The Denver Broncos snatched defeat from the jaws of victory for a second straight week, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers 23-20 when Cameron Dicker kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired.
It's a huge victory for the Chargers and a crushing defeat for the Broncos, who are already two games back in the division in just the first three weeks of the season. The team will have its work cut out for it in order to get back in the race.
Much like last week, following a tough loss in Indianapolis, Sean Payton is going to need to remind his squad to have a short memory and be ready to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. But first, let's review some of the good and bad from this one.
Denver Broncos Week 3 studs and duds
Stud: J.K. Dobbins, RB
J.K. Dobbins has become one of the best weapons on offense for the Broncos in short order. His third-quarter touchdown run, where he tightroped the sideline before plunging into the end zone, gave the Broncos their first lead and all of the momentum.
What an effort, J.K. Dobbins! 👏 pic.twitter.com/XbW58aMYSB
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) September 21, 2025
Stud: Courtland Sutton, WR
Courtland Sutton supplied the only threat for the Broncos in the passing game in this one, catching six passes for 118 yards and a 52-yard touchdown.
Stud: Nik Bonitto, Edge
Nik Bonitto forced great pressure on the quarterback in this game and added two more sacks to his season total. He has become one of the league's most consistent pass-rushers.
Stud: Jonah Elliss, Edge
Jonah Elliss has a great motor and brings the team great energy when he is out on the field. He forced a fumble of Derius Davis during a punt return in this game that ended up in the hands of JL Skinner. It should have been a game-changing play, but the Broncos were forced to settle for a field goal.
Dud: Bo Nix, QB
The Broncos didn't lose this game because of Bo Nix, but he certainly didn't do much to help the team win. He completed just 14 passes in this one and seems prone to errors and poor throws whenever he faces pressure... at least this season.
Nix does not seem to be playing with the level of confidence he had last season and the Broncos are going to need much more than 153 yards passing out of him on a weekly basis.
Dud: Riley Moss, CB
It's hard to put Riley Moss here because he does give 100 percent effort and he made a great play in this game, deflecting a Justin Herbert pass that was caught by Brandon Jones for an interception. But it is clear that teams are looking to pick on Moss and he is going to have his hands full.
On the game-tying touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Keenan Allen, which was a phenomenal play by the Chargers, Moss played it horribly.
HERBERT BREAKS THE SACK AND FINDS KEENAN ALLEN FOR THE TD ⚡️
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
DENvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/f95wNegDdP
Dud: RJ Harvey, RB
In defense of RJ Harvey, he is not getting a ton of opportunities, but he's not doing much of anything with the ones he gets. He had five touches in this game for a total of 16 yards. Without Evan Engram out there, the Broncos should be scheming more plays for their second-round pick.
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