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Broncos–Chargers rivalry
Broncos and Chargers face off during the 2010 season.
The Broncos lead the overall series, 73–57–1. The two teams have met once in the playoffs, with the Broncos holding a 1–0 record.[1]
Notable moments
1985–2006
November 17, 1985: Broncos' safety Dennis Smith blocked two straight field goal attempts in overtime, after the Chargers had advanced the football to the Broncos' 23-yard line in the first overtime possession. On 4th and 4 from the Broncos' 23, Smith blocked Bob Thomas' initial field goal attempt, only to have it negated due to a timeout being called by teammate Mike Harden prior to the kick. Following the timeout, Thomas attempted a second kick; this was also blocked by Smith and returned by Louis Wright for a 60-yard touchdown for a 30–24 Broncos' overtime win at Mile High Stadium.[2][3]
September 4, 1994: The Broncos jumped out to a 24–6 lead at Mile High Stadium on the Chargers in the second quarter, however, the Chargers responded, and took a 27–24 lead at half time, after safety Stanley Richard returned a John Elway interception 99 yards for a touchdown just before halftime. The Chargers later sealed the victory after linebacker Junior Seau recovered a fumble by Elway in the game's closing seconds.[4]
September 14, 2003: The Broncos routed the Chargers 37–13 at Qualcomm Stadium. However, the game is notable for a uniform mix-up, in which the Broncos came to the stadium in their road white jerseys, when the host Chargers were planning to wear white, and were supposed to be the team that declared their uniform color. The Broncos were fined $25,000 as a result, and when the two teams met at Invesco Field at Mile High later that season in Week 11 (November 16), the NFL allowed the Chargers to choose their uniform color in advance, and they chose navy blue, forcing the Broncos to wear their white jerseys at home for the first time since 1983.[5]
December 10, 2006: The Chargers routed the Broncos 48–20 at Qualcomm Stadium, in which Chargers' running back LaDainian Tomlinson set a new NFL record for touchdowns in a single season, with 28.[6]
September 14, 2008: With 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Chargers were leading 38–31 in Denver. The Broncos hiked the ball on 2nd-and-goal from the Chargers' 1-yard line. Jay Cutler rolled out to the right and fumbled the football before he brought his arm forward, which was recovered by Chargers' linebacker Tim Dobbins. However, refereeEd Hochuli called the play dead as he believed it to be an incomplete pass, so the ball was returned to the Broncos at the 10-yard line (the spot where the ball hit the ground). Two plays later, on 4th-and-goal from the 4, Cutler threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal to make the score 38–37. Instead of kicking an extra point to tie the game and send it to overtime, Broncos' head coachMike Shanahan opted for a 2-point conversion. Cutler completed the conversion with another pass to Royal, giving the Broncos a 39–38 victory.[8]
December 28, 2008: The Broncos and Chargers met in the 2008 regular-season finale in San Diego, with the winner clinching the AFC West title. Three weeks earlier, the Broncos were 8–5 and the Chargers were 5–8, with the Broncos losing their next two games and the Chargers winning their next two to pull to within one game of the Broncos for the division lead. Three and a half months after the aforementioned controversial Broncos' win in Denver, the Chargers exacted revenge, with an emphatic 52–21 win that not only completed a monumental Broncos' season-ending collapse, but also denied the Broncos a playoff berth. The two teams finished the 2008 season tied for first-place in the AFC West, each with an 8–8 record, however, the Chargers won the division based on a better record against AFC West divisional opponents (5–1 to the Broncos' 3–3).[9] This was also Mike Shanahan's last game as the Broncos' head coach, as he was fired two days later after 14 seasons.[10]
November 27, 2011: Quarterback Tim Tebow led the Broncos to a 16–13 win at Qualcomm Stadium in overtime, with kicker Matt Prater nailing a 37-yard field goal with 29 seconds left. Earlier in overtime, the Broncos blocked a 53-yard attempt by Chargers' kicker Nick Novak, however, Broncos' head coach John Fox called a timeout prior to the kick. Novak subsequently missed the second attempt.[11]
2012–present
October 15, 2012: Trailing 24–0 at halftime after back-to-back special teams turnovers and an interception returned for a touchdown, quarterback Peyton Manning led the Broncos to a stunning 35–24 comeback win in San Diego. Three second-half interceptions and two lost fumbles by Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers swung the momentum toward the Broncos' favor, as Manning and the Broncos capitalized on each Chargers' mistake. Manning went 13/14 for 167 yards and three touchdowns in the second half, hitting Demaryius Thomas on a 29-yard score with 10:56 left in the third quarter to get the Broncos on the scoreboard. Following a 65-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery by cornerback Tony Carter, the Broncos suddenly found themselves down only 10 as the Chargers watched their comfortable halftime lead dwindle. Manning added two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, finding Eric Decker on a 7-yard score and then connecting with Brandon Stokley on a 21-yard pitch and catch to give the Broncos a 28–24 lead with 9:03 left. Cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. sealed the comeback with a 46-yard interception return to put the Broncos up 35–24 with 2:06 left. The defense added one final takeaway as Rivers fumbled in the game's final minute to end what was certainly an instant Monday Night Football classic.[12]
January 12, 2014: In the first and only postseason meeting in the history of the rivalry, Denver defeated the Chargers in the AFC Divisional Round 24–17 to advance to the franchise's first AFC Championship Game since the 2005 season.[13] This was Peyton Manning's first of five playoff wins with the Broncos, as well as his first career playoff victory outside of Indianapolis. The Broncos, who honed a historically record-setting offense throughout the 2013 season, would go on to emerge victorious the following week in the AFC Championship Game by a score of 26–16 over the New England Patriots and advance to Super Bowl XLVIII, where they fell to the Seattle Seahawks 43–8.[14][15]
September 11, 2017: The Chargers were attempting a game-tying 44-yard field goal at Sports Authority Field at Mile High with five seconds left in the game, after trailing 24–7 to begin the fourth quarter. However, Chargers' placekickerYounghoe Koo's field goal attempt was blocked by Broncos' defensive endShelby Harris for a Broncos' 24–21 win. Koo's initial field goal attempt was good, but it was nullified as the result of Broncos' head coach Vance Joseph calling a timeout in order to ice the kicker, forcing a second attempt.[16]
October 22, 2017: The Chargers shutout the Broncos by a score of 21–0. This was the Broncos' first shutout loss in 25 years, since the 1992 season. Chargers' wide receiver Travis Benjamin was instrumental in the victory with a 65 yard punt return for a touchdown and a 42 yard touchdown catch.[17]
November 18, 2018: The Chargers were leading 19–7 in the third quarter at StubHub Center, and were threatening to pull away from the Broncos. However, linebacker Von Miller swung the momentum in the Broncos' favor, with an interception of a screen pass by Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers, returning the football 40 yards to the Chargers' 18-yard line. This set up a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Royce Freeman to pull the Broncos to within a 19–14 deficit. Following a 2-yard touchdown by running back Phillip Lindsay (with an unsuccessful two-point attempt) and a go-ahead 30-yard field goal by Chargers' placekicker Michael Badgley, Broncos' quarterback Case Keenum engineered a game-winning drive, culminating in a 34-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus as time expired, for a 23–22 Broncos' victory.[18]
December 1, 2019: After a 46-yard field goal by Chargers' placekicker Michael Badgley tied the score at 20–20 with only 14 seconds remaining at Empower Field at Mile High, the game appeared to be headed to overtime. However, instead of a kneel-down, Broncos' rookie quarterback Drew Lock, in his NFL debut, launched a deep pass attempt to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who drew a pass interference penalty on cornerback Casey Hayward at the Chargers' 35-yard line. This set up Broncos' placekicker Brandon McManus with the game-winning 53-yard field goal as time expired.[19]
November 1, 2020: The Broncos trailed 24–3 in front of limited capacity at Empower Field at Mile High, and were stymied by the Chargers' defense in the first half. Entering the third quarter, the Broncos had scored only two touchdowns in the previous ten quarters. However, running back Phillip Lindsay ignited a rally with a 55-yard touchdown run, and quarterback Drew Lock threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Albert Okwuegbunam to draw the Broncos to within a 24–17 deficit early in the fourth quarter. After Lock's second touchdown pass—a 40-yarder to wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton, coupled with two field goals by Chargers' placekicker Michael Badgley, the Broncos trailed 30–24 with 2:34 remaining in the game. The Broncos began their game-winning drive at their own 19-yard line. Following a pass interference penalty on Chargers' cornerback Brandon Facyson in the end zone on 4th-and-4 with one second remaining, Lock connected on a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver K. J. Hamler as time expired, coupled with placekicker Brandon McManus kicking the subsequent game-winning extra point.[20]
December 27, 2020: The Chargers and Broncos had their first matchup at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers, led by Justin Herbert, won the game 19–16, as kicker Michael Badgley converted a 37-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining and the Chargers' defense intercepted the Broncos' last-second Hail Mary pass.
Season-by-season results
Denver Broncos vs. San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers Season-by-Season Results[1]
Inaugural season for both franchises and the American Football League (AFL). The Broncos and Chargers were placed in the AFL Western Division, resulting in two meetings annually. Last season until the 2017 season the Chargers played as a Los Angeles-based franchise. Chargers lose 1960 AFL Championship.
In Denver, Broncos score their most points in a game against the Chargers and set a franchise record for most points scored in a game (broken in 2013). In San Diego, Chargers record their largest victory against the Broncos with a 38–point differential, score their most points in a game against the Broncos, and set a franchise record for their most points scored in a game. Chargers win 1963 AFL Championship.
Both teams finished with 10–6 records, but the Chargers clinched the AFC West based on a better division record, eliminating the Broncos from playoff contention.
Both meetings were played despite the players' strike which reduced the season to 9 games. Chargers' first season series sweep against the Broncos since the 1968 season.
In San Diego, Broncos accidentally brought their wrong jerseys, the white jerseys, to the game when the Chargers opted to wear their white jerseys. As punishment, the NFL allowed the Chargers to choose their uniform color for their matchup in Denver, and they chose navy blue, forcing the Broncos to wear their white jerseys at home for the first time since the 1983 season.
In Denver, referee Ed Hochuli made an incorrect call that helped the Broncos beat the Chargers. Chargers victory clinched them the AFC West and eliminated the Broncos from playoff contention. Both teams finished with 8–8 records, but the Chargers clinched the AFC West based on a better division record.
In San Diego, Broncos' win extended their road division game winning streak to 15, an NFL record. In Denver, Broncos clinch the AFC West and the AFC's #1 seed with their win. Broncos win Super Bowl 50.
Chargers relocate back to Los Angeles. In Denver, Broncos block game-tying field goal attempt at the end of regulation to hold on for the win. Chargers' shutout win gave the Broncos their first shutout loss since the 1992 season.
In Los Angeles, Chargers' K Cameron Dicker kicked a 57-yard fair catch kick, making the first successful attempt since Chargers' K Ray Wersching in the 1976 season, and the longest successful fair catch kick in NFL history. Chargers' first season series sweep against the Broncos since the 2010 season.
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