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Justin Herbert rallies Chargers past Broncos in big step toward postseason

Chargers running back Gus Edwards carries the ball on a touchdown run during the first half of their game against the Denver Broncos on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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INGLEWOOD — There were four seconds remaining in the Chargers’ 34-27 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium when quarterback Justin Herbert dropped to throw one final pass, the last of his 31 attempts, a high heave he directed toward the giant overhanging scoreboard.

Herbert had zero chance of completing the pass, and that was the point. He merely wanted to run out the clock and celebrate a victory that seemed unlikely when the Chargers trailed 21-13 at halftime. But then he threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns and took the Chargers where they needed to go.

“He willed us to victory,” Coach Jim Harbaugh said after the Chargers all but clinched an AFC wild-card berth with their second victory over the Broncos this season, giving them the tiebreaker should the teams have identical records at the end of the regular season. “He has the strength of 10 men.

“I’ve said it before, but I truly believe it.”

The Chargers (9-6) vaulted past the Broncos (9-6) into second place in the AFC West, thanks to their season sweep of the Broncos. The Chargers also defeated the Broncos in Denver on Oct. 13. The Chargers can clinch a playoff berth with losses by both the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

The Colts (6-8) host the Tennessee Titans and the Dolphins (6-8) host the San Francisco 49ers. The Cincinnati Bengals (6-8) are the only other AFC team with a mathematical chance to advance to the postseason, but they cannot catch the Chargers by virtue of the Chargers head-to-head win on Nov. 17.

The Chargers face the New England Patriots (3-11) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) to end the regular season. The Broncos play the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) in their final two regular-season games and still hold their playoff fate in their hands.

Herbert rallied the Chargers past the Broncos with touchdown passes of 19 yards to Derius Davis and 34 yards to Hassan Haskins. Herbert completed 23 of 31 passes for 284 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Gus Edwards rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

Cameron Dicker converted a 57-yard fair catch free kick on the final play of the half, the first of its kind in nearly 50 years in the NFL, a play Harbaugh called “my favorite rule in football.” The field goal gave the Chargers a surge of momentum despite a 21-13 deficit at halftime.

“Cam Dicker stepped up and nailed it,” Harbaugh said of the first successful free kick in the NFL since Ray Wersching kicked a 45-yard free kick for the Chargers in a Nov. 21, 1976 game against the Buffalo Bills. Dicker’s kick was set up when the Broncos interfered with Davis’ fair catch.

The ensuing 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the Broncos’ 47-yard line.

The Chargers’ defense, torched for more than 500 yards during a 40-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, held the Broncos to a pair of field goals from Wil Lutz in the second half. The Chargers also limited Bo Nix and the Broncos to only 119 yards of offense in the second half.

“At the end of the day, everyone was (ticked),” defensive lineman Morgan Fox said of the Chargers’ state of mind after a humiliating loss to the Buccaneers that cast doubts about their playoff future. “Nobody likes losing like that. We got beat like we stole something. That wasn’t us.”

No question, Herbert played an enormous role in re-establishing the Chargers as a credible playoff team, with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Davis and a 2-point conversion pass to Joshua Palmer that gave them a 27-24 lead with 12:23 remaining in the game. It was difficult to know which was more remarkable.

Herbert later credited Davis with making the go-ahead touchdown happen.

“It was an unreal play by him,” Herbert said. “I scrambled to my left and I saw pressure coming. It’s one of those plays I’ll watch later. I was down on the ground and facing the other way (after getting hit after delivering the pass). Hopefully, I didn’t make it too hard on (Davis). It was one of those plays you don’t script.”

In fact, Herbert threw a dart.

Herbert’s conversion pass was then tipped at the line of scrimmage and then Palmer tapped the ball with his right hand before snaring it with both hands while simultaneously dragging his feet to ensure it would be a legal, inbounds catch. Herbert raised both hands in triumph.

“When I saw it floating in the air, I was like, ‘Let me make sure both of my feet are in (bounds),” Palmer said.

Herbert drove the Chargers for a game-clinching touchdown, capping a six-play, 90-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Haskins with 2:27 remaining for a 34-24 lead. Edwards, who rushed for two touchdowns earlier in the game, set up the score with a 43-yard run to the Broncos’ 31.

Lutz kicked a 55-yard field goal with 57 seconds left to account for the final score.

Justin Herbert rallies Chargers past Broncos in big step toward postseason

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