SAN DIEGO - Before the season, Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said his team would not miss the playoffs. Three weeks ago, it seemed inconceivable that prediction wouldn't come true.
The Broncos' historic collapse was tough to see coming, but it was complete after a 52-21 loss to the Chargers on Sunday night. San Diego is going to the playoffs as AFC West champions, the first team in NFL history to start 4-8 and make the playoffs. The Broncos are free until next season. They aren't going to the playoffs for the third straight year. The Broncos and Chargers each finished 8-8, but San Diego won the divisional tiebreaker based on a better record in AFC West games.
Denver is the first team since the NFL started using divisions in 1967 to blow a three-game lead with three to go and not make the playoffs. Only one other team in NFL history, the 2003 Vikings, had a three-game lead in the division at any point in the season and missed the playoffs.
"As a team, we didn't play all four quarters we played a quarter, if that," said running back Tatum Bell, who had two touchdowns. "We just didn't show up today. That's been the thing. We should have had this thing sewed up and we didn't do it."
Denver goes into its offseason with the stark reality that the defense needs to be rebuilt. San Diego exposed every flaw in the Broncos' defense, gaining 491 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.
"We did have to score every time," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "They punted once."
The Chargers struck first, getting a big play downfield. Receiver Vincent Jackson beat the zone coverage deep, and linebacker Nate Webster made contact with him before the ball arrived. The 52-yard pass interference call set up a 28-yard field goal.
The Broncos came right back. They didn't run often on the first drive, but their biggest play came from Bell. Bell ran behind a huge hole, created by a nice block from pulling left guard Ben Hamilton, for a 27-yard touchdown run on third and 1. Matt Prater knocked the extra point attempt off the left upright, and Denver led 6-3.
Jackson hurt the Broncos again. He beat Champ Bailey deep and Philip Rivers hit him for a 37-yard gain. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by LaDainian Tomlinson.
The Chargers again picked on Bailey, who was playing in only his second game since he missed seven with a groin injury, the next time they had the ball. Tight end Antonio Gates beat Bailey for a 34-yard catch, which led to a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brandon Manumaleuna. Tomlinson scored again in the second quarter to give San Diego a 24-6 lead.
The Broncos had a chance to cut San Diego's lead before the end of the half. But one play after Tony Scheffler landed out of bounds on a potential 14-yard touchdown, Cutler threw an interception to Chargers safety Paul Oliver in the end zone.
The Broncos still had some hope when Bell scored on a 37-yard run in the third quarter to cut San Diego's lead to 24-13. The defense couldn't hold. Darren Sproles scored on a 13-yard screen pass, Cutler threw an interception and Tomlinson scored on the next play, a 14-yard run. That gave San Diego a 38-13 lead.
One final moment of embarrassment came in the fourth quarter. On fourth and 5, Brandon Marshall was open in the end zone. Cutler threw a good pass to him but Marshall stumbled and the ball went over his head incomplete.
"That's just how our season's been," receiver Brandon Marshall said. "Jay threw a great ball, I just tripped over my foot I was so wide open."
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said he thought the Broncos would play better than they did on Sunday, but they were blown out of the game pretty quickly.
"I did a very poor job of getting these guys ready," Shanahan said.
(c) 2008, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.
