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4 winners, 7 losers in Broncos embarrassing 19-16 OT loss to Chargers

Another wretched showing by the Broncos offense on prime-time TV. This time in an AFC West loss to LA.

Denver Broncos v Los Angeles Chargers Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

All you can do at this point is laugh.

The Denver Broncos are a bad football team.

Even more damning, the Broncos are a stupid football team. It’s beyond parody at this point.

The latest exhibit of the above is the embarrassing, humiliating 19-16 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Per the usual, I’m bound to forget someone, leave them off or put them in the wrong category, so please mention them in the comments.

Winners

After a game like this, I’m not sure anyone should be a winner. But there are a few who deserve to be on the list.

Pat Surtain II

If you look at the stat sheet, not that impressive. But if you watched the game, you know. The Broncos second-year cornerback is making a statement this season that he’s the best in the NFL. For the second time this season, Surtain did not allow a catch in coverage. It’s too bad a generation cornerback is getting wasted.

Baron Browning

Another second-year defender is playing unreal football right now. The Denver edge had another monster game for the Broncos. Browning had 3 tackles, two tackles for loss, two passes defended, one sack and one quarterback hit. He also had an interception. Simply put, Browning was all over the field.

Alex Singleton

Speaking of a defender who was all over the field, the Denver linebacker had a game-high 21 tackles (19 solo). Given he was pretty much the only defender who could tackle, that number makes sense. Singleton also had two tackles for loss, one pass defended and one QB hit.

Greg Dulcich

Since the rookie tight end caught his first career TD, he makes the list. Given how well the Broncos offense looked in the first half, it seemed that unit had turned the page. We didn't realize that the next page was the same nightmare. Dulcich finished with two catches for 44 yards.

Losers

Nathaniel (Can’t) Hackett

Yikes. The man has no clue what he’s doing and shows no signs he’ll figure it out. On the most important drives of the game, Hackett calls run, run, incompletion. And as Ryan Greene joked on Twitter, the Broncos will run for one yard on any down other than third-and-1. And don’t forget 10 men on the field for punt coverage. Again. And don’t forget the penalties. Again. Denver is a sloppy, unprepared, stupid football team and that starts with Hackett.

Broncos offensive coaches

Not exactly sure what any of them do, but it’s not working.

Russell Wilson

The first half, Wilson played and looked like Wilson. The Broncos offense also looked like an NFL offense. Too bad the game didn’t stop there. Whatever happened in the first half, it flipped on its head and walloped everyone in the face with a skillet. Just brutal offensive football in the second half. While the playcalling did no one any favors, Wilson was horrible.

Damarri Mathis

Just a brutal game for the Denver rookie. Four defensive pass interference calls. Even if you don’t agree with one or two calls, that’s still too many.

Broncos special teams

Whether the officials missed a penalty on the muff doesn’t change the fact Denver’s special teams were not good. For what it’s worth, Montrell Washington owned the mistake and said it was on him.

Denver’s tackling

The Chargers just broke another tackle for a few extra yards.

The Broncos

The organization is an embarrassment. As some joked on Twitter, Denver should get a five-year ban from national TV. Something has to change. Empty, meaningless words from Hackett won’t cut it.