It wasn’t pretty. Let’s get that out of the way. But the Broncos victory over the Chargers on Sunday was huge.

With both the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs winning, the AFC West race is tighter than it’s been in years, with three teams sitting with just two losses through eight weeks. One slip up and the Broncos could have gone from first to third, just like that.

And while Denver never trailed in the game, at times leading by more than two scores, it felt as if they were closer to defeat than they should have been. Between a handful of near interceptions from Trevor Siemian, a red zone fumble from Devontae Booker and a porous offensive line, there were times where it looked like the Broncos offense was trying to give away the game.

Luckily, that Denver defense is as stout as ever.

Thanks to three interceptions from the No Fly Zone, a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter and an always effective pass rush, the Broncos were able to neutralize one of the best offenses in the NFL and pull out their sixth victory of they year.

That’s cause for celebration.

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