Chargers lose to Broncos in a battle of backup quarterbacks – San Bernardino Sun

DENVER — The Battle of the Backups went down to the wire, a test of will rather than skill, with one team, the Denver Broncos, managing to make the most of the least and taking a 16-9 victory over a more mistake-prone and ineffective team, the Chargers, on Sunday at Mile High Stadium.

Instead of Justin Herbert throwing passes to Chargers wide receivers Keenan Allen, Joshua Palmer and Mike Williams, Easton Stick got his third consecutive start in place of his injured teammate. Allen (heel), Palmer (concussion) and Williams (season-ending knee injury) also were sidelined.

Instead of Russell Wilson throwing passes to an array of Broncos wide receivers, Denver fans were treated to Jarrett Stidham’s first start of the season and his 15th career NFL appearance. Wilson was benched last week by Coach Sean Payton, causing an uproar in Broncos Country.

As marquee matchups go, it was less than stellar.

Suffice it to say, the video won’t be making its way to the Hall of Fame.

But what would you expect from a late-season game between also-rans?

The Chargers were eliminated from the AFC playoff race with their 24-22 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 16. The Broncos’ postseason chances took a hit with consecutive losses to the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions in the weeks leading to their rivalry game against the Chargers.

Wil Lutz kicked three field goals and Stidham threw one touchdown as the Broncos (8-8) ended a two-game losing streak and handed the Chargers (5-11) their fourth loss in a row. The Chargers managed only three field goals from Cameron Dicker and have failed to score a touchdown for six straight quarters.

“As I told the players, it’s the little things,” said Chargers interim coach Giff Smith, who fell to 0-2 since replacing Brandon Staley on Dec. 15. “We’ve got to be better as coaches and as players we’ve got to do better on the little details throughout the week. I thought there was a lot of fight from these guys.”

First-half highlights were few and far between for the Chargers, who trailed 13-3.

Outside linebacker Khalil Mack did top 100 sacks for his Hall of Fame-caliber career, dropping Stidham for a 9-yard loss in the second quarter. He is one of only five active players in the NFL with 100 sacks or more. What’s more, his 16th sack of the season marked a career high.

“It was dope, it was dope, but I was focused on trying to get the win, man,” Mack said. “Definitely a significant moment in my career, but it was bittersweet. I wanted to win that game, man. You have independent goals and aspirations, but I’m a team guy, so it’s bittersweet but something significant.”

Dicker kicked a 36-yard field goal to lift the Chargers into an all-too-brief 3-3 tie in the early minutes of the second quarter. Stick set up the field goal with a 27-yard completion to Erickson, giving the Chargers a first down at the Broncos’ 20-yard line. The drive fizzled, though.

So did almost everything else the Chargers tried in the first half.