DENVER (AP) — One ignominious streak down, one more to go for the Denver Broncos, who turned an ugly showing into a pretty comfortable rout of the Indianapolis Colts to clinch the franchise's first winning season since 2016.

Outscoring Indy 31-3 after falling behind 10-0 Sunday, the Broncos (9-5) now have a better than 90% chance of stopping another long skid: their eight-year playoff drought.

They've cleaned out their lockers and quickly scattered to watch the postseason from afar every year since Von Miller, Peyton Manning and John Elway hoisted the franchise's third Lombardi Trophy following the 2015 season.

It was that type of moment Sean Payton thought of when he took over as head coach last year.

“The appeal to me was the tradition here, the years of sustained success here and the importance of this game here," he said. "You can only find a few cities you can say that about and then you find the right ownership group. There were certain things that were really important. The football tradition and history here was very appealing to me.

“I have known Peyton and John forever but it was somewhere where the fan base’s expectations were high. You want to be in New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas if you’re in entertainment; you do not want to be in Rhode Island. If you are in this industry, you want to be somewhere where it is really important and the expectations are high."

And so, Payton said, "it is nice to get the ninth win.”

And in quarterback Bo Nix's first season. too.

“Good teams respond on a day like today.” Nix said after the Broncos' overcame a slow start, his first three-interception day and a variety of missteps and miscalculations.

“Good teams find ways to win, and playoff teams find ways to win these close ones," Nix said. “... It’s a good sign that we’re winning these close games, the tough ones that don’t necessarily look pretty, but we’re just finding ways to win.”

Coupled with the Chargers' loss Sunday, the Broncos and L.A. flipped playoff positions with the Broncos now in sixth and the Chargers in seventh. The teams play Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The Broncos might be without their top two cornerbacks for that game, although Patrick Surtain II walked without any noticeable limp at a charity event Monday in which he partnered with Raising Cane's restaurant chain to give away 100 bicycles to kids in need during the holiday season.

“It's better,” Surtain said of his sprained right ankle. “I'm taking it day by day. That's about it.”

With fellow starter Riley Moss (knee) not expected back until next week at Cincinnati, the Broncos might have to go with two young players who replaced Levi Wallace, who was inactive after his poor performance against Cleveland.

Although Damarri Mathis played in the base defense, rookie Kris Abrams-Draine got his first career start as the Broncos started the game in the nickel.

Payton was impressed with both Abrams-Draine and Mathis, but bristled when asked Monday if those two might be pressed into bigger roles with this being a short week and Surtain ailing.

“No. 1, I thought those guys played well. That's the easiest way I can answer the question," Payton said. “You guys know we don't talk about injuries, but I also don't want to talke about hypotheticals, either. But those two guys really played well and I was encouraged.”

Abrams-Draine replaced Wallace late in the Broncos' 41-32 win over the Browns on Dec. 2.

“The last two weeks, he showed some moxie, stayed with his guy, didn't panic when the ball's in the air,” Payton said. “There's something about him.”

What’s working

Denver's defense. The Broncos caught a break when Jonathan Taylor's premature celebration turned a touchdown into a touchback. But they also had healthy amounts of skill, preparation and execution to go with their bit of good fortune. They had five takeaways and two sacks.

What needs help

The ground game. The Broncos managed a meager 72 yards on 27 carries for a 2.7-yard average. Take away Nix's 16-yard scamper and Denver has 56 yards and a 2.15-yard average.

Stock up

Nik Bonitto. The Broncos would be wise to sign him to a long-term extension as soon as possible. With a pick-6 against Cleveland and a hijacking of Indy's trick play Sunday, Bonitto became the second Denver defender to score TDs in back-to-back games. The other was Billy Thompson in 1973.

Stock down

Levi Wallace. (See above).

Injuries

In addition to Surtain, RG Quinn Meinerz (shoulder), McLaughlin (thigh) and DT D.J. Jones (finger) left with injuries.

Key number

97 — yards on three punt returns for Marvin Mims Jr. whose 61-yard return set up Denver's go-ahead touchdown.

What’s next

A short turnaround as the Broncos visit the Chargers on Thursday night. The Chargers won in Denver 23-16 on Oct. 13, but have lost three of four.

Chargers are reeling after loss to Bucs with important showdown with Broncos on deck

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Playoff-contending teams would like to be rolling into the final three games of the regular season.

Instead, the Los Angeles Chargers are reeling after Sunday's 40-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and with a short turnaround before what could be its biggest game of the season.

“You play a game in the National Football League, give up 40 points and 500 yards, there's a high level of concern,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said on Monday. “I think you look to your foundation and what you’ve built over time and hope that your foundation allows you to rebound from a game like that. You hope that it’s only a one off.”

The only saving grace for the Chargers going into Thursday night's showdown with AFC West rival Denver is that they have an 83% chance of making the playoffs according to the NFL.

Los Angeles (8-6) — which has dropped three of its past four — holds the last wild-card spot in the AFC and has a two-game lead over Indianapolis, Miami and Cincinnati.

A victory over Denver though would give the Chargers the season sweep and the tiebreaker if both teams have the same record at the end of the season. No one wants the seventh seed since that would likely mean a trip to either Buffalo or Kansas City for the first round.

The loss to the Buccaneers though magnified areas where the Chargers continue to struggle.

The offense has become one-dimensional since running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a knee injury against Baltimore on Nov. 25. The Chargers were a fairly-balanced attack for most of the season, but have gone to the run on only 33.1% of their snaps the past three games since Dobbins was placed on injured reserve. The league average during the same period is 39.1%.

The Chargers had a season-low 32 yards on the ground against Tampa Bay, and are averaging only 60.7 yards the past three games, well below their season average of 105.8 yards.

At the same time, the defense has struggled to stop the run.

Tampa Bay’s 223 rushing yards marked the second time in four games the Chargers have allowed at least 200 yards on the ground. Teams are averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

“You’re probably not going to reinvent the wheel this week with the guys in terms of what you’re doing. So you don’t want to really do too much new stuff,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. “The great thing is we got a lot of stuff that we haven’t done yet that we’ve been working on.”

What’s working

Justin Herbert has 1,184 passing yards off play action, the fourth most in the league. The Chargers have used play action on 32.1% of Herbert's drop-backs this season, the third-highest rate in the league.

What needs help

Getting off the field. The defense has not forced a punt in five quarters and have allowed scoring drives on 10 of their past 13 possessions.

Stock up

LB Joey Bosa had a forced fumble on a carry by Tampa Bay's Rachaad White during the second quarter, which was recovered by Elijah Molden near midfield. Bosa has two forced fumbles this season and 11 since 2021, tied for second most in the league.

Stock down

CB Kristian Fulton allowed five receptions for the second time in three weeks. Against Tampa Bay, it was five catches for 77 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown late in the third quarter when Evans got inside leverage and beat Fulton on a third-and-12 play.

Injuries

Rookie CB Cam Hart is in concussion protocol and is expected to miss Thursday night's game against Denver. Guard Zion Johnson sustained an ankle injury during the third quarter and is likely to be questionable.

Key numbers

15 — Regular-season games out of 222 as an NFL starting quarterback or head coach Jim Harbaugh has lost by at least 23 points.

76 — Games it took for Justin Herbert to reach 20,000 passing yards, tied for fifth quickest in league history. Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes reached the milestone in 67 games.

4 — Interceptions by Tarheeb Still, making him the first Chargers rookie with at least four picks since John Hendy in 1985.

What’s next

The Chargers have not swept the season series against the Broncos since 2010. The Bolts are 4-2 in Thursday night home games, which includes a 21-13 win over Denver in 2016. They have hosted only one Thursday night game since moving to Los Angeles in 2017, a 34-28 overtime loss to Kansas City in 2021.

AP All-America team: Travis Hunter, Xavier Watts back on first team; Ashton Jeanty is unanimous pick

Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter of Colorado was a first-team selection at two spots and a second-team pick at another on The Associated Press All-America team announced Monday.

Hunter and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts were repeat first-team selections, and Boise State's Ashton Jeanty was the only unanimous pick after he posted one of the highest single-season rushing totals in college football history.

A total of 24 schools are represented on the first team, selected by a panel of AP Top 25 voters. Texas and Miami had two players apiece on the first team.

Hunter, named the AP player of the year last week, is regarded as one of the greatest two-way college athletes since football shifted away from such players in the 1940s. He was named first-team cornerback, first-team all-purpose player and second-team receiver.

The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, has totaled 1,443 snaps on offense, defense and special teams over 12 games, according to Pro Football Focus. He played at least 120 snaps in 10 games, including a season-high 170 against Texas Tech on Nov. 9. His snaps were limited in two other games because of injury.

Hunter, who announced last month he would enter the 2025 NFL draft, said he would play in Colorado’s game against BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.

As a receiver, Hunter finished the regular season ranking among the national leaders with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. His 21 catches that went 20-plus yards lead the country.

As a cornerback, he made 31 tackles and was among the national leaders with 11 pass breakups and four interceptions. His biggest defensive play came in the Buffaloes' overtime win over Baylor when his hard hit on Dominic Richardson near the goal line forced a fumble on the final play.

Notre Dame's Watts has five interceptions, tied for most among safeties, and he's responsible for six of the Irish's nation-leading 28 takeaways. Against Southern California, he became the first Notre Dame player to return an interception 100 yards. His 12 career picks are most by a Notre Dame player since 1996.

Boise State's Jeanty has run for 2,497 yards, the fourth-most ever in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and he went over 200 yards in six games. His 29 rushing touchdowns are tied for the national lead.

First-team All-Americans (by conference)

SEC — 6

ACC — 5

Big Ten — 5

Big 12 — 4

MAC — 3

Mountain West — 2

Sun Belt — 1

Independent — 1

First-team offense

Wide receivers — Nick Nash, San Jose State, senior, 6-3, 195, Irvine, California; Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, junior, 6-5, 212, Waimanalo, Hawaii; Xavier Restrepo, Miami, senior, 5-10, 198, Coconut Creek, Florida.

Tackles — Kelvin Banks, Texas, junior, 6-3, 320, Humble, Texas; Will Campbell, LSU, junior, 6-6, 323, Monroe, Louisiana.

Guards — Addison West, Western Michigan, senior, 6-3, 305, Cary, Illinois; Willie Lampkin, North Carolina, senior, 5-11, 290, Lakeland, Florida.

Center — Jake Slaughter, Florida, junior, 6-5, 308, Sparr Florida.

Tight end — Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green, junior, 6-4, 230, Canton, Ohio.

Quarterback — Cam Ward, Miami, senior, 6-2, 223, West Columbia, Texas.

Running backs — u-Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, junior, 5-9, 215, Jacksonville, Florida; Cam Skattebo, Arizona State, senior, 5-11, 215, Rio Linda, California.

Kicker — Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana-Lafayette, senior, 6-2, 252, Clute, Texas.

All-purpose — Travis Hunter, Colorado, junior, 6-1, 185, Suwanee, Georgia.

First-team defense

Edge rushers — Abdul Carter, Penn State, junior, 6-3, 252, Philadelphia; Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College, senior, 6-2, 247, Williamstown, New Jersey.

Interior linemen — Mason Graham, Michigan, junior, 6-3, 320, Mission Viejo, California; Walter Nolen, Mississippi, junior, 6-3, 305, Powell, Tennessee.

Linebackers — Jay Higgins, Iowa, senior, 6-2, 232, Indianapolis; Shaun Dolac, Buffalo, graduate, 6-1, 225, West Seneca, New York; Carson Schwesinger, UCLA, junior, 6-2, 225, Moorpark, California.

Cornerbacks — Jahdae Barron, Texas, senior, 5-11, 200, Austin, Texas; Travis Hunter, Colorado, junior, 6-1, 185, Suwanee, Georgia.

Safeties — Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, graduate, 6-0, 203, Omaha, Nebraska; Caleb Downs, Ohio State, sophomore, 6-0, 205, Hoschton, Georgia.

Defensive back — Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, junior, 6-3, 227, Irmo, South Carolina.

Punter — Alex Mastromanno, Florida State, senior, 6-1, 241, Melbourne, Australia.

Second

-team offense

Wide receivers — Travis Hunter, Colorado, junior, 6-1, 185, Suwanee, Georgia; Tre Harris, Mississippi, senior, 6-3, 210, Lafayette, Louisiana; Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, freshman, 6-3, 215, Miami Gardens, Florida.

Tackles — Spencer Fano, Utah, sophomore, 6-5, 304, Spanish Fork, Utah; Wyatt Milum, West Virginia, senior, 6-6, 317, Kenova, West Virginia.

Guards — Tyler Booker, Alabama, junior, 6-5, 325, New Haven, Connecticut; Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, senior, 6-4, 320, Cypress, Texas, and Dylan Fairchild, Georgia, junior, 6-5, 315, Cumming, Georgia.

Center — Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State, graduate, 6-4, 305, Buford, Georgia.

Tight end — Tyler Warren, Penn State, senior, 6-6, 261, Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Quarterback — Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, senior, 6-2, 215, Dallas.

Running backs — Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, junior, 6-0, 220, Clayton, North Carolina; Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, junior, 6-0, 225, Hamilton, Ohio.

Kicker — Dominic Zvada, Michigan, junior 6-3, 180, Chandler, Arizona, and Alex Raynor, Kentucky, senior, 6-0, 185, Kennesaw, Georgia.

All-purpose — Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh, junior, 5-8, 175, Miami Gardens, Florida.

Second-team defense

Edge rushers — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina, senior, 6-5, 254, Atlanta; Mike Green, Marshall, sophomore, 6-4, 238, Williamsburg, Virginia.

Interior linemen — Derrick Harmon, Oregon, junior, 6-5, 310, Detroit; Alfred Collins, Texas, senior, 6-5, 320, Bastrop, Texas.

Linebackers — Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, sophomore, 6-3, 235, Denton, Texas; Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, senior, 6-4, 243, Windermere, Florida; Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh, sophomore, 6-0, 225, East Orange, New Jersey.

Cornerbacks — Nohl Williams, California, senior, 6-1, 200, Oxnard, California; Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, sophomore, 6-0, 193, Whitehouse, Texas.

Safeties — Malaki Starks, Georgia, junior, 6-1, 205, Jefferson, Georgia; Malachi Moore, Alabama, graduate, 6-0, 201, Trussville, Alabama.

Defensive back — Michael Taaffe, Texas, junior, 6-0, 195, Austin, Texas.

Punter — Brett Thorson, Georgia, junior, 6-2, 235, Melbourne, Australia.

Third-team offense

Wide receivers — Tai Felton, Maryland, senior, 6-2, 186, Ashburn, Virginia; Jayden Higgins, Iowa State, senior, 6-4, 215, South Miami, Florida; Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, sophomore, 6-1, 195, Allen, Texas and Eric Rivers, Florida International, senior, 5-11, 174, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Tackles — Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon, junior, 6-4, 315, Seattle; Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota, senior, 6-3, 330, Kansas City, Missouri.

Guards — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, senior, 6-6, 330, Rome, Georgia; Paolo Gennarelli, Army, sophomore, 6-1, 310, Campton Hills, Illinois.

Center — Jacob Gardner, Colorado State, graduate, 6-4, 300, Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Tight end — Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse, junior, 6-5, 236, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Quarterback — Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, graduate, 6-0, 200, Mililani, Hawaii.

Running backs — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee; junior, 5-11, 201, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; RJ Harvey, UCF, senior, 5-9, 208, Orlando, Florida.

Kicker — Ryan Fitzgerald, Florida State., senior, 6-1, 190, Coolidge, Georgia.

All-purpose — Brashard Smith, SMU, 5-10, 196, senior, Richmond Heights, Florida.

Third-team defense

Edge rushers — Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech, senior, 6-3, 252, Portsmouth, Virginia; Mikail Kamara, Indiana, junior, 6-1, 265, Ashburn, Virginia.

Interior linemen — Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech, graduate, 6-1, 290, Raleigh, North Carolina; Kenneth Grant, Michigan, junior, 6-3, 339, Gary, Indiana.

Linebackers — Chris Paul Jr., Mississippi, junior, 6-1, 235, Cordele, Georgia; Barrett Carter, Clemson, senior, 6-1, 230, Suwanee, Georgia; Jalon Walker, Georgia, junior, 6-2, 245, Salisbury, North Carolina.

Cornerbacks — Chandler Rivers, Duke, junior, 5-10, 180, Beaumont, Texas; Will Johnson, Michigan, junior, 6-2, 202, Detroit.

Safeties — Lathan Ransom, Ohio State, graduate, 6-1, 210, Tucson, Arizona; Jalen Catalon, UNLV, senior, 5-11, 205, Mansfield, Texas.

Defensive back — Mello Dotson, Kansas, senior, 6-1, 190, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Punter — Eddie Czaplicki