Gabriel: Never a doubt. My 8-9 prediction has me currently looking like the opposite of you, Kiz: a real downer instead of a constant ray of sunshine. We got here because the Broncos suddenly started winning the exact kind of games they’ve lost for the better part of the past seven years: Close games. Physical games. 50/50 games. The kind that pockmark the NFL every week. Of course, Sunday wasn’t quite that. It was a pretty thorough beatdown from Sean Payton’s team over a Chargers team and coach in Brandon Staley who looks headed for more rocky road.

Kiz: I don’t know if I believe the Broncos can end the reign of Kansas City as boss of the AFC West. But since beating the Chiefs, Denver has been the best team in the division. Get in the playoffs and the Broncos have a defense to do some damage. Where’s the Super Bowl played this season?

Gabriel: How does the desert sound to you, Kiz? A stretch of February in Las Vegas will be good times for a pair of teams and a big swath of the whole NFL operation. The Broncos? Well … let’s not get too far out ahead of our early winter skis just yet, OK? But we wouldn’t be having this conversation without some really impressive performances across the board, right? So, who you got for MVP of this season-turning run, Kiz?

Kiz: While the connection between Wilson and Sutton has been jaw-dropping, the Broncos would be nowhere near the playoff discussion without the transformation of a defense that was in shambles after surrendering 70 points to Miami. So I have to give the MVP of this amazing turnaround to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph … and can’t wait for the first playoff game against the Dolphins. It’s fate, eh?

Gabriel: Yeah, difficult to go wrong with Joseph. Amazing to say, given the way the season started, but don’t think it’s possible to rule out him getting at least initial interviews during what’s shaping up to be a wild NFL head coaching carousel this winter. My vote for MVP of this run: Justin Simmons. Consider that he spent almost all of training camp dealing with a hip/groin injury and then looked a half-step off his normal ball-hawking self over the first two weeks. Then he missed defensive debacles against Miami and Chicago dealing with the same injury. So let’s call it Week 5 when Healthy Justin started playing this year. My abacus here says they’ve been pretty good with Healthy Justin. How far can Denver take it? We’re fixin’ to find out.

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“We’re in a horse race,” quarterback Russell Wilson said Sunday, after the Broncos dismantled those Thunderdolts from Los Angeles. Denver routed the Chargers 24-7 in a game that was no contest after a devilish Denver defense broke the spirit and stole the soul of Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert with a goal-line stand early in the first quarter.

But enough of my silly football poetry. Let’s just stick to the facts, ma’am: Since the last Sunday in October, when they snapped a 16-game losing streak to Kansas City, the Broncos’ record is 6-1, while the dead Chiefs walking are 2-4.

Playoffs? Playoffs! Playoffs?

Yes, and a Wild Card berth is not the only prize the Broncos can aim for down the stretch of this NFL season. With four games remaining in the regular season, Denver finds itself only one game out of first place in the AFC West, a division the Chiefs have won seven years in a row.

By now you’ve memorized the M.O. of these Broncos. Play nasty defense, harass the quarterback, pound the rock and wait for one big play from quarterback Russell Wilson that, more times than not, seems to end with a no-freaking-way catch by Courtland Sutton.

“He’s like a big power forward,” said Broncos coach Sean Payton, admiring the way Sutton wins 50-50 balls as much with his muscle as his hops.

The big play that secured this W for Denver arrived with five minutes, 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter, when some jazzy improvisation between Wilson and Sutton resulted in a one-handed grab of a 46-yard touchdown pass that staked the Broncos to a 17-0 lead.

On a play that went delightfully off script when the Denver offensive line allowed Wilson more than six seconds to improvise before throwing the football, Sutton made touchdown magic by listening to a voice inside his head.

“Top down,” Sutton recalled. “Literally I heard (Wilson) in my head saying: ‘Top down.'”

Perception is the result of recognition. Exploit the space the defense has given.

The little confession by Sutton that Wilson was the little birdie in his ear delighted the veteran quarterback.

Sutton “did a great job, because he was going deep, came back for a second and then went deep again,” Wilson said.

That chemistry between a quarterback and receiver, in which no words needed to be spoken, was worth six points to the Broncos.

I mention this football ESP between Wilson and Sutton for a very specific reason. While nobody in the NFL mentions Wilson in the same breath as Mahomes when speaking of elite quarterbacks, anybody who has watched the championship reputation of the Chiefs slowly unravel can tell you this truth: The K.C. offense has been reduced to not much more than whatever magic can be conjured between Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.

While Mahomes and Kelce have connected on 80 passes for 896 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, Denver’s QB-WR1 duo has exceeded that production in the most important category, with Sutton hauling in 53 catches for 799 yards and 10 touchdowns — the most scores by any Broncos receiver in a single season since the late, great Demaryius Thomas in 2014.

“I try to play with a certain attitude and demeanor and it came from the way (Thomas) played the game,” Sutton said.

In a city where a gallon of regular gas costs $5.19, Los Angeles has too many problems the other six days of the week to worry about the Chargers on Sunday. Broncos Country achieved such an overwhelming and nearly unopposed takeover of SoFi Stadium that Denver linebacker Alex Singleton felt confident exhorting the crowd for noise before the snap of a fourth-down play by backup Easton Stick, who replaced Herbert after the most overrated quarterback in the NFL departed with a finger injury.

With a 7-6 record, there’s every reason to believe the Broncos can end their long playoff drought, so long as they sweep the remaining AFC teams on their schedule (the reeling Chargers, wretched Patriots and reprehensible Raiders).

All the AFC rivals ahead of Denver in the wild-card race now feel the hot breath of Blucifer on their necks. The Broncos are taking names, checking boxes and kicking keisters. The long playoff drought is close enough to being over that everybody who loves this team can almost taste the champagne.

Win by win and week by week, Payton noted, “It’s one less question about one more demon we have answered.”

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Live updates

FINAL | Broncos 24, Chargers 7

Ja’Quan McMillian still couldn’t believe his misfortune after the game. He thought he had a touchdown. No, not thought. “I know I did,” he said with a smile.

The grin, of course, came easily despite the fact that he’ll never watch tape of this game and believe Easton Stick’s hand was moving forward when McMillian rocked him, jarred the ball loose, picked it up on his own and ran it into the end zone. The grin came easily because the Broncos’ bottle rocket of a nickelback is writing himself a starring role in this defense’s Hollywood turnaround story.

A 24-7 win here against the Los Angeles Chargers marked the Broncos’ first divisional road triumph in 1,526 days but also the team’s sixth victory in their past seven games. It came on the strength of a defense embodied by its short-in-stature-only nickel, Parker Gabriel reports. Read the full story.

More Broncos coverage:

• PHOTOS: Denver Broncos trample Los Angeles Chargers 24-7 in NFL Week 14.
• Kiszla: It’s a horse race! The hot breath of the Broncos now on the neck of Patrick Mahomes in AFC West.
• Russell Wilson on Broncos WR Courtland Sutton: “He can catch everything.”
• Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy focused on team’s roll after frustrating outing: “I’m always confident.”
• Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz taken to hospital out of precaution after elevated heart rate, source says.
• Broncos report card: Dominant outing for Vance Joseph’s defense gives Denver offense time to get rolling in win vs. Chargers.
• Heroes and Zeros from Broncos’ 24-7 win over Chargers: Ja’Quan McMillian just keeps making plays.
• Broncos four downs: Russell Wilson sticks fork in Brandon Staley, Chargers. Raiders stick fork in themselves. Playoffs? Heck, yeah, we’re talking playoffs.

Fourth-quarter updates

Stop! They’re already dead. (5:24 p.m.): P.J. Locke just strip sacked Easton Stick. Josey Jewell recovered. Denver ball. But they’re taking kneels now. — Joe Nguyen

Ballgame (5:13 p.m.): Denver just faked out Los Angeles on that play. Russell Wilson fakes a hand off to Javonte Williams and then finds a wide-open Adam Trautman for a 10-yard touchdown. Broncos 24, Chargers 7 with 3:11 to go. — Joe Nguyen 

Tremendous drive from the Broncos.

4 for 4 on third down, punctuated by the easiest TD pass Russell Wilson will have all season to Adam Trautman. — Matt Schubert

Taking it home (5:13 p.m.): The Broncos are now 3 for 3 on this putaway drive. Impressive stuff from Russell Wilson on third down. — Matt Schubert

Run, Russ, run (5:09 p.m.): Another third-down conversion from Wilson, this time with his legs. The clock is running and the Broncos lead 17-7 with less than six minutes left. This thing is done. — Matt Schubert

Big third-down conversion (5:07 p.m.): Critical third-and-long conversion from Russell Wilson to Adam Trautman, who shed a tackler to give the Broncos a first down in Chargers territory. At this point, why throw the ball again? — Matt Schubert

Javonte with a statement (5:04 p.m.): The Chargers have built up momentum, but Denver answered with a 20-yard gain up the gut by Javonte Williams on the first play of the drive. — Joe Nguyen

Chargers with life (5 p.m.): Huge gain by the Chargers after Easton Stick connected Quentin Johnston for a 57-yard gain. The drive was capped off by a 3-yard touchdown run by Colorado’s own Austin Ekeler. Broncos 17, Chargers 7 with 10:37 to go in the game. — Joe Nguyen

The Broncos will NOT get a shutout today. Yes, the Chargers just scored quickly. But they also have just one timeout left and does anyone really believe they can do that again? — Matt Schubert

Meinerz hospitalized (4:57 p.m.): Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz exited Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of concern about chest tightness and an elevated heart rate, a source told The Denver Post on Sunday. Read the full story. — Parker Gabriel

Injury update (4:55 p.m.): Locke and McMillian are back on the field. — Ryan McFadden

Defensive collision (4:50 p.m.): Broncos safety PJ Locke and cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian went down after colliding into each other on that fourth down play. Both players were able to walk off the field. — Ryan McFadden

Third-quarter analysis — Broncos 17, Chargers 0

Matt Schubert, sports editor: If ever there was a fourth quarter that didn’t need to be played, it’s this one. We all know how this is going to play out. A 17-0 lead on this Chargers team feels like 34-0. As great as the Broncos defense has been, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley has been just as awful. Sure feels like this might be the last time we see him on the L.A. sideline.

Third-quarter updates

Sutton’s magical hands (4:40 p.m.): He wasn’t in on the play, but Courtland Sutton catches everything. Russell Wilson threw it away, but Sutton — with a hand on his hip on the sidelines — effortless caught the pass one handed.

By the way, his last touchdown was his 10th on the season. It’s the 22nd time a Broncos player has caught at least 10 touchdowns in a season and first since 2014 when Thomases Julius and Demaryius each had at least 10. — Joe Nguyen

Struggling offense (4:35 p.m.): If you think the Chargers are bad, take a look at the Vikings-Raiders score in Las Vegas. — Matt Schubert

Touchdown, Broncos (4:24 p.m.): Russell Wilson had all day in the pocket to make that throw. He connected with, who else, Courtland Sutton on a 46-yard touchdown pass. Add another one for Sutton’s highlight reel. Broncos 17, Chargers 0 with 5:55 to go. — Joe Nguyen

How does he keep doing this @SuttonCourtland | : CBS pic.twitter.com/xlRoH9GGBk

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 10, 2023

Courtland Sutton is insane. — Ryan McFadden

Courtland Sutton … all he does is catch touchdowns. — Matt Schubert

Standing tall (4:19 p.m.): The Chargers, on fourth-and-inches, could not convert. Denver’s defense stopped the run play. The Broncos will get the ball on their own 40-yard line. — Joe Nguyen

Brandon Staley keeps rolling the dice on fourth down, and the Broncos defense keeps making him look like a fool for doing it. The L.A. postgame presser is gonna be … interesting.

The best thing the Broncos defense can do is present Brandon Staley with a fourth-and-short situation. — Matt Schubert

The Broncos defense is making this as easy as possible for their offense and making the decision for Dean Spanos as easy as possible as it relates to Brandon Staley’s job performance. — Parker Gabriel

Quinn Meinerz injury (4:14 p.m.): Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz (illness) is also out the rest of the game, per the team. — Parker Gabriel

Bonitto update (4:12 p.m.): OLB Nik Bonitto (knee) has been downgraded to OUT, per the team. — Parker Gabriel

Defensive reliance (4:11 p.m.): With the way the Broncos D is playing, punting is winning for the rest of the afternoon. Just don’t turn the ball over and get out of L.A. with a W. — Matt Schubert

Third-quarter issues (4:06 p.m.): If the Broncos don’t go three-and-out here, is it considered an early Christmas miracle? — Parker Gabriel

Justin Herbert update (4:05 p.m.): Justin Herbert has been ruled OUT for the rest of the game.

Time for some really, really, really conservative play-calling from the Broncos. — Matt Schubert

Halftime analysis — Broncos 10, Chargers 0

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Broncos’ defense is doing whatever they want to the Chargers. After Wilson struggled to get the ball to Jeudy last week, he has targeted the wideout quite a bit in the first half. However, Jeudy has failed to deliver.

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Jerry Jeudy’s had better days. The Chargers might be bad enough that it doesn’t matter, but still, not great for Denver’s fourth-year wide receiver.

Matt Schubert, sports editor: If Jerry Jeudy is going to produce the same sort of closing kick he had to finish last season, he needs to have one heck of a second half. The Broncos lead 10-0 but drops and missed opportunities have kept the Chargers in this game.

Second-quarter updates

Field goal, Broncos (3:50 p.m.): Denver settles for a 23-yard field goal. Broncos 10, Chargers 0 with five seconds left in the half. — Joe Nguyen

Now, instead of 14-0 at the half, the Broncos take a 10-0 lead into the break. The good news (kinda)? They get the ball to start the second half. — Matt Schubert

No touchdown, Broncos (3:48 p.m.): Uh oh. Looks like that Jerry Jeudy TD catch is coming back.

What a dreadful first half for Jerry Jeudy. He HAS to know where he’s at on the field and get that second foot down. That’s a routine catch for an NFL wide receiver. — Matt Schubert

Krull gains (3:46 p.m.): Russell Wilson connects with tight end Lucas Krull for a 35-yard gain. It was Krull’s first NFL reception. — Joe Nguyen

It’s Perine time (3:43 p.m.): Is there such a thing as a closer in football? The Broncos open their drive with three straight plays to Samaje Perine. — Joe Nguyen

No touchdown (3:41 p.m.): The call was overturned. Chargers punt instead. — Joe Nguyen

Overturned. Gene Steratore seems to like it. Not entirely sure I agree. — Matt Schubert

McMillianaire (3:38 p.m.): Ja’Quan McMillian with a (surprise, surprise) big play. Strip sack into a touchdown. The play is under review right now. — Joe Nguyen

Ja’Quan McMillian … again! Strip sack, fumble recovery and touchdown return! All by himself. — Matt Schubert

Is Ja’Quan McMillian a Pro Bowler? — Ryan McFadden

It’s Easton Stick time (3:36 p.m.): Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert went back to the locker room. Backup Easton Stick is in now. Herbert has a finger injury and is questionable to return. — Joe Nguyen

Broncos now at three consecutive punts for the Broncos. And, yet, it feels like Denver is in complete control

Especially with Justin Herbert in the locker room getting treatment. Easton Stick, the North Dakota State product, is on the field in a really big spot. — Matt Schubert

Out of bounds? (3:34 p.m.): Sean Payton thought Perine got tackled out of bounds and he made his displeasure very clear to the officiating crew. — Matt Schubert

Spin-a-roonie (3:31 p.m.): Tight end Adam Trautman with a nice spin move after the catch. But it doesn’t count. Courtland Sutton was called with offensive pass interference. — Joe Nguyen

Defense stands (3:27 p.m.): Great pressure from Jonathon Cooper on Herbert, who throws an incomplete pass on fourth down. Chargers were called for illegal shift but Denver declined the call.

Broncos are back on offense. — Ryan McFadden

Feels like the Broncos defense pulled a Jedi mind trick allowing the Chargers to get just close enough to convince them to go for it on fourth down. L.A. now 0 for 2 on fourth down. This game could be 7-6. Instead, it’s still 7-0, Broncos. — Matt Schubert

Sack No. 4 (3:25 p.m.): Is this 2015? The Broncos have their fourth sack on the first half. Josey Jewell joins the party. — Joe Nguyen

Third-down woes (3:21 p.m.): The Broncos are now 1 of 4 on third down, which is currently OK because it isn’t as bad as the Chargers’ 0 for 5. — Matt Schubert

Missed opportunity (3:19 p.m.): Bad throw by Russell Wilson. Kinda bad drop by Jerry Jeudy. A deep ball that would’ve had the Broncos on the doorstep once again, instead falls incomplete and now the Broncos are punting again. — Matt Schubert

Low-scoring affair (3:18 p.m.): The way this game is looking, no one will score 20 points. — Ryan McFadden

Wide open. And missed. (3:14 p.m.): Russell Wilson had a wide-open Jerry Jeudy. It just went through his arms. That would’ve got the Broncos inside the 5-yard line. — Joe Nguyen

At least it’s double digits (3:12 p.m.): Justin Herbert’s QB rating at the moment: 10.4. — Matt Schubert

Sack party (3:08 p.m.): Denver got its third sack after Alex Singleton got to Justin Herbert. He couldn’t bring him down, but Zach Allen sure did. — Joe Nguyen

Alex Singleton looks motivated. — Matt Schubert

Justin Herbert is straight up not having a good time so far today. — Parker Gabriel

Zach Allen’s fifth sack of the season forces the Chargers to punt. Los Angeles is 0-for-5 on third down. — Ryan McFadden

Punt (3:03 p.m.): After a quarterback sneak to gain the first down on the second to last play of the first quarter, the Broncos gained just 3 yards in their next two plays. Riley Dixon punts it. — Joe Nguyen

First-quarter analysis — Broncos 7, Chargers 0

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Denver is playing solid defense. The group had two sacks and three quarterback hits in the opening frame. Chargers have played some bad football, man. Still puzzled about them going for it on fourth down in the red zone instead of taking the points.

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: The Broncos defense showed up with a bad attitude today. The Chargers showed up … bad all around.

Matt Schubert, sports editor: Well, this is exactly the version of the Chargers the Broncos wanted to show up to SoFi. Denver’s ability to score a TD off its takeaway while the Chargers completely squandered theirs is essentially a 10-point swing. Given what we’ve seen from Justin Herbert and the Broncos defense so far today, that feels like a game-deciding swing.

First-quarter updates

Bonitto injury update (2:59 p.m.): Bonitto just got carted into the locker room after being ruled questionable to return with a knee injury. — Ryan McFadden

Nik Bonitto injury (2:52 p.m.): Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto just limped off the field with a trainer. — Ryan McFadden

Big sack (2:51 p.m.): Ja’Quan McMillian joins the sack party. His sprint off the left tackle got to Justin Herbert. He splits the sack with Nik Bonitto. — Joe Nguyen

Every week, Ja’Quan McMillian makes a play on defense. — Matt Schubert

Jonathon Cooper injury (2:49 p.m.): Following his interception, Jonathon Cooper is being evaluated in the injury tent. — Joe Nguyen

Touchdown, Broncos (2:47 p.m.): One play later, Javonte Williams runs in his first touchdown run in two years. 205 carries between scores.

So, for those scoring at home: Both defenses get a takeaway inside the other team’s 20. The Broncos turn it into seven. The Chargers get zero. This is why the Chargers are the Chargers. — Matt Schubert

Took advantage.

: CBS | @javontewill33 pic.twitter.com/PIiNn4ZVdO

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 10, 2023

Defensive lineman interception (2:46 p.m.): Justin Herbert threw a pass that was batted by Baron Browning and snagged by Jonathon Cooper. Broncos with the ball at the 3-yard line. — Joe Nguyen

Tipped & picked!!!!

: CBS
pic.twitter.com/eiNEG9UMDd

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 10, 2023

Team Takeaway returns. Baron Browning tip. Jonathon Cooper pick. And now the Broncos have the ball inside the Chargers 10. — Matt Schubert

Puts the specials in team (2:45 p.m.): Riley Dixon has been pretty solid for the last couple of weeks now. He hits a wedge shot from midfield to pin the Chargers inside their own 10. — Matt Schubert

Defense to the rescue (2:39 p.m.): As has been the case since Week 6: Vance Joseph’s team rises to the occasion when its called upon. They’ve bailed out Sean Payton’s offense far more frequently than the reverse. — Parker Gabriel

Fourth-and-nothing (2:37 p.m.): On fourth-and-3 at the Denver 6, the Chargers went for it. Justin Herbert could not connect with Gerald Everett. Broncos ball. — Joe Nguyen

Then the Chargers up the ante and go full Chargers with a fourth-and-short misfire from Justin Herbert. No points as the Broncos dodge an early bullet and now Javonte Williams has the Broncos on the move. — Matt Schubert

Bad error (2:36 p.m.): Welp, this is exactly the sort of start that this version of the Broncos absolutely has to avoid. Early giveaway that will almost assuredly lead to points for the Chargers. — Matt Schubert

Casa Bonitto (2:35 p.m.): Nik Bonitto is one fast man. Tackle for a loss of 2 on Los Angeles’ first play of that drive. — Joe Nguyen

Rough start (2:32 p.m.): That’s almost assuredly going to be a Russell Wilson interception. Marvin Mims Jr. never had control of that ball. — Matt Schubert

we'll take that

: @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/YtHYXlySPp

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 10, 2023

Empty backfield at the nine-yard line on first down? — Ryan McFadden

Big sack (2:29 p.m.): Alex Singleton ran down Justin Herbert on third down to force the Chargers to punt on their opening drive. Denver will start on its own 9-yard line after a holding call on the punt. — Joe Nguyen

.@alexsingleton49 with the sack!

: CBS pic.twitter.com/1OFMyU7I5q

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 10, 2023

Alex Singleton out for redemption after last week’s four-point flub. Off to a good start with a sack to end the Chargers’ first drive of the game. — Matt Schubert

Coin toss (2:24 p.m.): Denver wins the toss and defers. Chargers will get the ball to start the game. — Ryan McFadden

Pre-game updates

In other games (1:51 p.m.): If you’re scoreboard watching today, it’s been a chaotic early slate of games for the back part of the AFC playoff race. Jets doing Denver a solid and leading Houston so far today. 6-6 Cincinnati is rolling over 7-5 Indy. 7-5 Cleveland’s up two scores over 8-4 Jacksonville.

If those scores hold, there will be four teams at 7-6, with Denver and Buffalo (at KC) each aiming to join the party this afternoon. — Parker Gabriel

Inactives (12:59 p.m.): Perine is indeed active. Bit of a scare with the knee issue forcing him to miss practice altogether on Friday, but he passed the pregame test and is good to go.

Denver’s inactive list:

• RB Tyler Badie
• OLB Thomas Incoom
• OLB Ronnie Perkins
• S JL Skinner
• C Alex Forsyth
• TE Nate Adkins
• DL Elijah Garcia

— Parker Gabriel

Next man up (12:21 p.m.): If Perine is unavailable, the Broncos elevated running back Tyler Badie from the practice squad. — Ryan McFadden

Good morning from SoFi Stadium (12:14 p.m.): The Broncos face a critical road test today against the Chargers. They need to stack AFC wins down the stretch in order to stay in the playoff mix. RB Samaje Perine (knee) is questionable, but he just worked out on the field and Denver is hopeful that he’ll be available to play, at least in some capacity.

Other than that, Denver is about as healthy as anybody could ask for this time of year. Perine’s status and the Broncos’ inactive list will be made official 90 minutes before kickoff. — Parker Gabriel

Scouting report (noon): Check out how the Broncos match up with the Chargers in Ryan McFadden’s scouting report.

Game predictions

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Broncos 24, Chargers 21

Denver was its own biggest enemy in a loss last weekend at Houston. With a similar style game on tap — indoor stadium, an opponent that struggles to defend the pass — Sean Payton finds just enough patience to stick with the run plan and Russell Wilson doesn’t turn the ball over three times. Unless they really fail against Khalil Mack. … Yeah, it’s not likely to be easy.

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Broncos 24, Chargers 21

The Broncos will get back into the win column and improve their playoff chances. It’s a divisional matchup, so things are going to be close. But I can see Sean Payton leaning on the run and using the play-action game to exploit Los Angeles’ pass defense. Denver doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs if it can’t beat Los Angeles.

Sean Keeler, columnist: Broncos 22, Chargers 20

Somebody get the shepherd’s crook for Bolts coach Brandon Staley before he wastes any more peak years of Justin Herbert’s career. The Broncos’ pass-protection issues make you nervous in this one, granted, which is only one more reason why Sean Payton needs to let somebody other than Russ do the cooking.

Mark Kiszla, columnist: Broncos 20, Chargers 16

In Broncos Country takeover of Sofi Stadium, Denver beats the team the City of Angels never wanted. And Russell Wilson out-performs Justin Herbert, the most overrated player in the NFL.

Broncos-Chargers NFL Week 14: Must-reads

Task No. 1 for Broncos’ offensive front Sunday: Slow down Chargers pass-rusher Khalil Mack, who at 32 is “playing out of his mind”

By most general metrics, the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense isn’t particularly daunting. It ranks No. 24 overall in estimated points added per play and is relatively balanced against the pass (No. 23) and against the run (No. 20). Brandon Staley’s defense, however, does two things really well: Win third down and get after opposing quarterbacks.

Those two, of course, end up being related when teams are forced to throw the ball on third down. The Chargers are tied for third in the NFL with 41 sacks. Even in recent weeks without star defensive end Joey Bosa (on injured reserve with a foot injury), they’ve been able to generate heat. L.A. had two sacks against Baltimore on Nov. 27 and five last week in a 6-0 shutout win against New England.

The driving force: Who else but veteran Khalil Mack. The 32-year-old is putting together one of the most productive years of his storied career, racking up 15 sacks through the Chargers’ first 12 games. He’s at 99.5 for his career, so the next one will tip the register into triple digits. The Broncos will have a big task on their hands if they’re to keep him from hitting the milestone Sunday, Parker Gabriel reports. Read the full story.

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Ron, free thinker

Kiz: As a kid who first fell in love with sports through college football, I’m a guy that loves voting for the Heisman Trophy. But it frustrates me that being a quarterback is now almost a prerequisite for winning the award. In years past, I have voted for dominant defenders such as Will Anderson Jr. and Ndamukong Suh. While I think quarterback Jayden Daniels of Louisiana State is an intriguing NFL prospect who might look good in a Broncos uniform, the only finalist for this year’s award I seriously considered putting anywhere on my three ballot slots was Michael Penix Jr., whose transfer to Washington after an injury-plagued career at Indiana struck me as a near-perfect fit for the story of college football in 2023.

With the instant media coverage of sports, nothing is a surprise anymore, including the Heisman winner.

B.V., San Antonio

Kiz: The 24/7/365 sports babble is fine by me. It’s fun. When it gets to be too much, I can easily switch to music by The National, Spoon or Olivia Rodrigo. But it bugs me when my media brethren get entrapped by groupthink. My Heisman ballot seldom follows the crowd, which leaves me open to ridicule. And that’s also fine by me. The players I voted for in 2023: No. 1, receiver Malik Nabers, who’s the best player on LSU’s team; No. 2, Jordan Travis of Florida State, the quarterback who had a huge impact on both an unbeaten team and the playoff field, and No. 3, Colorado School of Mines quarterback John Matocha, whose grit and spirit represents everything college football should be.

The Heisman Trophy reveal used to be exciting. When Colorado running back Rashaan Salaam won the award in 1994, it was awesome. But by 2015, when Valor Christian alum Christian McCaffrey should’ve won it and finished second, it became less exciting to me. Now? The Heisman is like the NFL, completely quarterback centric.

Chuck, SkoBuffs!

Kiz: With all the debate about whether Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy or some other quarterback deserves to be MVP of the NFL in 2023, let me humbly add: Are y’all nuts? I’ve never been granted the privilege of determining something so important as most valuable player of America’s sports obsession, and maybe that’s best for all concerned. But, in my not-so-humble opinion, two candidates you won’t hear mentioned anywhere else stand above this year’s field: Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and McCaffrery, whose versatility as a running back makes San Francisco the most dangerous championship contender.

And today’s parting shot takes offense to my crazy idea that the Avs need to address a hole in their lineup at second-line center.

Keep trying, Kiz. You once again are trying to show your three readers that you know something about hockey. But you don’t!

Scott, hockey enforcer

While Denver has little margin for error to secure a wild-card berth, the notion that Payton deserves strong consideration for Coach of the Year if Denver recovers from a 1-5 start to get in the Super Bowl tournament is pure poppycock.

Broncos CEO Greg Penner and team ownership paid Payton a reported $18 million salary to fix Russell Wilson, not dig a hole and then regularly drop hints that the mess was his quarterback’s fault.

No contender for a wild-card berth in the AFC has an easier schedule than what awaits Denver.

With two games against the Chargers’ Brandon Staley, who’s a dead coach walking, a Patriots squad so bad it might get Bill Belichick fired, and Raiders that will already be packing for Cancun on the final weekend of the regular season, if Payton can’t get Denver to the playoffs from here, he richly deserves a grade of “F” for his first season in Colorado.

We haven’t forgotten Payton declared at the outset of training camp he would be ticked off if the Broncos failed to make the playoffs. So why should we not grade Payton’s work by his own words now?

Maybe the real genius of Payton’s success in New Orleans was quarterback Drew Brees. And if Wilson is so wretched, how did Seattle coach Pete Carroll figure out how to drag him twice to the Super Bowl with the Seahawks?

In victory or defeat with the Broncos, Payton has been quick to shove Wilson under the bus and slow to acknowledge it’s the coach driving the orange-and-blue bandwagon that somehow surrendered 70 points to the Dolphins, while also losing to quarterbacks named Sam Howell and Zach Wilson.

The latest example: Payton lamented that his team fell victim to chaos in the red zone during the final minute of a 22-17 loss at Houston. Wilson let panic get the best of him and he threw an interception in the end zone, ruining the chance for the Broncos to win the game and take control of their playoff destiny down the stretch.

While Wilson bears a heavy responsibility for a bad mistake at the worst possible time in this crucial loss to the Texans,  who should ultimately be held accountable for the defeat?

With the football in their possession and the clock winding down in clutch time, the Broncos looked so confused that if we didn’t know better, I would suggest they looked like a poorly coached team.

“I think as a teacher, we always have to examine the why. Did we explain it well enough? Did we cover it well enough? How could we have done a better job ourselves?” Payton said. “If you hand out a test to your students and two-thirds of them are getting C’s and D’s, then you have to look at yourself.”

Thanks for that refreshing moment of accountability, Mr. Payton.

For a master of the NFL universe, it took Payton far too long this season to realize that Wilson is never going to be Brees. Only after the record dropped to 1-5 did Payton fully accept that his Broncos must win gritty, not pretty, by leaning on their defensive talent and asking Wilson to put down his ego, hand off the football to Javonte Williams and throw the majority of passes short and outside the numbers, where interceptions seldom happen.

By putting back together a defense that was in shambles in September, maybe defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has had as much or more to do with the Broncos’ revival as Payton.

None of us is as arrogant, glib and grumpy about the NFL as Payton. He’s a football genius, as Payton makes it clear to everybody who’s not.

But the crazy-rich Waltons didn’t pay Payton anywhere in the neighborhood of $18 million per year to finish 9-8 and be stuck with a draft pick in the middle of first round, when all the marquee quarterbacks, from USC’s Caleb Williams to North Carolina’s Drake Maye to LSU’s Jayden Daniels, will be off the board and long gone.

We might all be fools, me most of all. But we all would be foolish to give Payton a pass and lay the blame on Wilson if the Broncos fail to make the playoffs.

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It would really hurt to waste a hockey club blessed with the generational talent of Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

Here we are, far enough into the NHL season for anybody in this dusty old cowtown not unhealthily obsessed with the mediocre Broncos to see the Avs have as good a shot as any team in the league to win a championship this season.

Except for one troublesome thing, and it’s the same old irksome thing: Colorado still hasn’t found a solid way to replace center Nazem Kadri from the fire trucks that rode through Denver during that glorious victory parade in 2022.

There’s a nagging hole in this team’s championship dream at 2C.

Can the Avs solve this problem without making a trade? Nothing in a 4-2 loss to Winnipeg gave me much reason for optimism.

When the Avs took the ice on Thursday night, their second-line center was … Ross Colton?

Don’t get me wrong. Colton is a bundle of hustle and heart, good on the forecheck and in the room. But isn’t that pretty much the definition of a third-line center on a legit championship contender?

Not to suggest Avalanche coach Jared Bednar has lost confidence in Ryan Johansen, a righteous dude who Colorado got for 50 cents on the dollar in an offseason trade with Nashville. But I don’t think it was just my imagination running wild to think Bednar got a little testy when recently asked to explain why Colton has surpassed Johansen in ice time.

“I don’t have to (justify it). There’s nothing saying that Ryan Johansen needs more ice time than Ross Colton,” Bednar said. “If Ross Colton’s played well and doing the job that he’s doing, then he’s earning more ice.”

Bednar has done an admirable job guiding Colorado to the top of the Central Division in another year when the hockey gods have not exactly been kind to a team winning at a remarkable rate despite the absence of captain Gabe Landeskog, winger  Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Sam Girard.

But does Bednar have enough firepower at his disposal to compete with Las Vegas and Dallas when the playoffs roll around, if Colorado must depend on defenseman Makar to be the team’s de facto 2C behind MacKinnon?

Super Joe Sakic is the best thing to ever happen to hockey in Colorado, but now that he’s taken a step into the shadows, we still don’t know if general manager Chris MacFarland has what it takes to re-invent a championship roster.

Well, good Boy Scout that I am, let me offer a helping hand:

Go make a freakin’ deal!

Yes, there’s the very sticky issue of the Avalanche being stuck against the NHL salary cap with little room to breathe, much less wiggle.

But the genius of creative thinking and the guts to make hard choices were the trademarks of the late, great Pierre Lacroix, who stubbornly believed any year the Avs didn’t win the Cup was a failure.

MacFarland has the contacts around the league, so I’ll leave the grunt work to him. I’m just the idea guy, work-shopping the problem.

If I dare to dream big, let’s find the money and convince Minnesota it needs to rebuild and won’t regret trading 26-year-old Joel Eriksson, who has scored a dozen goals already this season, to a division rival. If that’s too much to ask, could Columbus be persuaded to part with 30-year-old Boone Jenner, who scored 26 goals last season in 68 games? Or is Jenner not a big enough upgrade on the talent Bednar can now send over the boards from the Avalanche bench?

As spectacular as Makar, MacKinnon and Rantanen can be, this core hasn’t achieved as much as Las Vegas. Dallas has a strong and younger core than Colorado.

With no clear-cut favorite to win this season’s championship, the Avs need to do whatever’s necessary right now to get their mitts back on the Cup.

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In this edition of the Kickin’ it with Kiz podcast, Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla talks sports betting, bourbon, Broncos and the controversy surrounding the College Football Playoff. Among the topics discussed:

• Kiz is joined by Denver Post staff Nuggets beat writer Bennett “Benito” Durando as they break down the College Football Playoff and the game lines they are eyeing this weekend.
• Kiz talks Broncos and their chances for a playoff Berth after winning five of their last six games.
• Nate Kiszla, son of Kiz, stops by to talk bourbon with his pops.

The Kickin’ it with Kiz podcast is brought to you by Argonaut Wine & Liquor, featuring Buffalo Trace.

Subscribe to the podcast

SoundCloud | iTunes | Google Music | RSS

Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “Bumble Bees” by Schama Noel

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This sticky problem goes beyond the way Wilson and Payton process plays and analyze the game in real time.  What we’re witnessing is nothing less than a minor football miracle, because during this remarkable 5-1 stretch of success that has pushed the Broncos back in playoff contention, I sometimes wonder if this quarterback and this coach are even watching the same game.

While Wilson preaches faith that a struggling Denver offense is thisclose to a happy breakout of touchdown dances, Payton grouses about “chaos” in the red zone and laments receiver Jerry Jeudy has reason to be frustrated after repeatedly being undetected by his quarterback as he runs wide open down the field.

With not another misstep allowed against four AFC foes left on their schedule, the Broncos worked Wednesday on strategy to beat the Los Angeles Chargers. I asked Wilson what’s the process and line of communication between him and Payton in assembling the game plan.

“What’s the process?” Wilson replied. “It’s a long one, a very long one.”

And, apparently, a flawed one. What we have here is a failure to communicate. Payton’s vision for what the Denver offense could be has not translated into fireworks on the scoreboard. While Wilson praises his coach without fail, Payton barely conceals his contempt any time the Broncos make a mess of the masterpieces he has created on the big canvas of play calls he carries on the sideline.

During six losses by the Broncos in 2023, they’ve averaged 19 points per game, which is a slight improvement on the lousy job done by Nathaniel Hackett, but has done little to enhance Payton’s reputation as the genius that can fix Wilson and return a quarterback in his mid-30’s performances worthy of Pro Bowl recognition.

Ask Payton about the 22-17 loss to the Texans that snapped Denver’s  winning streak and he focuses on the potential explosive plays that were duds and the scoring opportunities squandered. “There were a number of them in that game …” he said. “There are four or five sequences that you can point at and be like, ‘Holy cow.’”

Wilson, however, viewed his work as good enough when he moved the chains on fourth down by tucking the football and scrambling instead of spotting Jeudy running free for a touchdown pass during the second quarter in Houston.

“We’re 5-1 in the past six games. You can’t forget that … We have a lot of confidence in this locker room in who we are and what we’re going to do and how can can go about it.” said Wilson, whose eternally sunny outlook is frequently in stark contrast to the dark-side-of-the-moon criticism from his never-satisfied coach. “I believe that’s the team were are the past six games. And we can be even better.”

To the credit of their professionalism and competitive spirit, Wilson and Payton have found a way to win games together. But that doesn’t mean this coach and quarterback are having much fun doing it. It’s gritty. Not pretty. Russ doesn’t cook the way he did in Seattle, although Payton can frequently be seen stewing on the Denver sideline. There’s little to indicate they have forged a mutual respect built to last.

I’m hear to preach the good news that the Broncos will make the playoffs with a 10-7 record, provided they find a way to sweep their four remaining AFC opponents by beating the Chargers twice, joyfully celebrating Christmas Eve by beating Scrooge Belichick, then finding some way to just win against the Raiders, baby.

But it’s fair to ask: Does Payton have full confidence in Wilson to get this job done?

And should the Broncos fall short of the playoffs, would the huge financial repercussions of cutting Wilson be enough for Payton to grimace and bear the mistakes of his veteran quarterback for another season?

Barring a complete and utter collapse, Denver figures to be on the board in the middle of the first round in the 2024 NFL draft. The marquee quarterbacks – Caleb Williams of USC, Drake Maye of North Carolina and Jayden Daniels of Louisiana State – all figure to be gone in the top 10.

So, if given the chance, would Payton really end this far-less-than-perfect relationship with Wilson to take a chance on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., whose extensive injury history is cause for consternation, or Oregon’s Bo Nix, who might not be anything more in the NFL than Kenny Pickett 2.0?

Like it or not, Payton and Wilson might be stuck with each other.

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Gabriel: I think he is, Kiz. But let’s not confuse that with the conversation about needing to get more dynamic. The question at this point is about where that’s going to come from down the stretch. Samaje Perine’s done good work in his role, and we’ve seen the tantalizing ability of rookie Jaleel McLaughlin. But I’m skeptical that the Broncos run game or, just as important, offense overall would be much more efficient if one of them were getting 15 carries per game and Williams had his role cut.

Kiz: We all respect the work ethic and toughness Williams has displayed in his recovery from a serious knee injury. But how close do you think he really is to the get-outta-my-way mauler we saw when Williams was a rookie? In 32 career starts, Williams has only gone over 100 yards rushing twice, and not once since December 2021. He’s averaging 3.82 yards per carry this season. When the Broncos let somebody else carry the rock, that average jumps significantly to 4.94.

Gabriel: Totally agreed, he’s decidedly not a home-run hitter at this point. I’d go so far as to say the position is a sneaky priority to address for Denver in the offseason. But right now, he’s the best mixed-down option they have, even though he’s been shaky catching the ball at times. Plus, he’s going to get you tough yards — think either of the other backs convert the gotta-have-it fourth-down run in the waning moments Sunday when contact’s made two yards in the backfield?

Kiz: I appreciate all the grunt work Williams does for the Denver offense. And I expect by the time the Broncos report to training camp next summer, we might well see more explosiveness from him. But if Payton wants Russell Wilson to throw the football only when necessary, with the occasional shot down the field, Denver needs more pop in the running game. During the past five games, Williams’ average has slipped to 3.47 yards per carry. So why not give the majority of the touches to the much quicker Jaleel McLaughlin?

Gabriel: They’ve pretty clearly decided at this point that McLaughlin is not capable of handling the full share of the work. That’s in large part, it seems, because of his lackluster pass-protection. I’d be interested in seeing what it looks like. Right now, defenses know when he checks into the game that he’s getting the ball. If he had a handful of series per game, maybe that would change and he’d see a little more daylight. I suspect, however, that if they were to redistribute the carry share at all, it’d be Samaje Perine working his way up the pack. He looked fresh and powerful against Cleveland, has reliable hands and brings the wood in pass protection.

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The arms of Denver quarterback Russell Wilson are too short to fight with emerging Houston star C.J. Stroud. Even worse: Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton got clowned by Stroud for trying to intimidate a brash NFL rookie who refuses to blink.

“I’m going to stand on business,” Stroud said Sunday, when he led Houston to a 22-17 victory.

For Denver, this loss hurt far beyond the heart-wrenching end of a five-game winning streak and the damage done to its improbable playoff run. If the Broncos fall short of the Super Bowl tournament, this failed comeback will be a prominent and ugly chapter in their book of regrets.

“You hate losing,” quarterback Russell Wilson said.

For a full 30 minutes after he threw an interception in the end zone during the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Wilson sat on a chair in front of his locker, wearing his stained No. 3 uniform and cleats, and refused to hit the showers to wash away the bitter taste of defeat.

He threw zero interceptions during the winning streak, but three against the Texans, with the final one on an ill-advised 50-50 ball to the end zone with 16 seconds remaining on the clock. Even worse: Instead of throwing to Courtland Sutton or somebody we all know, Wilson decided to chuck it in a small window to tight end Lucas Krull.

Say what? And more important: Who?

At the most crucial juncture to this point in the season, the best available option was Krull, who had been targeted with only one other pass all year? Really?

With all the options on coach Sean Payton’s big play card, what was Krull even doing in the game? Far be it for me to challenge the offensive genius of Payton, but did the coach maybe listen too much to his inner giant and got a little too Annexation of Puerto Rico with that call?

“I feel like I definitely could’ve attacked the ball a little more … It’s frustrating,” Krull said after losing the jump ball in the end zone to Texans safety Jimmie Ward, whose pick iced the outcome.

As Wilson sat in his locker long after defeat, teammates and staffers came by to give an encouraging slap on his shoulder pads. But Father Time also lingered nearby, noting that for all Wilson has accomplished in a brilliant NFL career, he was outplayed on this December afternoon by Stroud, who threw for 274 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s going to have a great career,” Wilson said. “He’s really super talented.”

A team with such a slim margin for error can’t afford stupid football. Once again, Denver defenders irked by the suspensions to safety Kareem Jackson let testosterone get the best of them.

During the final seconds, the Broncos would’ve needed only a field goal instead of a touchdown if not for a mistake by Singleton that cost Denver four points way back in the first quarter.

After Houston coach DeMeco Ryans ordered a gamble in the red zone on fourth down, the Texans were flagged for a false start that would’ve certainly sent the field goal unit on the field. But Singleton refused to let well enough alone, stalking the rookie quarterback in the backfield and offering a push in a lame-brained effort to intimidate Stroud.

Stroud, however, is no ordinary rookie. He makes throws few QBs this side of Patrick Mahomes would even contemplate. And when asked about Singleton, he dropped a reference to comedian Druski about standing on business and not backing down.

“I’m a man,” Stroud said. “And I’m not going to just let somebody come push me, especially in my house. You’re not going to touch me after the whistle (when) you clearly hear it.”

Like it or not, this is a league that protects quarterbacks, not linebackers. The NFL is no longer the league of Dick Butkus or Mean Joe Greene. Instead of doing the smart thing by walking away, Singleton let a 22-year-old quarterback use a head butt to bait him into an unnecessary roughness penalty.

“I mean they’re not … they’re going to call it on the quarterback,” Singleton said. “You know how this league is.”

Yes, we do. So why can’t the Broncos get it through their thick skulls?

Jackson and teammates might cry foul about inconsistency in officiating, while the denizens of Broncos Country bemoan how soft the game has become, but a Denver defense that tries to play the macho man football of 20 years ago is going to cause itself unnecessary trouble in 2023.

Singleton’s loss of composure contributed heavily to a Denver “L” in the standings it can ill afford.

Given a new set of downs at the 3-yard line, Houston punched in a touchdown by running back Dameon Pierce two plays later. Singleton’s choice to use his macho instead of his mind dropped the Broncos in an early 10-0 hole that ultimately proved too deep in the desperate final seconds.

This defeat kept Denver stuck in ninth place of the AFC standings, behind Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Houston in the race for three wild-card berths.

“With the way season started, and where we are right now, the margin for error is slim,” Payton said.

Whether it’s a reckless interception or an inexcusable penalty, stupid gets you beat.

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