man,” Pat Surtain’s dad tweeted during ‘Thursday Night Football.’

The Denver Broncos had a wild sequence just before halftime against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 16. The team’s mismanagement of the game left fans — and Pat Surtain’s dad — frustrated.

Following a Kris Abrams-Draine interception, the Broncos took over at their own 18-yard line with 41 second remaining until halftime while leading 21-10. Instead of attempting to run out the clock, Denver coach Sean Payton called pass plays on first and second down.

The first pass to running back Javonte Williams went for negative-three yards. The second pass fell incomplete, stopping the clock. Williams then rushed for one yard on third down and the Broncos were forced to punt.

Surtain’s dad — Patrick Surtain Sr. — then chimed in on Twitter/X: “Bad clock management on both sides. [Jim] Harbaugh use your timeouts, Sean [Payton] run the ball. Man.”

On the ensuing punt, Denver cornerback Tremon Smith was penalized for kick catch interference. After that 15-yard penalty spotted the ball at the Broncos’ 47-yard line, L.A. elected to kick a rare fair catch free kick to cut the deficit to 21-13 going into halftime.

Surtain Sr.’s response to the sequence: “Just DUMB…smh.”

Denver went on to lose the game 34-27. Surtain’s dad final tweet after the game was an emoji: “🤷🏾‍♂️.”

Up next for the Broncos is a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-8) next Saturday (Dec. 28). With two games remaining, Denver needs to win one game to clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Playoffs will wait: Broncos fall to 9-6 following 34-27 loss to Chargers

The Broncos fell to the Chargers 34-27 on Thursday, delaying Denver’s bid to make the 2024 NFL playoffs.

The Denver Broncos (9-6) lost to the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) 34-27 on Thursday Night Football in Week 16, delaying the team’s bid to clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs.

Denver can still clinch a playoff berth in Week 16 if the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins all lose or tie on Sunday.

After the defense forced a three-and-out on L.A.’s opening drive, the Broncos’ offense marched 72 yards — with 43 yards on the ground — before taking a 7-0 lead after Audric Estime scored his first touchdown in the NFL.

The Chargers later matched that score with a one-yard touchdown run from Gus Edwards to tie the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter. Denver then went 70 yards on 12 plays and retook a 14-7 lead after quarterback Bo Nix connected with fullback Michael Burton on a one-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

L.A. kicked a field goal on its next drive to make it 14-10, marking four-straight drives with a score. Following a 54-yard catch-and-run by Marvin Mims on Denver’s next possession, Nix threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele to extend the lead to 21-10.

L.A. appeared to be on the verge of scoring just before halftime before rookie cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted a Justin Herbert pass at the one-yard line. That prevented a touchdown, but after the Broncos committed a foul on their ensuing punt, the Chargers converted a 57-yard fair catch free kick to make it 21-13 going into halftime. It marked the first time since 1976 that such a kick was attempted in an NFL game:

The Broncos opened the third quarter with a 41-yard Wil Lutz field goal to extend the lead to 24-13. L.A. then went 70 yards on 10 plays and scored on a five-yard Edwards touchdown run. The drive was extended by a 15-yard foul after linebacker Justin Strnad hit a sliding Herbert on third down. Following the Edwards score, the Chargers failed a two-point attempt, making it 24-19.

L.A. took the lead in the fourth quarter when Herbert threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Derius Davis. After a successful two-point conversion, the Chargers made it 27-24. They later extended that lead to 34-24 following Herbert’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Hassan Haskins.

Denver converted a 55-yard Lutz field goal on its next drive to cut the deficit to 34-27. After a failed onside kick, L.A. ran out the clock to seal the game.

After playing on TNF, the Broncos now have nine days until their next game, a Saturday afternoon special against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

How to stream ‘Thursday Night Football’ for free on Twitch

NFL fans can stream ‘Thursday Night Football’ for free on mobile devices without a Prime account. Here’s how.

The Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) are set to host the Denver Broncos (9-5) in a Thursday Night Football showdown on Dec. 19 at 8:15 p.m. ET to kick off Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season.

The game will not be available on traditional television networks tonight because TNF matchups are streamed on Prime Video.

Football fans who do not have a Prime account can stream Thursday Night Football for free (legally) on Twitch, which is owned by Amazon. There are some restrictions, but they’re not a big deal if you’re used to watching sports on mobile devices.

The Twitch stream is only available on phone, computer and tablet devices. So if you want to watch the game on your TV, you’ll need a Prime account.

If you’re OK with watching the Chargers-Broncos game on a mobile device, you can head to Twitch.tv/PrimeVideo. There’s also a “PrimeVision” channel on Twitch as well as an Español channel.

Thursday Night Football free stream

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Report weighs future of Jaguars GM Trent Baalke

Report weighs future of Jaguars GM Trent Baalke

Asked in his Thursday mailbag if Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke would return to Jacksonville for the 2025 season, Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer laid out seemingly all possibilities: Baalke’s retainment, his dismissal, or even his retirement.

In his fourth season as Jacksonville’s general manager and fifth with the franchise — one in which team owner Shad Khan sternly raised winning expectations during training camp — Baalke’s Jaguars are 3-11, eliminated from playoff contention and in the mix for their third No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft since 2021.

Breer expressed his belief that Khan should fire Baalke and pursue a new general manager this offseason, but pointed toward Baalke’s history of surviving organizational changes as a reason why he could be back with the Jaguars next season.

Or, he could go out on his own terms.

I don’t think he should. Whether he will is another question.

In San Francisco, Trent Baalke survived the firing of a GM and coach, Scot McCloughan and Mike Singletary, to become GM in the first place, then made it through Jim Harbaugh and Jim Tomsula being let go before being dumped with Chip Kelly in 2017. In Jacksonville, he survived the firings of GM David Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone to become GM in 2021 and has since made it through the Urban Meyer firing to be paired with Doug Pederson.

With the San Francisco 49ers, it was slightly more understandable why he kept making it through. The Niners roster he built, first under McCloughan (who was a scouting savant), then as GM, made it to three consecutive NFC title games, and a Super Bowl. Conversely, he arrived in Jacksonville in 2020 and has made the playoffs once in five seasons—and that’s with a top-shelf quarterback for the past four years, in the NFL’s worst division.

I have heard Baalke could retire after the season. If he doesn’t, and makes it to 2025 as the Jaguars’ GM, with all the above history plus some scouting/coaching infighting having happened in the organization … well, then I think I’d have to tip my cap to him.

If Baalke indeed plans to retire in the coming weeks or months, he is certainly not operating like it. He was reportedly “heavily involved” in the three-year contract extension the Jaguars handed starting left tackle Walker Little on Dec. 1.

Staff predictions for Chargers vs. Broncos

Find out who the Chargers Wire staff is picking between Los Angeles and Denver in Week 16.

The Los Angeles Chargers kick off Week 16 against the Denver Broncos.

Who is going to come out victorious?

Here is a look at the predictions from each of our writers at Chargers Wire:

Gavino:

This is one of the most important games of the season for the Chargers as they look to avoid a three-game losing streak and improve their chances of making the playoffs. Los Angeles has not lost three straight this season, and I believe they avoid that. Bo Nix has played well this season, but he’s been turnover-prone. He’s thrown five interceptions over the past two weeks. The Broncos’ offense is nowhere near as explosive as the Buccaneers, so I expect a bounce-back performance from Jesse Minter’s unit, especially since Denzel Perryman will be back from injury. Justin Herbert and company will have their work cut out against Denver’s elite defense, but I think the offensive group will be able to do enough to prevail. Chargers 23, Broncos 20

Alex K:

The Chargers have struggled to move the ball since JK Dobbins (knee) went to injured reserve. That issue will likely continue against a Broncos defense with edge rusher Nik Bonitto and cornerback Patrick Surtain II, both of whom are legit Defensive Player of the Year candidates. But Denver’s offense will probably have the same problems against LA, who should be able to bounce back thanks to the return of Denzel Perryman and a better matchup. Chargers 19, Broncos 17

Chargers make roster moves ahead of Week 16 game vs. Broncos

The Chargers made a few roster moves ahead of their Week 16 game against the Broncos on Thursday night.

The Chargers made a few roster moves ahead of their Week 16 game against the Broncos on Thursday night.

Los Angeles activated tight end Hayden Hurst from injured reserve.

Hurst has been out the past few weeks with a hip injury, but his return should help the positional room, which has been thin since Will Dissly sustained a shoulder injury against the Chiefs.

Additionally, the team elevated cornerback Dicaprio Bootle and safety Kendall Williamson from the practice squad.

In five games this season, Bottle has three tackles. He spent time with the Chiefs and Panthers before joining the Chargers.

Williamson spent time with the Bears and Bills before joining the Chargers practice squad.

Jaguars vs. Raiders: Thursday injury reports

Jaguars vs. Raiders: Thursday injury reports

Find Jacksonville and Las Vegas’ Thursday injury reports for the Jaguars and Raiders’ Week 16 matchup below.

* indicates status upgrade from the previous practice

Jaguars injury report

  • TE Brenton Strange (shoulder) — limited
  • OT Walker Little (ankle) — limited
  • OG Ezra Cleveland (knee) — limited
  • OG Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder) — limited

Analysis: The Jaguars made no changes to their injury report Thursday. Starting tight end Brenton Strange remains the player to watch after hurting his shoulder against the New York Jets on Sunday.

Raiders injury report

  • QB Aidan O’Connell (knee) — full
  • QB Desmond Ridder (hip) — full
  • RB Alexander Mattison (neck) — full
  • WR Ja’Kobi Meyers (ankle) — limited
  • CB Sam Webb (back) — limited
  • OG Jordan Meredith (ankle) — did not participate

Analysis: Much like the Jaguars, the Raiders did not tweak their injury report Thursday. Only backup guard Jordan Meredith was unable to practice while starting wide receiver Ja’Kobi Meyers was notably limited for a second consecutive day.

ESPN considers ‘worst mistake’ Jaguars have made in last five seasons

ESPN considers ‘worst mistake’ Jaguars have made in last five seasons

Every NFL team has made its share of mistakes. Some more, and some much bigger, than others.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are, historically, no strangers to committing errors, as they have attempted to field a Super Bowl-contending team over 30 years of existence and have only 10 winning seasons to show for it.

And in their last five, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the Jaguars committed one of the biggest blunders in the league by hiring Urban Meyer as their head coach in 2021.

Barnwell considered Meyer’s short tenure in Duval the sixth-worst mistake an NFL team has made since 2020, noting the one-year Jaguars head coach’s staff choices, personal decisions and awkward moments among the flaws he committed on the job.

There are so many moments from the Meyer era that could be considered embarrassing decisions and situations in their own right. The Chris Doyle hire. Signing Tim Tebow to play tight end. Abandoning the team plane so he could go to his bar in Ohio, at which point he was filmed in close contact with someone who wasn’t his wife. An impossibly awkward handshake with Mike Vrabel. Talking about the expanded role on defense for a player who had been on the field for zero snaps. His reported unfamiliarity with Aaron Donald and Deebo Samuel. Oh, and allegedly kicking his own kicker, which finally led to the Jaguars firing him.

Meyer went 2-11, wasted a year of Trevor Lawrence’s rookie contract and set the franchise back well beyond where it was when he arrived. Doug Pederson took over as coach, and it’s a small miracle that he got the Jags to the playoffs the following season at 9-8. While Jags fans are understandably frustrated with what has happened since, even the lowlights of the Pederson era feel like Vince Lombardi in comparison to Meyer’s abbreviated run.

Jaguars Wire need not add further comment.

Barnwell faulted the Cleveland Browns for making the league’s most self-damaging move since 2020: Trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson and giving him a fully guaranteed, $230 million contract in 2022, while he faced nearly two dozen civil allegations of sexual misconduct. The NFL eventually suspended Watson for 11 games that season.

The Browns have since benched Watson after he passed for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 19 starts, going 9-10.

All-22 review: Young Jaguars shine in back-and-forth loss to Jets

All-22 review: Young Jaguars shine in back-and-forth loss to Jets

The Jacksonville Jaguars sit at 3-11 on the season following their back-and-forth, 32-25 loss to the New York Jets. The 2024 season has been one of the most disappointing in franchise history and the blows continued on Sunday.

However, one of the upsides of having one of the worst records in the NFL is the opportunity to utilize and evaluate the young talent on the roster. Against New York, a handful of Jacksonville’s rookies and second-year players stood out.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the All-22 from Sunday’s loss to examine the potential future pieces of the roster.

WR Brian Thomas Jr.’s historic rookie season

Should Trent Baalke hold onto his job as Jacksonville’s general manager this offseason, his first-round selection of the former LSU All-American may very well be the biggest reason why.

Against the Jets, Brian Thomas Jr. caught 10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, breaking the franchise rookie record for receiving touchdowns and yards while tying its rookie record for receptions in a season, putting his season total at 64 catches for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.

Thomas has become more than just a vertical threat in the passing game. He has transcended into a true No. 1 target in the passing game with plenty of room to continue growing in the years to come.

One of the reasons why Thomas has begun to receive a high volume of targets is because of his smooth, yet sudden short-area bursts and quickness at the line of scrimmage.

Take his first touchdown for example. He does a great job setting up the man defender to get his feet stuck in the grass. This allows Thomas to break quickly inside and use his explosiveness out of the break to separate.

Here’s another example of Thomas winning at the line of scrimmage. He displays a textbook split release and forces the corner to be choppy in his footwork. The separation out of the break allows Thomas to catch and run away from the defender for his second touchdown of the day.

Thomas was not asked to sit and find green grass in LSU’s offense last season, raising concerns about his ability to succeed in this area. This is an example of how just because you couldn’t do it in college, doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

This was one of the most explosive plays from the Jaguars’ offensive explosion against the Jets. Thomas does a great job of exploding out of his stance and then quickly decelerating in green grass to sit and make his number available for the quarterback. After the catch, he splits defenders and takes off for a 41-yard pickup.

Thomas must continue to improve his overall play strength to better win at the line of scrimmage against physical press-man cornerbacks. There were a couple of reps against the Jets where All-Pro defender Sauce Garnder used his physicality to disrupt the timing and tempo of Thomas’ route.

If he can add more to his frame and be more assertive against physical corners, Thomas will have taken the next step to being one of the best playmakers in the NFL. Jaguars fans will be in for a treat regardless for years to come.

Rookie CB Jarrian Jones thriving in the nickel

A nice development for Jacksonville’s defense is the emergence of rookie defender Jarrian Jones, who was a standout cornerback at Florida State just down I-10.

Jones has flashed many qualities as a nickelback and may have emerged as the team’s future at this spot. He showed impressive recovery skills and awareness in man coverage, positioning himself to make plays on the ball or disrupt the timing of the catch with physicality against opposing receivers.

Below are two quality reps in coverage against Allen Lazard and All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.

TE Brenton Strange

With versatile tight end Evan Engram out for the rest of the season with a torn labrum, the Jaguars can see what they have in second-year tight end Brenton Strange.

Strange took over Evan Engram’s role as the F-move TE where, paired with his traditional duties in-line and as a receiver, he motioned to fullback on occasion to disguise 21 and 12 personnel looks.

Strange is an above-average athlete who was used on screens to create after the catch and shows good quickness out of breaks. He is also a reliable and tough hands catcher who caught 11 passes for 73 yards against the Jets.