Trailing 21-13 at halftime Thursday night against the Denver Broncos, some wondered if the Los Angeles Chargers had any resolve left after going through their worst four-quarter stretch of the season.

The Chargers put some doubts to rest getting back on track and getting closer to wrapping up a playoff spot.

Justin Herbert passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns, including a go-ahead 19-yarder to Derius Davis early in the fourth quarter, as the Chargers rallied for a 34-27 victory.

Los Angeles (9-6) have a 97% probability of making the playoffs with the win according to the NFL. They can wrap up their second postseason berth in three seasons Sunday with losses by Indianapolis and Miami.

“It was a total team effort by everyone. It was phenomenal,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “The test and challenge is how you are going to respond. They went back to work and stayed the course.”

The Chargers’ comeback also included Cameron Dicker making the first successful fair-catch kick in the NFL in 48 years. He was good from 57 yards on the final play of the first half to pull the Chargers to 21-13.

Denver (9-6) could have clinched a playoff spot but had their four-game winning streak snapped. The Broncos still have an 85% chance of making it, but they have tough remaining tests at Cincinnati on 28 December and at home against Kansas City in Week 18.

“Obviously, a disappointing loss. There was a lot at stake, and we know that,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “We had a fast start, and then uncharacteristically this season, we didn’t finish or play nearly well enough in the second half, both offensively and defensively.”

The Broncos appeared well on their way to wrapping up their first postseason berth since 2015 after they scored on their first three drives to go up 21-10. But after Wil Lutz’s 41-yard field goal midway through the third quarter gave the Broncos a 24-13 advantage, the Chargers stormed back.

“First three drives, 21 points, and then just kind of stalled,” said Bo Nix, who completed 29 of 40 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. “We got the same defense (in the second half). Just for whatever reason, we couldn’t get going.”

Gus Edwards – who had 14 carries for 68 yards – went off five yards off left end for his second touchdown of the game to get the Bolts within 24-19, but the two-point conversion was no good when Herbert was stopped short of the goal line.

Edwards also burrowed in from the 1 in the first quarter to tie it at 7.

After Denver went three-and-out for the second time in three possessions, the Chargers took their first lead. On first-and-10 from the Denver 19, Herbert – who completed 23 of 30 passes with an interception – scrambled left and threw across his body off his left foot to Davis with 12:29 remaining.

“We had him on a little bubble out of the backfield. I scrambled out, saw the pressure and he just turned upfield and made an incredible play,” Herbert said.

Herbert then found Joshua Palmer in the back of the end zone for the 2-point conversion. Palmer made a one-handed grab before going out of bounds to make it 27-24.

Los Angeles put it out of reach with 2:27 remaining on Herbert’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Hassan Haskins.

Lutz narrowly made a 55-yard field goal with 57 seconds remaining to get Denver within a touchdown, but Los Angeles’ Nick Niemann recovered the onside kick to dash any hopes of a comeback.

Herbert completed passes to 10 players, including Ladd McConkey, who had six receptions for 87 yards.

Nix had a pair of touchdown passes in the first half – a one-yard pass to Michael Burton off a rollout and a six-yard throw to Devaughn Vele in the left corner of the end zone – and completed 15 of 21 passes for 155 yards before halftime.

Audric Estime’s three-yard run off right guard gave the Broncos a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. It was only the third time this season Denver reached the end zone on their opening possession.

The Chargers were outscored 48-13 in four quarters that included the second half against Tampa Bay and first half against Denver.

Going into halftime, the defense had a stretch where it had allowed scores on 13 of 18 drives (including eight touchdowns) and forced only two punts in seven quarters.

Instead of Harbaugh addressing the team at halftime, it was safety Derwin James.

“I feel like, as players, we need to take it upon ourselves. This is our team too,” James said. “And I feel like, man, my message was simple. Man, it’s time for us to play ball. And I feel like, as a team, we just came out and did that. It was nothing rah, rah, rah. It was just, it’s time to go, man. It’s time for us to play our best ball in December, January. I feel like we did that today.”

Denver gained 212 yards on their first drive and 229 in the first half, but just 107 after halftime.

Coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers took advantage of a seldom-used fair-catch kick, which allows a team that has just made a fair catch to try a free kick for three points. The kick is attempted from the line of scrimmage, and the defending team must stand 10 yards away.

The Chargers were able to try it because Denver’s Tremon Smith committed fair-catch interference on what would have been the final play of the first half when Los Angeles’ Derius Davis attempted to field Riley Dixon’s punt at the Chargers 38.

The penalty moved the ball to the Denver 47 for an untimed down. The Chargers also were the last team to successfully execute a free kick when Ray Wersching converted from 45 yards for San Diego on 21 November 1976, against Buffalo.

Denver has had two possessions in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

So far, the Broncos have executed them perfectly — scoring another touchdown to go back up 14-7.

Quarterback Bo Nix tossed a 1-yard score to cap the 12-play, 70-yard drive.

Nix prevented a three-and-out and moved the chains with a 10-yard scramble on third-and-9. Then a few plays later, Nix hit receiver Devaughn Vele for a 15-yard gain to put Denver at the Los Angeles 33.

After the quarter break, the Broncos moved down to the 11-yard line with back-to-back 4- and 18-yard completions to receiver Courtland Sutton — his first touches of the game.

A couple of plays later, Nix connected with fullback Michael Burton on the right side for a 1-yard touchdown to put the Broncos back up by a touchdown.

That was Nix’s 21st touchdown pass of his rookie season.

Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman, who is active after missing the last four games with a groin injury, was examined in the medical tent before sitting back on the bench on the sideline.

The Nuggets are getting antsy, as it relates to their hopes of securing another championship during three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic’s prime years.

After a magical run to a title in 2023, Denver is trying to decide whether or not it’s worth it to keep their core intact. Jokic isn’t going anywhere, neither is Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon who recently inked hefty contract extensions.

If the Nuggets want to move a player on the roster to potentially obtain a game-changer who can be the much-needed accelerant for another Finals push, Michael Porter Jr. is the obvious choice.

And so far, Denver has shown a willingness to discuss Porter in win-now transactions, a league source told Forbes Sports.

One of the transactions being bandied about currently in league circles is whether Denver will pull the trigger on acquiring score-first All-Star guard Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls.

According to Sam Amick and Tony Jones of The Athletic, Denver has been putting out feelers on the trade market to acquire a jolt of scoring punch. Not only has LaVine been discussed in a serious manner, but all of the following veterans have been connected to the Nuggets recently: Cam Johnson, Jordan Poole, Jordan Clarkson, and Jonas Valanciunas.

As you can see, Denver is looking across the board at upgrades — and a lot of those roster flaws point back to a disastrous offseason period. The Nuggets certainly look like they swung-and-missed on Dario Saric as a backup center signing in free agency. Also, most of Denver’s young prospects have failed to take a step forward, which was of the upmost importance with their team-building strategy.

Denver is in the middle of the pack in a loaded Western Conference, which shouldn’t be happening when you realize the type of historical dominance Jokic is once again putting together. The Serbian big man is on his way to a fourth MVP award averaging 30.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game. Only Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook have put together historic statistical campaigns in line with Jokic, and his brilliance is the true DNA of Denver’s roster.

How can the 14-10 Nuggets best maximize another season from Jokic where he’s undeniably the best player in the Association? It’s likely going to involve an uncomfortable conversation around breaking up their entrenched core four of Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon, and the 26-year-old wing from Missouri would be the trade chip in this scenario.

For a Porter blockbuster deal for Denver, LaVine is the obvious match. And those talks continue on into the early portion of NBA trade season.

Chicago has been trying to sell off on LaVine over the past 18 months, but no team has shown significant interest prior to this sudden pursuit from the Nuggets.

The Pistons were a potential match at the 2024 trade deadline before they backed out asking for a young prospect in return. The Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, and Kings put out feelers last summer, but no franchise felt comfortable absorbing LaVine’s remaining $110+ million salary.

Why would the Nuggets feel comfortable swapping out Porter for LaVine? The on-ball creation from LaVine, and the heliocentric offense being built around Jokic, would be a beautiful synergetic match from an on-court standpoint.

Imagine Jokic running a hand-off flare action with LaVine running around him to get open. LaVine is one of the best in the Association at hand-off actions, shooting 66.7% in those situations this season but only attempting less than one per game. Compared to Murray and Porter, who are both shooting well below-average on higher volume, LaVine could be fully unlocked playing alongside Jokic in the Rocky Mountains.

Also, the Nuggets have been a complete disaster offensively whenever Jokic rests. Incredibly, the Nuggets rank No. 1 in offensive rating at 123.1 with Jokic on the court, but nosedive to the worst when he sits on the bench scoring only 96.3 points per 100 possessions. A massive gulf exists between how Denver operates with and without Jokic, so acquiring an alpha scorer who can take the burden off him appears necessary at this rate.

Another factor to note is the Nuggets have already been showing significant buyers remorse on the four-year extension for backup big man Zeke Nnaji. The former Arizona Wildcat signed a $32 million deal last year before the rookie-scale extension deadline, but he’s continued to show no real developmental jumps in Denver while now being viewed as an albatross contract.

An early framework discussed between Denver and Chicago revolves around LaVine and Porter, per a league source, which includes Nnaji as the necessary salary filler.

Keep an eye on veteran wing Torrey Craig being a potential add into the deal, if talks continue to progress. Craig, a former Nugget, would be included alongside LaVine while receiving Porter, Nnaji and another minimum salary to make the trade legal under apron restrictions.

For Denver, Chicago presents the opportunity to acquire a former All-Star scorer who is quietly putting together one of the most efficient seasons of his career. LaVine is averaging 21.7 points while carrying 50.1/42.8/80.0 shooting splits, and it’s hard to imagine that figure dipping if he’s paired next to Jokic.

A key note is how including Nnaji wouldn’t require draft capital, which has been the hold up for Denver in other talks around the league due to limited draft assets. Denver hasn’t shown an appetite to attach their only tradeable first-round pick in 2031.

Would swapping out Porter for LaVine be the necessary antidote to cure Denver’s inconsistencies? At this moment, it appears to be an idea they are open to. And from Chicago’s perspective, they would be willing to take on Porter’s salary as a better long-term fit for their youth movement headlined by Coby White, Josh Giddey, and recent lottery pick Matas Buzelis.

Keep an eye on the Nuggets throughout NBA trade season, because they appear to be one of those teams ready to make an aggressive move to potentially maximize their window with Jokic.