Floyd Little vs. Charlie Joiner Rivalry
A historic AFC West rivalry between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Broncos–Chargers rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers. Since the American Football League was established in 1960, the Broncos and Chargers have shared the same division, the first being the AFL Western Conference. Since the AFL–NFL merger, both clubs have competed in the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Quick Facts
- Floyd little position
- Running Back
- Charlie joiner position
- Wide Receiver
- Shared team
- Denver Broncos
- Era of overlap
- 1972–1975
- Primary rivalry context
- AFC West Competition
Lore & Background
The Broncos lead the overall series, 74–58–1. The two teams have met once in the playoffs, with the Broncos holding a 1–0 record.
Reader's Guide
Notable moments include: November 17, 1985 – Broncos' safety Dennis Smith blocked two straight field goal attempts in overtime, with Louis Wright returning the second block for a 60-yard touchdown for a 30–24 Broncos win. September 4, 1994 – The Chargers rallied from a 24–6 deficit to win 27–24 after Stanley Richard returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown. September 14, 2003 – The Broncos routed the Chargers 37–13, notable for a uniform mix-up.
December 10, 2006 – The Chargers routed the Broncos 48–20, with LaDainian Tomlinson setting an NFL record for touchdowns in a season (28). December 24, 2007 – A verbal scuffle occurred between Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers, and Matt Wilhelm. September 14, 2008 – The Broncos won 39–38 after a controversial fumble call by referee Ed Hochuli. December 28, 2008 – The Chargers won 52–21 to clinch the AFC West title, denying the Broncos a playoff berth.
November 27, 2011 – Tim Tebow led the Broncos to a 16–13 overtime win. October 15, 2012 – The Broncos rallied from a 24–0 halftime deficit to win 35–24. January 12, 2014 – In the first and only postseason meeting, Denver defeated the Chargers 24–17 in the AFC Divisional Round. September 11, 2017 – The Broncos won 24–21 after blocking a game-tying field goal.
October 22, 2017 – The Chargers shut out the Broncos 21–0. November 18, 2018 – The Broncos won 23–22 on a last-second field goal. December 1, 2019 – The game appeared headed to overtime after a tying field goal, but Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock launched a deep pass attempt.
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