Game story
In Week 13 of the 2015 NFL season on 2015-12-06, the Denver Broncos took care of business against the Los Angeles Chargers, pulling away with a 17–3 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q1 with 14 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
P. Rivers (Los Angeles Chargers) paced the passing game, with -15.84 total EPA, and -8.7% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, D. Thomas (Denver Broncos) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +7.38 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-18.2% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Los Angeles Chargers changed the game: (:12) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short middle intended for 85-A.Gates INTERCEPTED by 59-D.Trevathan [97-M.Jackson] at LAC 25. 59-D.Trevathan for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | — | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 D. Thomas · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +7.38 total EPA · 6 snaps · +1.23 EPA/play
- 2 D. Brown · Los Angeles Chargers · Receiving · +2.27 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.27 EPA/play
- 3 V. Green · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +2.21 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.21 EPA/play
- 4 J. Herndon · Los Angeles Chargers · Receiving · +2.03 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.02 EPA/play
- 5 C. Anderson · Denver Broncos · Rushing · +1.07 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.15 EPA/play
- 6 D. Inman · Los Angeles Chargers · Receiving · +1.04 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.52 EPA/play
- 7 M. Gordon · Los Angeles Chargers · Receiving · +0.58 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.58 EPA/play
- 8 A. Caldwell · Denver Broncos · Rushing · +0.57 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.57 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
D. Thomas — DEN · Receiving
D. Thomas posted the highest total EPA (+7.38) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Denver Broncos's efficiency. Across 6 counted snaps, they averaged +1.23 EPA per play.
The signature play (-8.13 EPA) came from Los Angeles Chargers: (:12) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short middle intended for 85-A.Gates INTERCEPTED by 59-D.Trevathan [97-M.Jackson] at LAC 25. 59-D.Trevathan for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Denver Broncos — D. Thomas (B. Osweiler pass)
- Denver Broncos — D. Trevathan
Field goals
- Denver Broncos — B. McManus
- Los Angeles Chargers — J. Lambo
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 14–0. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the LAC 3 (Q1 56:19) — (11:19) 17-B.Osweiler pass short middle to 88-D.Thomas for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the LAC 15 (Q1 56:15) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the DEN 76 (Q1 45:12); Denver Broncos added 1 points from the LAC 15 (Q1 45:04) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt..
The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the LAC 5 (Q2 35:29) — (5:29) 8-B.McManus 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.; Los Angeles Chargers connected on a field goal from the DEN 33 (Q2 31:45) — (1:45) 2-J.Lambo 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-M.Windt, Holder-5-M.Scifres..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Los Angeles Chargers (Q1 45:12) — (:12) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short middle intended for 85-A.Gates INTERCEPTED by 59-D.Trevathan [97-M.Jackson] at LAC 25. 59-D.Trevathan for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Los Angeles Chargers (Q1 48:11) — (3:11) 2-J.Lambo 48 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-47-M.Windt, Holder-5-M.Scifres.
- Denver Broncos (Q1 58:12) — (13:12) 22-C.Anderson left end to LAC 25 for 22 yards (26-P.Robinson, 37-J.Addae).
- Los Angeles Chargers (Q3 27:18) — (12:18) (Shotgun) 28-M.Gordon right guard to DEN 42 for 1 yard (58-V.Miller). FUMBLES (58-V.Miller), RECOVERED by DEN-58-V.Miller at DEN 42. 58-V.Miller to DEN 42 for no gain (28-M.Gordon). The Replay
- Denver Broncos (Q1 57:01) — (12:01) 17-B.Osweiler pass short middle to 88-D.Thomas to LAC 3 for 21 yards (24-B.Flowers).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Los Angeles Chargers (Q1 45:12) — (:12) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short middle intended for 85-A.Gates INTERCEPTED by 59-D.Trevathan [97-M.Jackson] at LAC 25. 59-D.Trevathan for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Los Angeles Chargers (Q3 27:18) — (12:18) (Shotgun) 28-M.Gordon right guard to DEN 42 for 1 yard (58-V.Miller). FUMBLES (58-V.Miller), RECOVERED by DEN-58-V.Miller at DEN 42. 58-V.Miller to DEN 42 for no gain (28-M.Gordon). The Replay
- Denver Broncos (Q3 19:15) — (4:15) 17-B.Osweiler pass deep left intended for 10-E.Sanders INTERCEPTED by 22-J.Verrett at LAC 0. Touchback (10-E.Sanders).
- Denver Broncos (Q3 24:22) — (9:22) 8-B.McManus 52 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
Quarterback report card
P.Rivers led all passers in efficiency for Los Angeles Chargers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- P.Rivers (Los Angeles Chargers) · 42 dropbacks · 42.9% completion · -8.7% CPOE · -0.38 EPA/play · -15.84 total EPA
- B.Osweiler (Denver Broncos) · 31 dropbacks · 51.6% completion · +1.3% CPOE · -0.01 EPA/play · -0.30 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Denver Broncos | Los Angeles Chargers |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.128 | -0.342 |
| Offensive success rate | 38.3% | 34.2% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.010 | -0.377 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.067 | -0.378 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.342 | +0.128 |
| Defensive success rate | 65.8% | 61.7% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, Denver Broncos generated the better offensive EPA per play (-0.13 vs -0.34), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Denver Broncos: 12 drives, -10.33 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
- Los Angeles Chargers: 11 drives, -26.99 total EPA, 2 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.
- D. Thomas (Denver Broncos) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- P. Rivers (LAC) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q1 56:19 · LAC 3 · Score 6-0
(11:19) 17-B.Osweiler pass short middle to 88-D.Thomas for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q1 56:15 · LAC 15 · Score 7-0
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q1 45:12 · DEN 76 · Score 13-0
(:12) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short middle intended for 85-A.Gates INTERCEPTED by 59-D.Trevathan [97-M.Jackson] at LAC 25. 59-D.Trevathan for 25 yards, TOUCH - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q1 45:04 · LAC 15 · Score 14-0
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q2 35:29 · LAC 5 · Score 17-0
(5:29) 8-B.McManus 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt. - Los Angeles Chargers FG (+3) — Q2 31:45 · DEN 33 · Score 17-3
(1:45) 2-J.Lambo 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-M.Windt, Holder-5-M.Scifres.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
The Denver Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers 17-3 in Week 13, 2015 on 2015-12-06.
What was the final score of Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
The final score was Denver Broncos 17, Los Angeles Chargers 3 (DEN 17-3 LAC) in Week 13, 2015 on 2015-12-06.
What was the score by quarter in Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
Q1: Denver Broncos 14, Los Angeles Chargers 0; Q2: Denver Broncos 3, Los Angeles Chargers 3; Final: Denver Broncos 17, Los Angeles Chargers 3.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
Denver Broncos touchdown — D. Thomas (B. Osweiler pass) (Q1 56:19) Denver Broncos touchdown — D. Trevathan (Q1 45:12) Denver Broncos field goal — B. McManus (Q2 35:29, 3 pts) Los Angeles Chargers field goal — J. Lambo (Q2 31:45, 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?
P. Rivers (Los Angeles Chargers), 42.9% completion, -8.7% CPOE, -0.38 EPA per dropback, -15.84 total passing EPA. B. Osweiler (Denver Broncos), 51.6% completion, +1.3% CPOE, -0.01 EPA per dropback, -0.30 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers?
D. Thomas (Denver Broncos) led the game in total EPA with +7.38 on receiving plays. across 6 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-8.13 EPA): (:12) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short middle intended for 85-A.Gates INTERCEPTED by 59-D.Trevathan [97-M.Jackson] at LAC 25. 59-D.Trevathan for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was -18.2%.
Season records after this game
Denver Broncos
Entered 9-2 Now 10-2 W
Los Angeles Chargers
Entered 3-8 Now 3-9 L
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