CARSON, Calif. — More than 300 days after enjoying their last NFL victory, Broncos Country desperately needed a new hero to draw a line in the dirt and make a we’re-not-going-to-take-it-anymore stand.
Enter safety Kareem Jackson. He lowered his shoulder and lowered the boom on Chargers running back Austin Ekeler at the 1-yard line, forcing a fumble on the final play of the second quarter and thwarting a fourth-down gamble by Los Angeles.
It was the definitive and most decisive play of a 20-13 victory that allowed Denver to avoid the first 0-5 start in franchise history.