The Denver Broncos got the ball to start the second half and really needed to wake from their first half slumber. They gained 81 yards on their opening drive, but just netted 32 total yards since. At one point in the first half, Bo Nix looks like he is yelling at guys to ‘wake up’.
With just 38 yards passing in the first half, Nix needed to start waking the offense up in the second half. Garett Bolles came back into the game on that drive, but it ended with a poor throw by Nix to lead to a three-and-out.
A good punt by Jeremy Crawshaw pinned the Chargers at their own 12 yard line.
The defense would force a three-and-out and get the ball with solid field position to start their next drive from their own 30 yard line. Nix scrambled for eight yards on first down and Jaleel McLaughlin juked two defenders to pick up the first down on the next carry into Chargers’ territory.
Nix went deep on the next play to a wide open Evan Engram for a 37-yard gain to setup a first and goal from the eight yard line.
RJ Harvey was stuffed on first down and Nix sailed a pass over Troy Franklin’s head in the end zone on second down. On third and goal, Nix would misfire again to Harvey with an overthrow. Harvey was open for a walk-in touchdown too. That would sting, but Denver would go back up by 10 with the Wil Lutz field goal.
Broncos 13, Chargers 3.
It looked like the Chargers were getting some momentum on offense after challenging a spot and getting a first down ruled in their favor, but then Zach Allen came up with a tackle for a loss then Justin Strnad got the sack on Lance to force the punt.
Marvin Mims Jr. then took off on the return for 33-yards back to the 45-yard line.
After taking a sack on first down, Nix found Pat Bryant on second to make it a little more manageable third and eight. Nix was hit as he threw the ball to Courtland Sutton who was tackled a few yards shy of the first down marker. They’d punt it right back to the Chargers with just a few minutes left in the third quarter.
The third quarter would end with, you guessed it, another punt as Trey Lance and the Chargers offense went nowhere fast to give the ball right back to Denver to start the fourth quarter.
