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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In a game that saw something that hadn’t happened in the NFL in 48 years, the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers ended Thursday night’s game in the same place they started — on the verge of making the playoffs.
The Chargers overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to beat the Broncos 34-27 at SoFi Stadium, delaying Denver’s playoff return for at least another week while clinching the head-to-head tiebreaker in case the teams have the same record at the end of the season.
Quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 284 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the Chargers, whose defense gave up three first-half touchdowns but stiffened in the second half. Meanwhile, the Broncos were plagued by ill-timed penalties and are still waiting to clinch their first playoff berth since 2015.
Here are the most important things to know from Thursday night for both teams:
The cliché of a “must-win game” used by football aficionados felt fitting for the Chargers on Thursday. Not only had they lost two straight games, but they were falling out of the playoff race, sliding down to the seventh and final playoff spot.
The night began with the Chargers looking like they would experience another letdown in front of a prime-time audience, something their fan base has grown accustomed to over the years, as the Broncos got out to a 21-7 lead. But Herbert and the Chargers had other plans. L.A., which has been one of the worst second-half teams in the NFL this season, outscored the Broncos…
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