INGLEWOOD, Calif. — When Devaughn Vele caught a 6-yard touchdown pass to give the Broncos their third touchdown in three drives, it felt like it was happening.
And when Kris Abrams-Draine picked off Justin Herbert near the end zone late in the first half, it seemed as if a celebration was upcoming.
Heck, even after the Broncos responded to the Chargers' odd free-kick field goal with an 11-play, six-and-a-half-minute field-goal drive of their own to start the second half, Denver seemed to be cruising toward clinching its first playoff berth since 2015.
After the Broncos built an 11-point third-quarter lead, though, the Chargers roared back and used a 21-0 run to take out Denver and delay the franchise's playoff hopes for at least a few more days.
"Obviously, look, a disappointing loss," Head Coach Sean Payton said after the game. "It was disappointing, because there was a lot at stake, and we know that. We had a fast start. I was encouraged by that. And then uncharacteristically this season, we didn't finish or play nearly well enough in the second half — both offensively and defensively. Time of possession, the third-down numbers. Our rushing numbers fell off in the second half. Credit Los Angeles for fighting their way back in. We didn't make enough plays in the end."
After their 21-point burst in the first half, Denver scored just six points in the second half — and the team posted just one first down across the three second-half drives that were bookended by field goals.
Across those first three drives, Denver's offense posted 219 yards and 15 first downs while averaging 7.8 yards per play and converting all three of its third-down attempts. Over the Broncos' final seven possessions, though, they recorded 136 yards and seven first downs while averaging 3.9 yards per play and converting just 2-of-10 third downs, according to Next Gen Stats.
"Offensively, made a big emphasis to start hot," Marvin Mims Jr. said. "We started hot, but we didn't carry it into the second half. We've got to be better. Sometimes there's long third downs, penalties holding us back. As a group, we've got to be better in the second half."
Defensively, Denver allowed the Chargers to post 21 points and 14 first downs after halftime — and Los Angeles iced the game with a 90-yard drive that included a 16-yard Herbert scramble on third-and-10 and a 34-yard Hassan Haskins touchdown reception. On the Chargers' go-ahead drive earlier in the fourth quarter, three penalties — including a horse collar on Jonathon Cooper — helped sustain Los Angeles' scoring chance. On the previous possession, an unnecessary roughness call wiped out a third-down stop that would've kept Denver's lead at eight points and instead led to a touchdown.
"I just feel like the frustration comes from the fact [that] we could've won this game," Cooper said. "We started the way we knew that we wanted to, we just didn't finish the way that we wanted to."
Pat Surtain II said the Broncos realized they "let that one get away" in the second half, and Denver will now need to rebound ahead of a trip to Cincinnati.
"Everybody in that locker room — every guy — wants to already play next week, I think, at this point," Bo Nix said. "We're all competitively frustrated. I think we're excited for this opportunity. We know that this next one's the most important, and we just want to go out next week and not feel this way again."
Cody Barton emphasized the team still has "two weeks of life left" in the regular season, and Denver needs just one more win to clinch its first playoff berth in eight seasons.
"We've got to find a way to get the 10th win," Payton said. "We know that."
The frustration, though, stems from an opportunity the Broncos felt was there for the taking.
At times on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium, it seemed the Broncos would run off the field in jubilation. Instead, they left the home of their divisional rival still searching for the win they need most.
"Everybody's hurt," Cooper said. "It's a tough loss. A very tough loss. But we've just got to learn from it and come back next week stronger and focus on getting our 10th win."
