INGLEWOOD, Calif. — When the Broncos needed a spark, Denver's defense delivered.
In yet another come-from-behind win, Denver recorded a season-high three takeaways — two of which came in the final quarter — and recorded a critical fourth-down stop to secure a 23-17 win over the Chargers.
"I thought one of the big things was, we took it away three times defensively," Head Coach Sean Payton said following the win. "And we forced a four-and-out on a QB sneak. So, essentially, four big game changers."
After the Broncos grabbed an early lead in Sunday's matchup, the team led for the entire first half and appeared poised to earn their first AFC West win of the 2026 season.
The Chargers, however, flipped the script at halftime, stringing together a 14-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that drained nearly 10 minutes off the clock to begin the third quarter. The Broncos were unable to respond offensively, and Los Angeles found the end zone a second time to take a 17-10 lead.
But when the fourth quarter hit, the Broncos did what they do best. In crunch time, they found a way to win.
With just over 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Chargers were facing a fourth-and-1 at their own 41-yard line and opted to attempt to keep their drive alive. Outside linebacker Que Robinson and Denver's defense, however, stuffed the quarterback sneak attempt, and the Broncos' offense took over.
Just five plays later, Denver found the end zone to even the score at 17.
"That was huge," quarterback Bo Nix said of the play. "Fourth [down], in their own territory. That was basically a turnover. I know it doesn't count as one, but that's basically a turnover when you get a short field. They lose a punt average on that. Gave us a short field. So that might've been, arguably, the biggest one — the fourth down [stop]."
The play gave the Broncos the momentum they needed, and Denver's defense got right back to work on the very next drive. With the Chargers facing a second-and-10 in their own territory, defensive lineman Zach Allen strip-sacked Herbert and Robinson recovered to once again give the Broncos' offense prime field position and an opportunity to take the lead.
And though the Broncos were ultimately unable to find the end zone on the drive after moving the ball down to the 1-yard line, a 19-yard field goal gave the team a lead at a critical moment in the game.
The Broncos' defense, however, wasn't done just yet. Facing a fourth-and-6 with just over three minutes to play, the Chargers kept their offense on the field and Herbert attempted to connect with wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to pick up a first down. Safety Brandon Jones stepped in front of the pass, securing his second interception of the season, and he returned the ball to the Los Angeles 34-yard line.
The Broncos once again cashed in on the turnover with a field goal.
"It was huge," Nix said of the fourth-quarter takeaways. "I don't think we win the game without those turnovers and [the defense] put us in good spots several times there in the second half. I think probably two of them we were in a good spot to score touchdowns and we didn't, so we need to clean that up. But ultimately, we scored points. … Our defense closed it out."
Robinson, who played a critical role in two of the big fourth-quarter plays, said "I just love the way we finished" and spoke highly of the grit the unit played with to close out Sunday's game.
"It feels good," Robinson said of the defense making game-changing plays and putting the offense in scoring position. "We are practicing what we preach, basically. [Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph] 'VJ' preached all week [about] just creating turnovers, punch outs. And we actually did it this week. We gave the offense a lot of opportunities, and they capitalized on them."
While the late game-changing plays stole the show on Sunday, Denver's first takeaway of the day was also significant. After Herbert completed his first pass attempt of the day during the Chargers' opening possession, safety Talanoa Hufanga tackled tight end Charlie Kolar and punched the ball out. Jones jumped on the loose ball, and rather than the Chargers picking up a first down and continuing their drive, Denver found the end zone just four plays later to take an early lead.
"I don't think we win without those short fields," Nix said. "And [the] defense just consistently gave us the ball on those short fields. And it wasn't like it was just one time. It was over and over, against a really good quarterback like Justin."
Denver's defense made a slew of other plays against Herbert and the Chargers' offense in Sunday's win, registering five total sacks, including a game-sealing takedown by cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian to prevent a last-second Hail Mary attempt.
"It was a good defensive effort," Payton said.
