Studs and duds from Broncos’ 34-27 loss to Chargers

The Broncos kept shooting themselves in the foot with penalties. Defensive penalties like the horsecollar tackle by Jonathon Cooper kept Charger drives alive (that eventually turned into touchdowns), and offensive penalties stalled drives. Although it was a four-day preparation week, the Broncos need to clean this up before going to Cincinnati on Dec. 28.

The good news is, although this loss completely (and rightfully) stings, the Broncos remain one win away from a playoff berth. The bad news is, unless the Broncos go on an impressive playoff run, head coach Sean Payton and the team will likely now have to go on the road against the Buffalo Bills instead of former quarterback Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers.