Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson Goes Down in ‘Monday Night Football’

Posted on: October 18, 2022, 06:37h. 

Last updated on: October 18, 2022, 12:53h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

It’s a wrap for Week 6 in the NFL, with Monday Night Football bringing everything to a close. The L.A. Chargers and Denver Broncos put on a better show than what many expected, making it a great way to drop the curtain on the week.

Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson
Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson gets sacked by L.A. Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill during Monday Night Football. The Broncos put up a fight, but the Chargers came away with the win. (Image: Getty Images)

It was a difficult and sometimes suspenseful road to victory for the Chargers. They just barely beat the Broncos 19-16 in overtime, thanks to a lucky break and a wobbly kick.

Kicker Dustin Hopkins was the game’s hero, helping lead the Chargers to their third consecutive victory. Despite a leg injury that left him visibly in pain, he connected on a 39-yard field goal in overtime to finally bring the back-and-forth battle to an end.

Not Pretty, but Effective

After a strong first quarter, Broncos QB Russell Wilson fizzled out as the game went on, going 15-of-28 for 188 yards with a touchdown and four sacks. On the opposite side of the field, Chargers QB Justin Herbert was 37-of-57, passing for 238 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and two sacks.

Even as Wilson seemed out of step at times, the Broncos’s defense imposed its will in a first quarter in which Herbert couldn’t find ways to attack. Field goals and punts were on display, as neither team was overwhelmingly successful at moving the chains.

In the first quarter, the Chargers’ defense made a mistake when it left tight end Greg Dulcich on his own. That allowed Wilson to connect for the team’s only TD and a 10-0 lead.

The Chargers woke up in the second quarter when Austin Ekeler ran in a touchdown run from the 6-yard line to move to within three. Herbert then took charge against and commanded the field, but only for a few plays. Denver stopped the Chargers cold at the 19-yard line on the verge of halftime, and L.A. had to settle for a field goal to tie the game.

The Broncos had the ball with less than a minute left before the break, but Wilson wasn’t ready to pull back. He threw an exceptional 49-yard pass to wide receiver KJ Hamler, and the Broncos went to the locker room with a 13-10 lead.

Second Half Brings Repeat Performances

The Chargers took charge after the break, leading off with a field goal to tie things up once again. This is how the game went for the second half, with both teams battling back and forth in a constant struggle to gain yardage.

Each drive moved the chains closer to scoring position before a dead stop brought everything to a grinding halt. Eventually, when neither team could produce more points as time expired, the Chargers and Broncos had to find their second wind to settle the game in OT.

This was nothing more than a continuation of what had been seen throughout the game. If it weren’t for a botched punt return, the game might still be going on today. Fortunately, the NFL makes sure that can’t happen.

Instead, the Chargers’ Ja’Sir Taylor forced a fumble that led to teammate Dean Leonard recovering the ball. From there, the Chargers found a way to move into position and allow Hopkins to kick the game-winning field goal.

This was the second time the Chargers haven’t gone above 20 points this season. As a result, the game proved once again that bettors need to back the under, which has hit 59% of the time this year.

The Chargers’ performance also kept them from covering the spread, which should have been an easy feat to accomplish. L.A. had enough opportunities to get something done, especially after Wilson came up limp with a hamstring injury late in the game.

Next up, the Broncos face the New York Jets, who have been surprisingly better than last year. They’re now 4-2 and have taken three straight wins. The Chargers will take on the Seattle Seahawks, who just took out the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.