The Denver Broncos secured a 24-21 home victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Monday night’s opener thanks to defensive end Shelby Harris’ last-second field goal block.
Denver’s victory marked the first under rookie coach Vance Joseph, a former defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals. The Broncos sealed the win after Harris jumped to get a hand on rookie Chargers kicker Younghoe Koo’s 44-yard game-tying field goal attempt in the final second of the game.
“It was a little too exciting,” linebacker Von Miller — the Super Bowl 50 MVP — said after presenting Joseph with the game ball in the jubilant locker room. “But a win is a win.”
Koo nailed the kick moments earlier, but Joseph had called a timeout to ice the kicker.
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“I had two timeouts and I wasn’t going to leave with those in my pocket,” Joseph said.
The Broncos’ season opener last year had a similar ending. In a matchup against the Carolina Panthers at Sports Authority Field— a Super Bowl 50 rematch — Denver secured a 21-20 home victory after Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal with four seconds remaining.
However, the Chargers recovered midway through the fourth quarter on a Denver second-and-six following a Broncos fumble near the 50-yard line. Los Angeles trailed 24-14 at that point.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers connected with wide receiver Travis Benjamin shortly afterwards for a 38-yard pass to bring Los Angeles within a field goal.
Broncos QB Trevor Siemian tossed two touchdown passes to Bennie Fowler and ran for another score.
Denver held Rivers to 115 yards passing through three quarters. However, the QB helped spur a comeback when Siemian threw an interception and Jamaal Charles fumbled on plays that were upheld despite video evidence that had the crowd convinced those decisions should have been overturned.
The Broncos next host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, when the Chargers host the Miami Dolphins.
DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 11: Free safety Darian Stewart #26 of the Denver Broncos tackles running back Melvin Gordon #28 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on September 11, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
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