Denver takes back control
The Denver Broncos overturned a seven-point deficit with 13 unanswered fourth-quarter points to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 23-17 at SoFi Stadium in Week 5. Denver led 10-3 at halftime before Los Angeles scored 14 points in the third quarter and held the Broncos scoreless. That put the Chargers ahead 17-10 entering the fourth, but Denver delivered the game’s final scoring surge. The Broncos improved to 3-2, bouncing back from a 24-14 loss at San Francisco. The Chargers dropped to 0-5.
Defense anchors the Broncos
Denver’s defense finished with five sacks, an interception and two fumble recoveries while holding Los Angeles to 237 yards. The Chargers did not score in either the first or fourth quarter. Justin Herbert completed 14 of 24 passes for 121 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also ran six times for 54 yards, nearly matching Kimani Vidal’s team-leading 57 rushing yards. Vidal scored on the ground on eight carries. Omarion Hampton had the largest rushing workload for Los Angeles with 14 carries, but gained 33 yards. Hayden Rucci caught Herbert’s touchdown pass, finishing with one reception for seven yards.
Dobbins leads Denver’s offensive production
J.K. Dobbins carried 18 times for 68 yards and a touchdown, adding two catches for six yards. His workload gave Denver a steady rushing contribution in a game with limited passing production on both sides. Bo Nix completed 16 of 27 attempts for 123 yards and one touchdown, adding 10 yards on four carries. Courtland Sutton caught the touchdown pass and finished with two receptions for 18 yards on three targets. Evan Engram caught all four of his targets for 55 yards, accounting for nearly half of Nix’s passing yardage.
Fantasy returns favor Dobbins and Denver’s defense
Dobbins led the game’s individual PPR scoring with 15.4 points. Denver’s defense added 14.0 points through its sacks, takeaways and 17 points allowed. Vidal produced 12.6 PPR points despite receiving fewer carries than Hampton, whose 33 rushing yards and one catch for six yards yielded 4.9 points. Herbert finished with 10.2 points, with his rushing production supplementing a 121-yard passing day. Sutton’s touchdown lifted him to 9.8 PPR points on two catches. Engram scored 9.5 without a touchdown, while Nix finished with 7.9.
Week 6 brings Seattle and Kansas City
Denver hosts the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Broncos have won two of their past three games. Los Angeles visits the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 4:25 p.m. ET, still seeking its first victory.