The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers entered Thursday night with just four days of rest for each team, and it showed for the Broncos. Denver showed a lot of fighting spirit in the first half, but only scored six points after halftime, dooming the team.

We take a look at the highlights of the Broncos’ prime-time loss.

Stud: QB Bo Nix

Nix had a good game overall, going 29 of 40 for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Nix looked good in the first half, leading the team to three consecutive touchdown drives early in the game, but then the offense completely stalled after halftime, which wasn’t entirely Nix’s fault.

Duds: Defense

A rarity this season: The defense was a dud. Missed tackles, chunk plays and time of possession destroyed the Broncos’ defense. The defense gave up 21 points in the second half, including 15 points in the fourth quarter. The defense simply couldn’t maintain the lead.

Stallion: Broncos rookies

The Broncos’ rookies really shined in this game. Nix (mentioned above) had a good game; Running back Audric Estime totaled nine carries for 49 yards and a touchdown; Wide receiver Devaughn Vele caught two passes for 21 yards and a touchdown; Wide receiver Troy Franklin caught two passes for 25 yards; Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine recorded his first career interception and defensive end Jonah Elliss had three total tackles, including a tackle for loss.

This Broncos draft class may be one of the most prolific and prolific in recent memory.

Stud: Kris Abrams-Draine

Abrams-Draine (mentioned above) had his first career interception just before halftime. Abrams-Draine also recorded four tackles (three solo, one assisted). Abrams-Draine was a viable option after sophomore Riley Moss suffered an injury a few weeks ago. Abrams-Draine improves the depth of an already talented secondary.

Duds: Penalties

The Broncos kept shooting themselves in the foot with penalties. Defensive penalties like Jonathon Cooper’s horsecollar tackle kept the Chargers’ drives alive (which eventually turned into touchdowns), and offensive penalties stalled drives. Although it was a four-day week of preparation, the Broncos need to sort this out before traveling to Cincinnati on December 28th.

The good news is that the Broncos are just one win away from a playoff spot, even if this loss completely (and rightly) stings. The bad news is that unless the Broncos go on an impressive playoff run, head coach Sean Payton and the team will likely now have to face the Buffalo Bills instead of former quarterback Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Studs and duds from Broncos’ 34-27 loss to Chargers