DENVER — In their preparation for a Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Broncos were not content with simply winning the game and clinching the top seed in the AFC. Head Coach Sean Payton used the divisional bout as an opportunity to address one of the few aspects of the Broncos' regular-season performance with room for improvement: Denver's turnover differential.
Payton made winning the turnover battle a point of emphasis through the week's preparations, including playing a video of the Broncos' takeaways in Payton's three seasons in Denver in the team meeting.
"Coach has been harping on it all week," outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said. "... We've been hearing it from him about the takeaways, he even played a little video just [of] the last three years, all the takeaways we've had on the defense. [It] kind of just paid off today. We were due for a couple."
A couple takeaways is exactly what the Broncos' defense accomplished, and in thrilling fashion — a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian in the first quarter, then a strip-sack by Bonitto in the fourth quarter to put the game out of the Chargers' reach. Denver's defense also forced turnovers on downs on the Chargers' final two possessions.
In a 19-3 Broncos home win, the turnovers made a major impact.
"You lose a game if you're not being smart with the ball," Payton said. "… We talked about it starting tonight. It has to be intentional relative to punching the ball out. … I thought we rushed the quarterback well and kind of kept him where we wanted him. And look, I would say one of the key plays of the game was Ja'Quan's touchdown."
The Broncos have strung together a historic run of comebacks and one-score victories, but their second matchup against the Chargers was a wire-to-wire win. McMillian's touchdown, which extended Denver's lead to 10-0 in the first quarter, ensured the game would be in the Broncos' control, even when the Chargers cut the lead back to a possession later in the first half.
After the game, McMillian revealed that his touchdown came on a scenario he misplayed during the week in practice.
"It's crazy," McMillian said. "We actually ran that play in practice against that same exact play, and I messed it up, so we had to redo it. [Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph] gave me the coaching point on it. … I was coming down on the ball to make the tackle, it was a tip, he dropped it, [and I] got the tip and just ran it in for the touchdown."
McMillian said Los Angeles ran a dagger concept on the third-and-5 opportunity, with Chargers backup quarterback Trey Lance looking to his checkdown target, wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, on a crossing route. McMillian recognized what the Chargers were attempting on the third-down opportunity and positioned himself in prime position when the pass deflected off Lambert-Smith's hands.
The former undrafted free agent secured the interception and weaved 45 yards along the west sideline to the vintage orange end zone, scoring the Broncos' first defensive touchdown of the season.
"That was the biggest play of the game, for sure," fellow cornerback Pat Surtain II said. "... Ja'Quan, he made a great play on the ball, found a lane, found an alley and scored a touchdown. That's what he [does]. He's known for making big-time plays just like that, and it was a big pivotal moment in the game, so I'm proud of him."
The Broncos' fourth-quarter takeaway didn't result in a defensive score but helped shut down the Chargers' comeback attempt and set up one of kicker Wil Lutz's four field goals.
Bonitto, who had already teamed up with defensive end Zach Allen for a sack earlier in the game, took advantage of his established pattern of rushing the Chargers' offensive line with a move to the inside by springing a speed rush to the outside. After blowing by a Los Angeles lineman, Bonitto put into practice what the Broncos had preached all week and knocked the football free from Lance's grasp.
With the strip-sack, Bonitto set a new career-high with his 14th sack of the season, and the Broncos moved into a tie for the fifth-most sacks by a team in one season (68). Rookie defensive end Sai'vion Jones collected the fumble, and Lutz turned the takeaway into three points with a 41-yard field goal several plays later.
"On the play, I felt the guy kind of oversetting throughout the game, and I kept taking inside move, inside move," Bonitto said. "I finally felt like it was time to just make a play and shoot my shot going outside. I did that, and I ended up getting a strip-sack."
As importantly, Denver did not turn the ball over on offense. The Broncos' plus-2 margin in the turnover battle matched their previous season best — their first matchup against the Chargers, in which Denver also recorded an interception and forced fumble — and helped the Broncos hold their opponent to 15 points or fewer for the seventh time this season.
With the 19-3 victory, Denver tied a franchise-best mark with its 14th regular-season win and automatically advances to the Divisional Round, courtesy of earning the AFC's top seed. While next week's results will determine Denver's opponent, the Broncos are confirmed to play their first playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High and will look to keep scavenging for takeaways.
"It's been a topic of discussion on that side for sure, [so] to see them fully take advantage [is big]," tight end Evan Engram said. "Hopefully, it starts an avalanche of turnovers by them. They're already a great defense, so that would be really elite for us to keep getting those."
