Ja’Quan McMillian returned an interception 45 yards for the only touchdown of the day, Wil Lutz kicked four field goals and the host Denver Broncos secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a grinding 19-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
It is the first time in 10 years that Denver (14-3) has clinched home-field advantage in the AFC. The Broncos went on to win Super Bowl 50 that season in Santa Clara, Calif., which is the site of this year’s game.
Bo Nix finished 14-for-23 passing for 141 yards and ran for a season-high 49 yards for Denver, and the defense sacked Trey Lance four times to finish with 68 for the season, a franchise record.
Los Angeles (11-6) rested several players, including quarterback Justin Herbert and running back Omarion Hampton. The Chargers are the seventh seed and will travel to No. 2 New England next weekend for the first round of the playoffs.
Lance, making his sixth NFL start for his third team, was 20-for-44 passing for 136 yards, rushed for 69 yards, threw one interception and lost a fumble. Los Angeles wide receiver Keenan Allen finished with seven receptions for 36 yards to reach two performance bonuses worth $1 million.
Denver drove 81 yards on 15 plays on its first possession of the day but settled for Lutz’s 24-yard field goal.
On the Chargers’ ensuing possession, McMillian picked off Lance and took it down the left sideline and into the end zone for a 10-0 Denver lead.
Late in the first half, Los Angeles drove 51 yards for Cameron Dicker’s 30-yard field goal that made it 10-3 at halftime.
The Broncos drove to the Chargers’ 8 early in the third quarter but had to settle for a 26-yard field goal. Then, early in the fourth quarter, Nik Bonitto sacked Lance and jarred the ball loose, and it was recovered by Sai’vion Jones.
Denver couldn’t move the ball and had to settle for a 41-yard field goal with 11:45 left. Los Angeles couldn’t convert on a fourth down and Lutz’s fourth field goal — from 23 yards out with 2:23 left — capped the scoring.
