Broncos' Biggest Winners & Losers in 23-17 Victory Over Chargers

A win is a win.

But the Denver Broncos' 23-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers was about as ugly as it gets. The Broncos' defense did the heavy lifting, while the offense stunk up the joint for most of the game.

Those Broncos fans hoping Sean Payton's return to calling the plays would be an immediate cure for whatever is ailing this offense were not only disappointed — they're likely even more alarmed.

However, the Broncos found a way to get it done. In his first game back at the play-calling controls, Payton was able to notch his first win over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium as Broncos head coach, as his team moves to 3-2 in the standings.

As we sift through the aftermath of Denver's divisional win, let's break down the Broncos' biggest winners and losers coming out of this game.

Winner: Sean Payton | HC

Payton put a mountain of pressure on his shoulders by taking back the play-calling from offensive coordinator Davis Webb. The decision also added more pressure on Nix amid his slump, but I digress. Payton asked for the pressure, and by virtue of the win, eased some of it.

However, the Broncos' offense didn't look markedly different with Payton calling the plays against the Chargers. But after Justin Herbert was able to battle back into this game and take the lead, it wouldn't have been a big surprise to see the Broncos wilt and lose this game.

That's not what happened, though. Thanks to some clutch-time play by the Broncos' defense, Payton was able to get his first win over Jim Harbaugh at SoFi Stadium, and preserve the appearance that his decision to take back the play sheet was the right one.

Alas, though, the Broncos finished with just 224 yards of total offense. They only converted one third down on 12 attempts — wrap your brain around that — and went 2-of-5 in the red zone. Nothing was working.

In terms of progress, there wasn't much to point to on Sunday. However, the Broncos did get move the chains on their opening drive for the first time this season and led for most of the game. I'll take that as a silver-lining development amid the upheaval of Payton taking back the play-calling.

Make no mistake, though: this game only hammered home the reality of Webb being the scapegoat for Denver's shockingly impotent offense. Payton has his work cut out for him to truly turn this ship around.

Loser: Bo Nix | QB

Something is wrong with Nix. What it could be is anyone's guess, but he continues to look far from the quarterback he was in his first two seasons.

In L.A., Nix started on solid footing, delivering an efficient if unspectacular performance early on. He had one really nice 36-yard throw to tight end Evan Engram to help set up the Broncos' first touchdown of the day.

It was all downhill from there, though. As has been the trend this season, Nix looked timid and completely unpoised against L.A. He's not trusting his eyes or his receivers, and it's leading to a multitude of missed opportunities and three-and-outs.

Nix finished the day 16-of-27 for 123 yards and a touchdown. He didn't throw any interceptions, but he fumbled twice, losing one of them. That lost fumble created a massive momentum swing that allowed the Chargers to take the lead late.

Nix entered the 2026 season with seven career fumbles. He has five already through the first five games of this season — another microcosm of the meta issues plaguing the third-year quarterback.

When it comes to what's eating at Nix, theories abound. It's not the play-calling, though. That, we know. The only thing that makes any sense to me, at this point, is that his ankle is still bothering him.

The Broncos need to get to the bottom of the Nix situation, fast.

Winner: Brandon Jones | S

Jones had one heck of a game. He totaled four tackles, and picked off Herbert late to help ice the game.

Brandon Jones in the right place at the right time 🗣️@DENvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/iZZSY0BYw1
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

Earlier, Jones recovered a Charlie Kolar fumble forced by Talanoa Hufanga that led direcetly to the Broncos' first touchdown of the game. When Hufanga exited in the second half with an ankle injury, never to return, Jones did a lot of the heavy lifting on the back end of the secondary.

Loser: Wil Lutz | K

Lutz missed his third field-goal attempt of the season, a got-to-have-it 42-yarder with the Broncos' trailing 17-10 in the fourth quarter. He doesn't have the biggest leg, but inside of 45 yards, Lutz is usually reliable.

Not so this season. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi needs to get to the bottom of what's eating Lutz as quickly as Payton does with Nix.

Winner: Evan Engram | TE

I already mentioned him, but Engram was the Broncos' most effective pass-catcher on the day. He led the team with five receptions for 55 yards and came very close to scoring a touchdown.

Bo Nix drops it in the bucket to Evan Engram 🪣@DENvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/AntTdNFDKs
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

Engram ran his routes well and when the ball went his way, he fought hard to pick up extra yardage. It was good to see the veteran tight end lead the team in receptions and yards.

Loser: Jaylen Waddle | WR

Waddle posted his third game of the season with two or fewer receptions, finishing with two grabs on a team-high five targets for just 19 yards. He also had one rush for nine yards.

Despite showing his frustration on the sideline, Waddle's drop in the second half killed another dead-on-arrival drive. I was hoping that Payton's play-calling would lead to more consistent Waddle usage, but he and Nix continued to struggle getting on the dame page.

Given what Denver gave up to acquire Waddle from the Miami Dolphins, it's fair to consider him a big disappointment this season. Outside of his 138-yard Week 2 performance, he's been a dud thus far.

Winner: Nik Bonitto | OLB

Bonitto entered this game with just one sack on the season, but he took down Justin Herbert twice. Bonitto gave L.A.'s depleted offensive line fits all game long.

Nik Bonitto breaks through and gets the sack 💪@DENvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/SapZ5OhaCU
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

The Pro Bowl rush linebacker continues to show modest progress as a run defender, too, finishing with a season-high four tackles. However, he missed two tackles against the Chargers, so there's still plenty of room for improvement.

Loser: Broncos' O-Line

Ben Powers. — Ben Powers and Bo Nix take the field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Right tackle Mike McGlinchey was especially bad, but the Broncos' entire starting five turned in another concerning performance. They were unable to create any push in the run game until deep in the fourth quarter.

The lack of poise and discipline from this unit has become alarming. From pre-snap penalties to holding fouls, the Broncos' offensive line was a major reason for the Broncos' lack of success on Sunday.

The O-line only allowed one sack on Nix, but he was pressured five times. This unit is another quandry Payton needs to get to the bottom of fast, especially given the amount of salary-cap dollars the Broncos have allocated to the O-line.

Lastly, the Broncos need to strongly consider sitting McGlinchey down and rolling with Alex Palczewski at right tackle. McGlinchey is highly paid, but he's become a liability.

Winner: J.K. Dobbins | RB

Dobbins ran hard in this game, but with only a few exceptions, he didn't get much help from his O-line. Finishing with 68 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, the veteran back turned in his best performance of the season against his former team.

J.K. Dobbins scores the first TD of the game 👏@DENvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/2x4pE7u2qJ
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

It was great to see Dobbins notch his first touchdown of the season. His fourth-quarter running helped the Broncos battle back and win this game.

Loser: Courtland Sutton | WR

Like Dobbins, Sutton was able to score his first touchdown of the season, but he finished with just two receptions for 18 yards. He and Nix have not been able to get on the same page, which is another alarming symptom of just how bad this offense is, given the strong chemistry this duo forged over the preceding two seasons.

Sutton isn't fighting for the ball and coming down with it anymore. That used to be a hallmark of his game and why his quarterbacks — from Joe Flacco to Drew Lock to Teddy Bridgewater to Russell Wilson to Nix — have always shown him so much trust.

His effort appears questionable, but that's not the player and leader we know Sutton to be. The only other explanation is that Father Time has begun taking his toll on the just-turned 31-year-old veteran.

Winners: Jahdae Barron & Kris Abrams-Draine | CBs

Lastly, a tip of the hat goes to Barron and Abrams-Draine for answering the bell this week with Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss out of commission. It helped that L.A. didn't have Ladd McConkey or Quentin Johnston, but this duo held up its end of the bargain.

Barron allowed one completion for 14 yards on two targets, and made several open-field tackles. He finished with six tackles (five solo).

Abrams-Draine was targeted twice us much as Barron, allowing three completions for 21 yards, per Pro Football Focus. He picked off Herbert, but was flagged on the play for pass interference.

Still, this game had to be a major confidence-booster for Barron and Abrams-Draine. And they're going to need it with the Seattle Seahawks coming to Mile High on Thursday night.

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