Takeaways From Chargers' 31-28 Week 18 Loss to Broncos

What are the main takeaways we learned from the Chargers' Week 18 loss to the Broncos?

The Chargers were defeated by the Broncos 31-28 Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 18.

Here are takeaways from the Chargers' seventh loss of the season:

Brandon Staley mismanaged playing time for key players, leading to Mike Williams injury

When the Chargers took the field for kickoff against the Broncos Sunday in Denver, they had just clinched the No. 5 playoff seed as a result of the Bengals beating the Ravens.

But despite securing the top Wild Card seed in the AFC, Chargers coach Brandon Staley not only played his starters, they remained in the game for the better part of three quarters.

"You can't decide when you're having to play a football game, who isn't going to play and who is going to play, and how you're going to subtract this," Staley said. "You got to go out there and play the football game because this isn't the preseason, where you have 90 guys to choose from. You only have 48 players to choose from. So you have to go out there, you have to field a football team, and we did it the best we could."

It's one thing to get key players snaps early in the game to stay fresh ahead of the franchise’s first playoff game since 2018, but it's another to risk further injury. And on the Chargers' fifth offensive series of the game with 2:43 left in the second quarter, wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a back injury that led to him being carted off to the locker room just before halftime.

Staley said he didn’t have an update on Williams' injury status after the game, but did add that he "possibly" could’ve returned, indicating some encouraging news given the unfortunate events that transpired.

"All we can do is hope for the best for Mike," quarterback Justin Herbert said of Williams. "He's an incredible player and we'd love to have him out there. We're hoping for the best. We'll wait to hear a report about him." 

Momentum entering playoffs has stalled

Had the Chargers pulled many of their key players during the early portion of the game and not waited until the fourth quarter began like they did, the shift in momentum probably wouldn’t be felt to the effect that it currently sits at.

But based on how the Chargers played the bulk of their starters for three quarters, getting gashed by the Broncos' 32nd-ranked offense, they've got themselves stuck in the middle of two objectives they easily could’ve avoided – risk additional injuries and lose the momentum the team has played with the last four games.

Staley pointed to the size of the team's roster for the reasoning behind playing so many of his starters. But is playing Herbert, the face-of-the-franchise quarterback who's already dealt with an extensive rib injury earlier this season, really a smart play when the game, in essence, holds no value?

"There's only 48 guys that you can choose from and these aren't easy decisions," Staley said of how he managed the game. "Hindsight is perfect for everybody on the outside, but these games are not easy to manage. They're not, because you don't have that many players. We did it to the best of our ability."

Joey Bosa and Kenneth Murray's early exit to the game

Bosa, in his second game back from groin surgery, played 23 defensive snaps Sunday against the Broncos. He came out of the game earlier than every other defensive starter. He had slipped on the grass a few times during the game when rushing the passer, something many other players also experienced. 

It appeared he could've reaggravated something to his groin, but Staley shot that down after the game by saying it was strictly to phase him out of the contest.

"Joey was taken out like the rest of the guys that we were trying to phase out in the game," he said of Bosa."

Linebacker Kenneth Murray suffered a stinger early in the third quarter that caused him to leave the game, but he appears to have avoided anything major.

Chargers seek revenge vs. Jaguars in Wild Card Round

The Chargers will play the Jaguars on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 5:15 p.m. PT in the Wild Card Round. It will be the second time these two teams face off this season with the last meeting ending in blowout fashion as Jacksonville came out on top with a convincing 38-10 win.

But the Chargers, and for good reason, believe they're a much different team now than they were in Week 3 when they last played. 

"I think we've grown quite a bit," Herbert said of how the team has changed since their first meeting against the Jaguars. "You know that game obviously didn't go our way, but it's a tough team that we're going up against and we're pretty tough as well. So excited for the opportunity, just being in the playoffs and getting a shot."

The opening betting lines have the Chargers favored by 1-point over the Jaguars, the closest point spread of all games during Wild Card Round weekend.

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Read more from Charger Report:

• Mike Williams Suffers Back Injury as Chargers Play Starters For Majority of Week 18 Game vs. Broncos
• Live In-Game Updates: Chargers at Broncos Week 18
• Pregame Report: Chargers at Broncos Week 18
• Chargers at Broncos Game Day Betting Odds: Week 18 Point Spread, Moneyline, Over/Under
• Chargers at Broncos Week 18 Game Prediction

Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Charger Report. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel for more Chargers coverage.