Teddy Bridgewater ran for one TD, returned from harm to throw one other. Pat Surtain II had one INT in the long run zone, and one other returned to the opposite finish zone.
DENVER — His braveness questioned from one unlucky choice he made within the earlier sport, Teddy grew to become Blood and Guts Bridgewater in serving to the Broncos stun the Los Angeles Chargers, 28-13, right here Sunday on an unseasonably heat late-November afternoon at Empower Discipline at Mile Excessive.
Bridgewater scrambled for a landing run within the first quarter, then returned from a decrease leg harm to drill a landing go to tight finish Eric Saubert for an additional within the fourth quarter.
“I am psyching myself (up), reassuring to myself that, ‘Hey, you may get on the market, you are able to do this,”’ Bridgewater stated about his second-half return from harm. “I simply wished to be on the market for the blokes. We labored so exhausting all through the week, we get so little alternatives, it was simply a possibility for me to attempt to end this sport and assist us come out with a win.”
In the meantime, Broncos head coach and defensive playcaller Vic Fangio appeared to confuse the Chargers’ gifted quarterback Justin Herbert. Not solely was Herbert sacked 3 times, he threw two interceptions to Broncos rookie cornerback Pat Surtain II to thwart any probability of a Chargers second-half comeback.
Surtain’s first interception got here in his personal finish zone to kill a protracted drive early within the fourth quarter. On the Chargers’ subsequent sequence, Surtain corralled a ricocheted go off operating again Austin Ekeler and returned it 70 yards for a landing and a 28-7 lead halfway via the fourth quarter.
PHOTOS | Broncos vs. Chargers
Surtain and his father, Pat Surtain Sr., are one among 4 father-son duos to each have a decide six of their careers, becoming a member of Gil and Jairus Byrd, Dave and David Grayson and Clay and Clay Matthews.
Surtain Sr.’s final decide six was in opposition to the Broncos’ Brian Griese in a 2002 sport on this identical stadium (then referred to as Invesco Discipline).
“I did not know that. I have been listening to stats out of the blue, however yeah that is loopy,” Surtain II stated. “Having that very same expertise he had in his profession, decide six, it is a particular feeling.”
On a 66-degree, cloudy day, a gathering of 66,239 (9,568 did not present) grew to become nervous early within the second quarter when Bridgewater was clobbered from the blindside by blitzing Chargers security Derwin James Jr.
Regardless of struggling a deep leg contusion on the play, Bridgewater managed to get simply sufficient ahead movement together with his arm to show a misplaced fumble right into a completion.
Per replay evaluate. It was a key overturn and incompletion because it prevented a turnover deep in Broncos territory. It did value Bridgewater the remainder of the primary half as he left with a decrease leg harm.
Bridgewater suffered a deep contusion in his shin that swelled, though X-rays had been detrimental. He returned for the second half, however the bend-but-don’t-break Denver protection could not get off the sector within the third quarter.
And a few injury was accomplished late within the half when Bridgewater’s alternative Drew Lock threw an interception that helped carry the Chargers again within the sport.
Initially, Lock did OK due to a break. Quickly after changing Bridgewater, Lock fumbled off a sack, though he too had the ball bounce ahead and newly-paid receiver Tim Patrick made a clutch, hustling restoration downfield for a primary down.
The sport was going the Broncos’ method, whilst starters had been heading to the locker room with accidents.
The Bridgewater-Lock-led drive completed with a 9-yard landing run by rookie operating again Javonte Williams, and the Broncos had been up 14-0 early within the second quarter of this pivotal AFC West Division showdown. The Chargers fell right into a three-way tie for second place as they be part of the Broncos and Raiders with 6-5 data.
“The message earlier than going into at the moment’s sport was, ‘That is it. That is the season,”’ security Justin Simmons stated.
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs lead the AFC West with a 7-4 document. Winners of the earlier 5 division titles, the Chiefs host the Broncos subsequent Sunday evening at Arrowhead Stadium. Which means the Broncos, who have not beat the Chiefs since sport 2 of the 2015 season — a string of 11 consecutive losses — can be taking part in for a share of first place. Even when the Broncos are 9.5-point underdogs.
“Going into subsequent week it should be one other actually good sport, one other assertion sport,” stated Simmons, who as a third-round draft decide in 2016 has by no means personally beat the Chiefs. “And it doesn’t matter what occurs, we have to discover a technique to go away Arrowhead with a win.”
The Broncos had scored first when Bridgewater scrambled in from 11 yards out within the first quarter, making a leaping lunge for the pylon. The potential body-sacrificing play was in distinction to the Broncos’ earlier sport in a loss to Philadelphia by which Bridgewater was criticized for not making a greater try at stopping Darius Slay Jr. throughout a fumble return for a landing.
“Teddy’s toughness is unquestioned,” Fangio stated. “I did not query it, within the large image. Like I’ve stated, a few of you may have requested me and he is our quarterback. It is so simple as that.”
This was a sport when it appeared advantageous the Broncos misplaced the pregame coin toss, as a result of it gave their common slow-starting offense the ball early so Bridgewater and firm might get in rhythm. Normally when Denver wins the coin toss, Fangio defers till the second half.
The offense too typically has needed to stand round and watch the protection both keep on the sector some time, or put them behind earlier than attending to their second sequence.
This time, the Denver D benefitted from a terrific punt protection play by punter Sam Martin, who pooched the ball from the Chargers’ 43 to the 1 yard line, the place Nate Hairston made a falling catch of the ball.
Herbert was held to a three-and-out and after a punt the Broncos bought the ball again on the 50. Bridgewater neatly moved the offense downfield till he took it himself round proper finish for the 11-yard run and 7-0 lead.
Then got here one other three-and-out defensive stand in opposition to Herbert’s Chargers. Denver rookie outdoors linebacker Jonathon Cooper chasing down the gifted, however nonetheless uncooked quarterback after a 7-yard, and never a 10-yard, achieve was the important thing play, as was a go breakup by rookie linebacker Brandon Browning.
Then got here the Bridgewater-Lock drive by which operating again Melvin Gordon III and Williams did many of the work on an 11-play, 75-yard drive.
The 14-0 early lead was essential as a result of the Broncos misplaced three offensive starters through the sport – Bridgewater, left guard Dalton Risner (again) and left deal with Calvin Anderson (knee). Anderson appeared to undergo a critical left knee harm. He was emotional as he was getting carted off the sector.
Anderson could have an MRI on his injured knee Monday.
He had been changing common left deal with Garett Bolles, who missed the sport with COVID-19. Quinn Bailey, a apply squad member for many of his three seasons with the Broncos, moved in to play left deal with. Fangio gave one of many sport balls to Bailey, in addition to to Surtain, Bridgewater and Saubert.
Netane Muti changed Risner at left guard. With rookie Quinn Meinerz already changing veteran Graham Glasgow at proper guard and Cam Fleming subbing in for Bobby Massie at proper deal with, the Broncos once more performed with just one offensive line starter the remainder of the primary half – middle Lloyd Cushenberry III.
Bridgewater was 11 of 18 for 129 yards with the landing run and landing go. He now has 15 landing passes in 11 video games this season, matching his profession greatest.
“He toughed it out,” Fangio stated. “He was nowhere close to 100% in that second half.”
There wasn’t a lot doubt Fangio would return to Bridgewater within the second half if his quarterback was in a position. Not after Lock’s interception helped arrange the Chargers’ 12-yard landing go from Herbert to Ekeler, a local of Eaton, with 31 seconds left within the half.
Lock within the second quarter was 4 of seven for 26 yards with the expensive interception that occurred when he tried a scramble proper, sidearm toss.
Gordon, who left briefly with a hip harm, returned and had 83 yards dashing on 17 carries, and Williams had 54 yards on 14 carries. Williams additionally had a terrific 42-yard catch-and-run off a Bridgewater checkdown within the fourth quarter that arrange the landing go to Saubert.
After Williams, who had three catches for 57 yards, Patrick was the Broncos main receiver with two catches for 26 yards, plus had the important thing fumble restoration. Jerry Jeudy had two catches for 25 yards and Courtland Sutton had two catches for 17 yards.
Herbert bought scorching late within the first half and completed with 303 yardsand two touchdowns on 28 of 44 passing, however his two interceptions had been expensive. He was underneath fixed duress and was sacked 3 times.
“Yeah, they do an incredible job disguising every thing,” Herbert stated. “And you already know, they’re rather well coached. If you put collectively a extremely good coach (Fangio) like that with some fairly distinctive gamers, you get a extremely good protection.”
This sport pitted Broncos head coach and defensive play caller Fangio in opposition to his protégé, Chargers’ head coach Brandon Staley, who was an assistant on Fangio’s employees for 3 years. The mentor clearly outcoached his pupil on this sport. Did Fangio take any further satisfaction in outsmarting Staley, a minimum of of their first assembly?
“No. In the course of the sport I had zero ideas that Brandon was on the opposite sideline,” Fangio stated. “It is the Broncos versus the Chargers. It has nothing to do with Brandon and myself. Brandon’s doing an incredible job with that group. I am pleased for him. I want he was in one other division so we do not have to do that twice a yr.”
There have been scary moments late within the first half after the Chargers transformed the Lock interception and within the third quarter when the Chargers managed the ball apart from one three-and-out sequence by the Broncos’ offense.
However the Chargers scored nothing. Their first deliberate drive ended with Dustin Hopkins badly lacking a 53-yard discipline objective, and their second drive, which lasted into the fourth quarter, was thwarted when Herbert underthrew tight finish Jared Cook dinner and was intercepted by Surtain.
The week of apply didn’t carry again 4 Broncos starters. Bolles examined constructive for COVID-19 on Monday, security Kareem Jackson (shoulder/neck) and Massie (excessive ankle sprain) didn’t sufficiently get better from their accidents and defensive lineman Shelby Harris suffered an ankle sprain throughout apply Thursday. The group did get again beginning outdoors linebacker Bradley Chubb for the primary time since he underwent left ankle surgical procedure in late September. …
Peyton Manning and his son Marshall had been adopted by a video crew from the Madden online game previous to the sport. Peyton stated he and his son had been performing as scores adjusters. …
The Broncos’ 72.7% conversion charge on third down (8 of 11) was their greatest single-game efficiency in that class since a minimum of 1991 when that stat was first tracked. …
Denver’s sacks had been recorded by Stephen Weatherly, McTelvin Agin and half-each for DeShawn Williams and Malik Reed.
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