For the first time since Dec. 10, 2023, the Denver Broncos arrived at SoFi Stadium and left victorious against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. It’s a great bounce-back win for Denver and helps the team after it tallied its first divisional win of the year. Now it’s time to look at three takeaways from the Broncos’ road win.
Three Takeaways From The Broncos’ 23-17 Win Over The Chargers
The Broncos always have a chance to win when their defense forces turnovers.
Denver’s defense finished with five sacks, three forced fumbles, and one interception. It was definitely its best game in terms of turnovers. Moreover, the Broncos’ defense reinforced the football principle that the team with more takeaways wins.
Talanoa Hufanga forced a fumble, which Brandon Jones recovered, helping Denver punch Los Angeles in the mouth first.
The next fumble came in the fourth quarter when Zach Allen sacked Justin Herbert and forced a fumble, which Que Robinson recovered, and the Broncos capitalized with a field goal to regain the lead.
On fourth-and-six with 3:26 remaining, the Chargers tried to get a first down, but Jones intercepted Herbert’s pass, giving Denver’s offense the ball, letting it run more time off the clock before punting again.
On the final play of the game, the Chargers were going to throw a Hail Mary, but Vance Joseph sent Ja’Quan McMillian on a blitz, who sacked Herbert and helped end the game before he could even get the ball out of his hands.
Nothing is being taken away from the offense’s performance in this game, but the defense deserves its credit where it’s due. If the defense didn’t perform like it did today, or didn’t generate several turnovers, Denver probably wouldn’t have won this game.
Oct 11, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (9) and Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) combine for the tackle of Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (8) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Sean Payton taking over playcalling responsibilities didn’t make much of a difference.
Many people may have thought Sean Payton reclaiming his playcalling responsibilities would make a difference, but it didn’t.
The Broncos made progress by being the first team to score a touchdown in this game, but they also had a three-and-out on their first drive.
The offense didn’t score simply because it came out on fire, but the defense forced and recovered a fumble, which put them in scoring position.
Then the Broncos scored four plays later when J.K. Dobbins punched in a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
Denver has also gotten into the habit of playing its best later in the game and didn’t come alive until it was trailing early in the fourth quarter and got a turnover on downs. The Broncos then drove for 41 yards in five plays before Courtland Sutton caught his first touchdown of the season.
It’s not an issue that Payton took over playcalling again, but it is a concern when many expected a major change, and some of the same issues persist. The way he addressed what was happening with Davis Webb calling plays made it seem like the offense would play in a way it hasn’t yet: efficiently in all four quarters.
Oct 11, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton calls a play against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Ima
Alex Singleton’s coverage skills continue to hurt Denver’s defense
One of the Chargers’ touchdowns came late in the third quarter after Herbert found Hayden Rucci wide open. Why did this happen? Alex Singleton’s coverage abilities.
The Broncos’ defense may have also allowed Kimani Vidal to score a 42-yard touchdown with a little over a minute left in the third quarter, but it did a good job of stopping Los Angeles’ run game for the most part.
Singleton seemed lost and didn’t seem to know where to look before Rucci scored. Coverage is something Singleton has struggled with in the past, while Denver failed to draft a linebacker who could fill the void Singleton has created.
If Singleton doesn’t improve, or the Broncos can’t find a linebacker who’s good in coverage, future opponents can use this to their advantage to stay in games and possibly win, especially if the defensive line and secondary play efficiently.
Oct 11, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Keaton Mitchell (34) runs the ball against Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton (49) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
The Last Word
Denver got a win, which is definitely good for its confidence. Still, it must turn its focus immediately, as the Broncos have a quick turnaround with a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks back home at Empower Field at Mile High on Thursday, Oct. 15. Denver will need to be much more consistent on offense, while its defense must continue disrupting offenses if it wants to walk away from Thursday night having defeated the defending Super Bowl champions. Seattle will be eager to win, especially after recently losing to its NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers.
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