INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Justin Herbert passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns, including a 19-yarder that gave Derius Davis the go-ahead early in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Chargers moved closer to a playoff spot by passing the Denver Broncos 34-27 on Thursday night.

During the Chargers’ comeback, Cameron Dicker also made the first successful fair catch kick in the NFL in 48 years. On the last play of the first half he was good from 57 yards and brought the Chargers within 21:13.

Gus Edwards scored two touchdowns for Los Angeles (9-6), which needed losses to Indianapolis and Miami on Sunday to clinch its second postseason berth in three seasons.

Denver (9-6) could have secured a playoff spot, but its four-game winning streak was snapped. The Broncos still have an 85% chance of making it, according to the NFL, but they face tough tests at Cincinnati on Dec. 28 and at home against Kansas City in Week 18.

Bo Nix was 29 of 40 for 263 yards and two touchdowns for Denver, which was defeated by the Chargers for the first time since 2010.

The Broncos appeared to be on track to secure their first postseason berth since 2015 after scoring on their first three drives to take a 21-10 lead. But after Wil Lutz’s 41-yard field goal midway through the third quarter gave the Broncos a 24-13 lead, the Chargers stormed back.

Edwards – who had 14 carries for 68 yards – went 5 yards from left end to put the Bolts up 24-19, but the 2-point conversion was useless when Herbert was stopped short of the goal line.

After Denver conceded a three-pointer for the second time in three possessions, the Chargers took the lead for the first time. On first-and-10 from the Denver 19, Herbert – who completed 23 of 30 passes with one interception – scrambled to his left and threw across his body from his left foot to Davis with 12:29 left.

Herbert then found Joshua Palmer in the back of the end zone for the 2-point conversion. Palmer tipped the ball with his left hand and then secured it before going out of bounds to make it 27:24.

Los Angeles put it out of reach when Herbert’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Hassan Haskins with 2:27 left.

With 57 seconds left, Lutz narrowly hit a 55-yard field goal to bring Denver within a touchdown, but Los Angeles’ Nick Niemann recovered the onside kick, ending any hopes of a comeback.

Herbert completed passes to ten players, including Ladd McConkey, who intercepted six balls for 87 yards.

Nix had two touchdown passes in the first half and completed 15 of 21 passes for 155 yards before halftime.

It was the first time this season that the Los Angeles defense allowed points on three straight possessions to start a game.

Audric Estime’s 3-yard run off right guard gave the Broncos a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. It was only the third time this season that Denver reached the end zone on its first possession.

Los Angeles tied it on its next drive when Edwards pushed inside from the 1st yard, but Denver took the lead again when Nix rolled right and hit Burton for a 1-yard TD early in the second quarter.

One play after Marvin Mims completed a 53-yard screen pass from Nix, Devaughn Vele caught a 6-yard pass in the left corner of the end zone to make it 21-10 with 6:22 left in the game the first half.

Dicker makes history

Coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers utilized a rarely used fair catch kick, which allows a team that has just made a fair catch to attempt a free kick for three points. The kick is attempted from the line of scrimmage and the defending team must stand 10 yards away.

The Chargers were able to try because Denver’s Tremon Smith committed a fair-catch interference on the final play of the first half when Los Angeles’ Derius Davis attempted to deflect Riley Dixon’s punt at the Chargers’ 38.

The penalty sent the ball to the Denver 47, where there was an untimed outage. The Chargers were also the last team to successfully take a free kick when Ray Wersching converted from 45 yards for San Diego against Buffalo on November 21, 1976.

Injuries

Chargers: S Marcus Maye (ankle) and LB Denzel Perryman (hamstring) were injured in the first half and did not return.

Next

Broncos: At Cincinnati on Saturday, December 28th.

Chargers: December 28th at New England.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl