Broncos battle back late, but winning streak ends with 23-16 loss to Chargers

Denver’s defense, meanwhile, allowed just three points in the second half and came up with stops on three consecutive drives in the fourth quarter to give the Broncos a chance.

“It’s not easy looking at the scoreboard and seeing the deficit,” Nix said. “I thought on the sideline our guys continued to battle. Despite the situation, despite maybe missing another opportunity or getting off the field again and you have restart. It’s tough, but I think that’s our team. I think that’s what kind of team we have. We have a very determined and hard-working team. We’re able to get down and continue to fight. Not every game is going to be easy. We’re not going to blow every team out. Sometimes you get knocked down early, [and] you’ve got to find a way to gut it out at the end.

“The fact that we gave ourselves a chance there at the end to have another opportunity says a lot about our team. I’m excited about this team. I know today wasn’t what we wanted, but I feel like we’re headed in the right direction with how we finished the game. You can’t normally take moral victories after a loss. It’s tough. Nobody likes to lose. Nobody wants to be on that side, but you can look at it and you can only go two ways. You can continue to go backwards, let it defeat you, let it crush you, and you get in your head, or you’re going to continue to move forward. I believe our team is going to continue to move forward [and] stay motivated. Today didn’t settle well with us. We’re going to continue to battle, find ways to get better, and continue to put good stuff on the field.”

Though the Broncos cut into the deficit in the second half, Denver could not fully overcome the Chargers’ 20-0 halftime lead.

Los Angeles scored on all four of its first-half possessions, excluding an end-of-half kneeldown, while the Broncos turned the ball over twice and were held scoreless.

The Chargers held the ball for more than 21 minutes in the first half and scored 10 points off turnovers over the first two frames.

On third down, Los Angeles held a decided advantage. The Chargers were 8-of-10 on third down in the first half — including several long conversions — while Denver was 2-of-6 on third down. Los Angeles was 11-of-15 on third down through three quarters, while the Broncos were 2-of-8.

Justin Herbert, who had not thrown for more than 179 yards this season, exceeded that total in the first half and finished the game with 237 yards.

The Broncos’ challenge on defense was made more difficult, as Pat Surtain II exited the game on Denver’s first defensive possession. After the game, Payton said Surtain was in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Nix, meanwhile, threw an interception on the first possession of the game and finished the first half 3-of-10 for 22 yards. Nix’s biggest completion of the first half was a final-minute 46-yarder to Courtland Sutton that likely would have set up Denver’s first points of the game, but a holding call wiped out the gain.

“We have to go back and watch it,” Nix said. “We didn’t run enough plays consecutively to get into a rhythm. It was a few plays, and you were off the field. In a game like that where you know they’re going to control the ball, you have to find ways to stay on the field.”

Before that moment, Denver’s most promising drive came with the team trailing 13-0. After picking up a pair of first downs to the Los Angeles 45-yard line, Javonte Williams lost a fumble that set up the Chargers’ final touchdown of the half.

The deficit, ultimately, was too much for the Broncos to overcome.

“We have to quickly put this one to bed,” Payton said. “We cannot forget it, but we have to learn from it.”