Flanked by team medical personnel, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh shuffled to the locker room as his offense took the field against the Denver Broncos.
Suffering from an undisclosed illness, strode back onto the sideline midway through the first quarter and several plays later, after quarterback Justin Herbert laced a perfect third-down throw to Joshua Palmer to extend a Chargers drive, Harbaugh pointed to the field and pumped his fist.
It was as if nothing had happened.
With his coaches and teammates cycling in and out of the locker room, Herbert was the steady force of the Chargers’ 23-16 win over the Broncos on Sunday. The quarterback who was off to the slowest passing start of his career sparked the Chargers offense with 237 yards and a touchdown on 21-of-34 passing.
The Chargers (3-2) snapped a two-game skid and won their first game in Denver since 2018, but gave up 16 fourth-quarter points as a rout turned into a near-embarrassment.
The Chargers needed to watch a late onside kick attempt swirl out of bounds to avoid disaster in a game they led by 23 points.
The Chargers led 20-0 at halftime, with 21-minute, 13-second time of possession that was not, in fact, a box score typo.
The Chargers’ J.K. Dobbins (27) looks for running room against the Denver Broncos. Dobbins ran for 96 yards and a score in 25 carries.
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
They methodically marched the ball down the field against the NFL’s second-stingiest scoring defense and pieced together a 20-play drive. The Chargers defense, the only unit allowing fewer points per game than Denver’s, asserted their will with two first-half takeaways.
Defensive back Elijah Molden started the game with an interception — his second of the season — on Denver’s first offensive drive. Harbaugh went to the locker room, however, as the Chargers went on offense.
Receivers Quentin Johnston (ankle) and Ladd McConkey (head) and offensive lineman Trey Pipkins (shoulder) were among the offensive players who cycled in and out of the injury tent during the first quarter.
Herbert, benefiting from a week of recovery for his sprained right ankle, didn’t miss a beat as the formerly run-heavy offense finally found a groove through the air.
Herbert had not attempted more than 27 passes in a game or thrown for 180 yards this season. He surpassed both marks in the first half.
Although thousands of fans already had filed out with the Chargers leading 23-0, the Broncos tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter. Rookie Bo Nix threw touchdowns on consecutive drives, grasping for any ounce of momentum as the Chargers went three-and-out on back-to-back possessions.
The first-half dominance descended into second-half indifference as the Chargers still have not scored a second-half touchdown since Week 1.