The Denver Broncos overcame a late deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 23-17 on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, extending Los Angeles’ winless start to the season while handing Denver its first division win and first victory at that stadium since 2023.
Wil Lutz put Denver ahead for good with a 19-yard field goal with 5:07 left in the fourth quarter, then added a 36-yarder with 1:08 remaining to cap a 13-0 run in the final period. The Broncos, now 3-2, won the game with head coach Sean Payton calling offensive plays himself, a duty he took over from offensive coordinator Davis Webb earlier in the week. Denver did so without injured cornerbacks Pat Surtain II (ankle) and Riley Moss (ribs).
The Chargers began the 2023 season 0-5 as well, the year before Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach. This time the team came in with an offensive line patched together with four rookies trying to protect quarterback Justin Herbert, who finished 14 of 24 for 121 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception while being sacked five times.
Denver tied the score at 17 midway through the fourth quarter when Bo Nix threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. The Chargers got the ball back but came up short on fourth-and-1, and the offense could not recover.
On the Chargers’ next drive, Herbert was sacked for an 8-yard loss by Zach Allen, who forced a fumble that Que Robinson recovered for Denver. After Lutz’s go-ahead field goal, Herbert fumbled again but recovered it, scrambled for a 12-yard gain, then was intercepted by Brandon Jones on fourth down to seal the loss.
Los Angeles had taken a 17-10 lead late in the third quarter on Kimani Vidal’s 42-yard touchdown run, which came on the first play after Tuli Tuipulotu forced and recovered a fumble when Nix tried to scramble. Nix finished 16 of 27 for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Earlier, the Chargers tied the game at 10 in the third quarter on Hayden Rucci’s first career touchdown, a 7-yard catch from Herbert. Playing in his 100th career game, Herbert set up the score himself with a 23-yard scramble to the Denver 7-yard line, aided by a block from Charlie Kolar.
Denver had opened the scoring in the first quarter after Kolar’s first career fumble, which set up J.K. Dobbins’ 2-yard touchdown run — his first rushing score of the season — following a face mask penalty on Los Angeles. The Chargers answered with a 42-yard Cameron Dicker field goal to cut the lead to 7-3, before Lutz’s 42-yard field goal put Denver up 10-3. On that drive, Harbaugh unsuccessfully challenged two calls, pushing his career coaching challenge record to 16 of 45.
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