Game story
In Week 2 of the 2003 NFL season on 2003-09-14, the Denver Broncos took care of business against the Los Angeles Chargers, pulling away with a 37–13 final that controlled the game from start to finish.
The highest-scoring period was Q1 with 17 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
D. Brees (Los Angeles Chargers) paced the passing game, with -9.14 total EPA.
On the individual side, J. Plummer (Denver Broncos) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +9.88 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+11.8% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Denver Broncos changed the game: (5:15) 26-C.Portis right end pushed ob at LAC 16 for 58 yards (23-Q.Jammer).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 14 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 37 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 J. Plummer · Denver Broncos · Passing · +9.88 total EPA · 16 snaps · +0.62 EPA/play
- 2 E. Parker · Los Angeles Chargers · Receiving · +7.42 total EPA · 5 snaps · +1.48 EPA/play
- 3 C. Portis · Denver Broncos · Rushing · +6.65 total EPA · 12 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
- 4 A. Lelie · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +5.47 total EPA · 2 snaps · +2.74 EPA/play
- 5 R. Smith · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +4.30 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.86 EPA/play
- 6 S. Sharpe · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +4.09 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.02 EPA/play
- 7 J. Peelle · Los Angeles Chargers · Receiving · +3.90 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.30 EPA/play
- 8 M. Anderson · Denver Broncos · Rushing · +3.36 total EPA · 16 snaps · +0.21 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
J. Plummer — DEN · Passing
J. Plummer posted the highest total EPA (+9.88) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Denver Broncos's efficiency. Across 16 counted snaps, they averaged +0.62 EPA per play.
The signature play (-5.49 EPA) came from Los Angeles Chargers: (:54) 9-D.Brees pass INTERCEPTED by 52-I.Gold (92-B.Berry) at LAC 26. 52-I.Gold to LAC 24 for 2 yards (70-V.Parker).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Denver Broncos — R. Droughns (J. Plummer pass)
- Denver Broncos — S. Sharpe (J. Plummer pass)
- Denver Broncos — C. Carlisle (J. Plummer pass)
- Los Angeles Chargers — E. Parker (D. Brees pass)
- Denver Broncos — M. Anderson
Field goals
- Los Angeles Chargers — S. Christie
- Denver Broncos — J. Elam
- Los Angeles Chargers — S. Christie
- Denver Broncos — J. Elam
- Denver Broncos — J. Elam
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 14–3. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the LAC 12 (Q1 57:25) — (12:25) 16-J.Plummer pass to 34-R.Droughns for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the LAC 2 (Q1 57:18) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr.; Los Angeles Chargers connected on a field goal from the DEN 1 (Q1 51:25) — (6:25) 8-S.Christie 19 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-50-D.Binn, Holder-2-D.Bennett.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the LAC 1 (Q1 46:40) — (1:40) 16-J.Plummer pass to 84-S.Sharpe for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the LAC 2 (Q1 46:36) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr..
The second quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 10–7. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the LAC 6 (Q2 37:03) — (7:03) 16-J.Plummer pass to 65-C.Carlisle for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the LAC 2 (Q2 36:58) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr.; Los Angeles Chargers found the end zone from the DEN 23 (Q2 31:12) — (1:12) 9-D.Brees pass to 88-E.Parker for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Los Angeles Chargers added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q2 31:05) — 8-S.Christie extra point is GOOD, Center-50-D.Binn, Holder-2-D.Bennett.; Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the LAC 12 (Q2 30:08) — (:08) 1-J.Elam 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr..
The third quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 10–3. Los Angeles Chargers connected on a field goal from the DEN 7 (Q3 24:34) — (9:34) 8-S.Christie 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-50-D.Binn, Holder-2-D.Bennett.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the LAC 1 (Q3 19:51) — (4:51) 38-M.Anderson up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the LAC 2 (Q3 19:48) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr.; Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the LAC 27 (Q3 16:09) — (1:09) 1-J.Elam 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr..
The fourth quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 3–0. Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the LAC 16 (Q4 14:25) — (14:25) 1-J.Elam 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Denver Broncos (Q1 50:15) — (5:15) 26-C.Portis right end pushed ob at LAC 16 for 58 yards (23-Q.Jammer).
- Denver Broncos (Q1 59:33) — (14:33) 26-C.Portis right end pushed ob at LAC 28 for 25 yards (75-M.Wiley).
- Denver Broncos (Q1 59:39) — (14:39) 16-J.Plummer pass incomplete to 80-R.Smith (75-M.Wiley). PENALTY on LAC-23-Q.Jammer, Defensive Pass Interference, 16 yards, enforced at DEN 31 - No Play.
- Denver Broncos (Q1 57:25) — (12:25) 16-J.Plummer pass to 34-R.Droughns for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Los Angeles Chargers (Q2 32:19) — (2:19) 9-D.Brees pass to 88-E.Parker to DEN 35 for 5 yards (75-M.Pope).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Los Angeles Chargers (Q3 15:54) — (:54) 9-D.Brees pass INTERCEPTED by 52-I.Gold (92-B.Berry) at LAC 26. 52-I.Gold to LAC 24 for 2 yards (70-V.Parker).
- Denver Broncos (Q1 50:15) — (5:15) 26-C.Portis right end pushed ob at LAC 16 for 58 yards (23-Q.Jammer).
- Los Angeles Chargers (Q2 31:12) — (1:12) 9-D.Brees pass to 88-E.Parker for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Denver Broncos (Q3 22:29) — (7:29) (Shotgun) 11-S.Beuerlein pass incomplete to 85-A.Lelie. PENALTY on LAC-22-S.Davis, Defensive Pass Interference, 22 yards, enforced at DEN 41 - No Play.
Quarterback report card
D.Brees led all passers in efficiency for Los Angeles Chargers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- D.Brees (Los Angeles Chargers) · 43 dropbacks · 46.5% completion · -0.21 EPA/play · -9.14 total EPA
- S.Beuerlein (Denver Broncos) · 19 dropbacks · 36.8% completion · +0.15 EPA/play · +2.87 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Denver Broncos | Los Angeles Chargers |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.277 | -0.059 |
| Offensive success rate | 47.2% | 42.5% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.343 | -0.213 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.389 | +0.084 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.059 | -0.277 |
| Defensive success rate | 57.5% | 52.8% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, Denver Broncos generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.28 vs -0.06), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Denver Broncos: 11 drives, +24.64 total EPA, 7 scoring drives
- Los Angeles Chargers: 11 drives, -4.74 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Denver Broncos leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- J. Plummer (Denver Broncos) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q1 57:25 · LAC 12 · Score 6-0
(12:25) 16-J.Plummer pass to 34-R.Droughns for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q1 57:18 · LAC 2 · Score 7-0
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr. - Los Angeles Chargers FG (+3) — Q1 51:25 · DEN 1 · Score 7-3
(6:25) 8-S.Christie 19 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-50-D.Binn, Holder-2-D.Bennett. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q1 46:40 · LAC 1 · Score 13-3
(1:40) 16-J.Plummer pass to 84-S.Sharpe for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q1 46:36 · LAC 2 · Score 14-3
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q2 37:03 · LAC 6 · Score 20-3
(7:03) 16-J.Plummer pass to 65-C.Carlisle for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q2 36:58 · LAC 2 · Score 21-3
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr. - Los Angeles Chargers TD (+6) — Q2 31:12 · DEN 23 · Score 21-9
(1:12) 9-D.Brees pass to 88-E.Parker for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Los Angeles Chargers XP (+1) — Q2 31:05 · DEN 2 · Score 21-10
8-S.Christie extra point is GOOD, Center-50-D.Binn, Holder-2-D.Bennett. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q2 30:08 · LAC 12 · Score 24-10
(:08) 1-J.Elam 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr. - Los Angeles Chargers FG (+3) — Q3 24:34 · DEN 7 · Score 24-13
(9:34) 8-S.Christie 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-50-D.Binn, Holder-2-D.Bennett. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q3 19:51 · LAC 1 · Score 30-13
(4:51) 38-M.Anderson up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q3 19:48 · LAC 2 · Score 31-13
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q3 16:09 · LAC 27 · Score 34-13
(1:09) 1-J.Elam 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q4 14:25 · LAC 16 · Score 37-13
(14:25) 1-J.Elam 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-4-M.Knorr.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
The Denver Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers 37-13 in Week 2, 2003 on 2003-09-14.
What was the final score of Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
The final score was Denver Broncos 37, Los Angeles Chargers 13 (DEN 37-13 LAC) in Week 2, 2003 on 2003-09-14.
What was the score by quarter in Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
Q1: Denver Broncos 14, Los Angeles Chargers 3; Q2: Denver Broncos 10, Los Angeles Chargers 7; Q3: Denver Broncos 10, Los Angeles Chargers 3; Q4: Denver Broncos 3, Los Angeles Chargers 0; Final: Denver Broncos 37, Los Angeles Chargers 13.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
Denver Broncos touchdown — R. Droughns (J. Plummer pass) (Q1 57:25) Denver Broncos touchdown — S. Sharpe (J. Plummer pass) (Q1 46:40) Denver Broncos touchdown — C. Carlisle (J. Plummer pass) (Q2 37:03) Los Angeles Chargers touchdown — E. Parker (D. Brees pass) (Q2 31:12) Denver Broncos touchdown — M. Anderson (Q3 19:51) Los Angeles Chargers field goal — S. Christie (Q1 51:25, 3 pts) Denver Broncos field goal — J. Elam (Q2 30:08, 3 pts) Los Angeles Chargers field goal — S. Christie (Q3 24:34, 3 pts) Denver Broncos field goal — J. Elam (Q3 16:09, 3 pts) Denver Broncos field goal — J. Elam (Q4 14:25, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
D. Brees (Los Angeles Chargers), 46.5% completion, -0.21 EPA per dropback, -9.14 total passing EPA. S. Beuerlein (Denver Broncos), 36.8% completion, +0.15 EPA per dropback, +2.87 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
J. Plummer (Denver Broncos) led the game in total EPA with +9.88 on passing plays. across 16 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-5.49 EPA): (:54) 9-D.Brees pass INTERCEPTED by 52-I.Gold (92-B.Berry) at LAC 26. 52-I.Gold to LAC 24 for 2 yards (70-V.Parker).. The biggest win-probability swing was +11.8%.
Season records after this game
Denver Broncos
Entered 1-0 Now 2-0 W
Los Angeles Chargers
Entered 0-1 Now 0-2 L
Fantasy · fantasyhq.co
