The Los Angeles Chargers prevented the Denver Broncos from locking up a spot in the AFC playoffs while taking a giant step toward getting into the postseason with a 34-27 victory on Thursday night.
The Chargers ran off 21 points in a 15:31 span of the second half to overtake the Broncos, who had scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game. Los Angeles hadn’t scored that many points in the second half of any of its previous 14 games this season.
The Chargers’ second-half rally came after Los Angeles ended the first half with the first successful fair-catch free kick in the NFL since 1976. Fair-catch interference on a punt by Denver put the Broncos in range for Cameron Dicker to make an uncontested 57-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half.
Quarterback Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes and running back Gus Edwards had his second TD run of the game in the Chargers’ second-half rally.
Eleven players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Denver-Los Angeles game:
Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (Spanish Fort) made four tackles and intercepted one pass. A fifth-round draft pick from Missouri on April 27, Abrams-Draine made his NFL debut with 12 defensive snaps and 12 special-teams plays in a 41-32 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 2, then played 58 defensive snaps in Sunday’s 31-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Abrams-Draine’s first NFL interception came off Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert at the Denver 1-yard line, and he returned the interception 17 yards.
Bradley Bozeman (Handley, Alabama) started at center for the Chargers.
Broncos inside linebacker Zach Cunningham (Pinson Valley) did not record any stats.
Chargers defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe (Alabama) made one tackle.
Chargers long snapper Josh Harris (Auburn) handled the snaps for three punts, two extra points and one field goal.
Bo Nix (Pinson Valley, Auburn) started at quarterback for the Broncos. Nix completed 29-of-40 passes for 263 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and ran for 25 yards on three carries.
Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders (Alabama) recorded the first sack of his NFL career.
Chargers punter JK Scott (Alabama) averaged 41.7 yards on three punts. Scott had a 38-yard punt for a fair catch, a 41-yarder for a fair catch and a 46-yarder for a fair catch. Denver wide receiver Marvin Mims entered the game with the most punt-return yards in the NFL this season with 408, but he made all three fair catches. Scott also was the holder for Dicker’s fair-catch free kick at the end of the first half.
Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks) did not record any stats.
Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (Auburn) dressed for the game but did not play.
Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) started at left cornerback for the Broncos. Surtain made four tackles.
Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (Troy) ran for 24 yards on five carries.
Broncos cornerback Levi Wallace (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
The Chargers will clinch a playoff berth if the Miami Dolphins lose to the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts lose to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The only way Los Angeles could miss the postseason now is if the Chargers lose their two remaining games and the Dolphins, Colts and Cincinnati Bengals win all three of their remaining games.
The Broncos still could be in the playoffs by the end of this week’s games, if the Dolphins, Colts and Bengals, who play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, all lose. For Denver to miss the playoffs, the Broncos will have to lose their two remaining games while the Dolphins and Bengals win their remaining three games.
Denver plays the Bengals at 3:30 p.m. CST Dec. 28 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
Los Angeles plays the New England Patriots at noon Dec. 28 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
