CARSON, Calif. _ The Los Angeles Chargers got Joey Bosa back Sunday and had a 12-point lead in the second half.
Yet they failed to put away Denver in a 23-22 loss at StubHub Center, the defeat ending their six-game winning streak.
Broncos kicker Brandon McManus made a 34-yard field goal as time expired. The points were set up by a Case Keenum-to-Courtland Sutton 30-yard pass.
The Chargers had opened a 19-7 lead on their first drive of the second half, going 75 yards in nine plays. Philip Rivers passed six yards to Antonio Gates for the touchdown.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, the offense started moving again with a chance to give the Chargers even more room to breathe.
Rivers, however, had a pass intercepted near the line of scrimmage by Von Miller, whose 42-yard return set up a Royce Freeman touchdown run that _ along with the extra point _ tightened the score to 19-14.
The Broncos then took the lead early in the fourth quarter when Phillip Lindsay scored on a two-yard run to finish a seven-play, 73-yard drive.
The Chargers came back to move head 22-20 on a 30-yard field goal by Michael Badgley with 6:47 to play.
They trailed 7-6 until the final three minutes of the first half when Rivers completed a four-yard scoring pass to Keenan Allen, his second touchdown in two weeks after having only one through the first eight games.
Rivers made the play happen by eluding Denver defensive end Derek Wolfe and spotting Allen running alone in the back of the end zone.
Then, Allen made something happen. He approached the fans seated in the front row, handed the ball to one of them and grabbed a Chargers-themed championship-type belt from another.
Allen then modeled the belt as his teammates congregated to congratulate him. The moment resulted in a highlight for all the daily television shows and also in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.
Allen was presumably penalized for using a prop during a touchdown celebration and not because he actually had the belt upside down.
The play put the Chargers up 13-7 at halftime, their first six points coming on a pair of Badgley field goals, from 46 and 45 yards.
The Chargers welcomed back Bosa, their Pro Bowl defensive end making his 2018 debut after missing the first nine games because of a foot injury.
Coach Anthony Lynn indicated Friday that Bosa likely would play if he made it through a final workout Saturday.
Bosa bruised a bone in his left foot during a practice in early August and then reaggravated the injury in early September.
Gates (knee) also played after being limited in practice all week.
The Chargers lost defensive lineman Corey Liuget to a knee injury in the first half.
