Broncos–Chargers rivalry

Broncos–Chargers

Denver Broncos San Diego Chargers
First meeting	October 16, 1960 Los Angeles Chargers 23, Denver Broncos 19
Latest meeting	October 30, 2016 Broncos 27, Chargers 19
Next meeting	TBD 2017
Statistics
Meetings total	115 (including the playoffs)
All-time series	The Broncos lead 64–50–1 (including the playoffs)
Postseason results	The Broncos lead 1–0 January 12, 2014: Broncos 24, Chargers 17
Largest victory	Broncos: 38–3 (1997); Chargers: 58–20 (1963), 41–3 (2007)
Longest win streak	Broncos: 7 (1975–78); Chargers: 6 (1963–66)
Current win streak	Broncos: 1 win (2016–present)
Playoff and Championship success
AFL Championships (1960–1969) Chargers: 1963 Super Bowl Championships (3) Broncos: 1997 (XXXII), 1998 (XXXIII), 2015 (50) AFL Western Division Championships (5) (1960–1969) Chargers – 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965 AFC West Divisional Championships (25) (1970–present) Broncos (15) – 1977, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Chargers (10) – 1979, 1980, 1981, 1992, 1994, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 AFC Wild Card Berths (10) (1970–present) Broncos (7) – 1979, 1983, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004 Chargers (3) – 1982, 1995, 2013 Super Bowl Appearances (9) Broncos (8) – 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2013, 2015 Chargers (1) – 1994

The Broncos–Chargers rivalry is a rivalry between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League's AFC West division. Since the American Football League was established in 1960, the Broncos and the Chargers have shared the same division, first being the AFL Western Conference, and since the AFL–NFL merger, the AFC West.

Notable moments

1985–2006

• November 17, 1985: Broncos' safety Dennis Smith blocked two straight field goal attempts in overtime, after the Chargers had advanced the football to the Broncos' 23-yard line in the first overtime possession. On 4th and 4 from the Broncos' 23, Smith blocked Bob Thomas' initial field goal attempt, only to have it negated due to a timeout being called by teammate Mike Harden prior to the kick. Following the timeout, Thomas attempted a second kick, and this was also blocked by Smith and returned by Louis Wright for a 60-yard touchdown for a 30–24 Broncos' overtime win at Mile High Stadium.^[1][2]
• September 4, 1994: The Broncos jumped out to a 24–6 lead at Mile High Stadium on the Chargers in the second quarter, however, the Chargers responded, and took a 27–24 lead at haltime, after safety Stanley Richard returned a John Elway interception 99 yards for a touchdown just before halftime. The Chargers later sealed the victory after linebacker Junior Seau recovered a fumble by Elway in the game's closing seconds.^[3]
• September 14, 2003: The Broncos routed the Chargers 37–13 at Qualcomm Stadium. However, the game is notable for a uniform mix-up, in which the Broncos came to the stadium in their road white jerseys, when the host Chargers were planning to wear white, and were supposed to be the team that declared their uniform color. The Broncos were fined $25,000 as a result, and when the two teams met at Invesco Field at Mile High later that season in Week 11 (November 16), the NFL allowed the Chargers to choose their uniform color in advance, and they chose navy blue, forcing the Broncos to wear their white jerseys at home for the first time since 1983.^[4]
• December 10, 2006: The Chargers routed the Broncos 48–20 at Qualcomm Stadium, in which Chargers' running back LaDainian Tomlinson set a new NFL record for touchdowns in a single season, with 28.^[5]

2007–present

• December 24, 2007: In the fourth quarter of a Monday night game at Qualcomm Stadium, Broncos' quarterback Jay Cutler was involved in a verbal scuffle with Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers and linebacker Matt Wilhelm, with Rivers taunting Cutler and Wilhelm mocking a "waving" gesture. Broncos' cornerback Champ Bailey took exception to Rivers' taunting of Cutler.^[6]
• September 14, 2008: With 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Chargers were leading 38–31 in Denver. The Broncos hiked the ball on 2nd-and-goal from the Chargers' 1-yard line. Jay Cutler rolled out to the right and fumbled the football before he brought his arm forward, which was recovered by Chargers' linebacker Tim Dobbins. However, referee Ed Hochuli called the play dead as he believed it to be an incomplete pass, so the ball was returned to the Broncos at the 10-yard line (the spot where the ball hit the ground). Two plays later, on 4th-and-goal from the 4, Cutler threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal to make the score 38–37. Instead of kicking an extra point to tie the game and send it to overtime, Broncos' head coach Mike Shanahan opted for a 2-point conversion. Cutler completed the conversion with another pass to Royal, giving the Broncos a controversial 39–38 victory.^[7]
• December 28, 2008: The Broncos and Chargers met in the 2008 regular-season finale in San Diego, with the winner clinching the AFC West title. Three weeks earlier, the Broncos were 8–5 and the Chargers were 5–8, with the Broncos losing their next two games and the Chargers winning their next two to pull to within one game of the Broncos for the division lead. Three and a half months after the aforementioned controversial Broncos' win in Denver, the Chargers exacted revenge, with an emphatic 52–21 win that not only completed a monumental Broncos' season-ending collapse, but also denied the Broncos a playoff berth. The two teams finished the 2008 season tied for first-place in the AFC West, each with an 8–8 record, however, the Chargers won the division based on a better record against AFC West divisional opponents (5–1 to the Broncos' 3–3).^[8] This was also Mike Shanahan's last game as the Broncos' head coach, as he was fired two days later after 14 seasons.^[9]
• November 27, 2011: Quarterback Tim Tebow led the Broncos to a 16–13 win at Qualcomm Stadium in overtime, with kicker Matt Prater nailing a 37-yard field goal with 29 seconds left. Earlier in overtime, the Broncos blocked a 53-yard attempt by Chargers' kicker Nick Novak, however, Broncos' head coach John Fox called a timeout prior to the kick. Novak subsequently missed the second attempt.^[10]
• October 15, 2012: Trailing 24–0 at halftime after back-to-back special teams turnovers and an interception returned for a touchdown, quarterback Peyton Manning led the Broncos to a stunning 35–24 comeback win in San Diego. Three second-half interceptions and two lost fumbles by Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers swung the momentum toward the Broncos' favor, as Manning and the Broncos capitalized on each Chargers' mistake. Manning went 13/14 for 167 yards and three touchdowns in the second half, hitting Demaryius Thomas on a 29-yard score with 10:56 left in the third quarter to get the Broncos on the scoreboard. Following a 65-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery by cornerback Tony Carter, the Broncos suddenly found themselves down only 10 as the Chargers watched their comfortable halftime lead dwindle. Manning added two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, finding Eric Decker on a 7-yard score and then connecting with Brandon Stokley on a 21-yard pitch and catch to give the Broncos a 28–24 lead with 9:03 left. Cornerback Chris Harris sealed the comeback with a 46-yard interception return to put the Broncos up 35–24 with 2:06 left. The defense added one final takeaway as Rivers fumbled in the game's final minute to end what was certainly an instant Monday Night Football classic.^[11]

Game results

Note: All game dates occur on Sunday unless indicated otherwise.
Source: Pro-Football-Reference.^[12]

1960s (Chargers 15–5)

1970s (Broncos 13–6–1)

1980s (Broncos 12–8)

1990s (Broncos 13–7)

2000s (Broncos 11–9)

2010s (Broncos 10–5)

Connections between the teams

Coaches

Players

Notes

References

External links

• Denver Broncos' official website
• The Denver Post – Complete Broncos Coverage
• Pro Football Hall of Fame – Denver Broncos team history
• Denver Broncos at Sports E-Cyclopedia.org
• San Diego Chargers' official website
• San Diego Union-Tribune – Chargers' coverage
• San Diego Chargers team history
• San Diego Chargers at Sports E-Cyclopedia.org