In a battle of Oregon quarterbacks, the veteran reminded the rookie who is boss.

Justin Herbert's Los Angeles Chargers dominated the second half en route to a 34-27 win over Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos' offense was running on all cylinders early – Audric Estime found the end zone for the first score of the game, and Bo Nix threw touchdowns to both unlikely targets in Michael Burton and Devaughn Vele. Gus Edwards’ first quarter touchdown tied it, but the Chargers' offense stalled afterward. 

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Los Angeles did catch a break, though, as the Broncos were called for fair catch interference as time expired on their punt, giving the Chargers a "fair catch kick," which Cameron Dicker nailed from 57 yards out. Thus, the Broncos led 21-13 at the half. Amazingly, the last successful fair catch kick was back in 1976 … by the San Diego Chargers.

Denver kicked a field goal to start the third quarter, but they committed a late hit on third down to give the Chargers 1st and goal. They took advantage, and Edwards scored again, but their two-point conversion was no good, keeping it a 24-19 game in favor of the Broncos. 

However, after forcing a punt, Herbert found Derius Davis for a score, and Joshua Palmer made a great tip-toe grab for the two-point conversion, giving Los Angeles a 27-24 lead with 12:23 to go.

CHARGERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OBSCURE NFL RULE WITH FREE KICK FIELD GOAL LAST SUCCESSFUL IN 1976

The Chargers were able to contain the Broncos for the rest of the night, and after a big run by Herbert on 3rd and 10 with under four minutes left, Los Angeles was able to waste even more clock. A couple of plays later, Hassan Haskins scampered into the end zone, and it was a 34-24 LA lead with 2:27 to go. 

The second the Broncos got in field goal range, they kicked to make it a seven-point deficit, valuing time over the touchdown. However, their onside kick was unsuccessful, and the Chargers were able to waste away the rest of the clock for the win.

In all, it was 21 unanswered points for the Chargers, who now sit in second place in the AFC West behind the 13-1 Kansas City Chiefs, before that late field goal.

Herbert finished 23 for 31 with 284 yards and his two touchdown passes. Ladd McConkey led the team with six receptions for 87 yards, and it was the eighth game in a row the rookie had 50-plus receiving yards. He is one game away from tying the all-time rookie record set by Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014.

Nix impressed yet again, going 29-for-40 with 263 yards.

Both teams completed passes to 10 different receivers - the 20 combined pass-catchers are the most in the NFL this season.

The Chargers can coast into the playoffs, as their final two games are against the Patriots and Raiders, but both are on the road. As for Denver, it's a tougher finish with Cincinnati and the Chiefs on the docket.

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Is it really Thursday Night Football if there's not some sort of oddity?

Well, Thursday's Denver Broncos-Los Angeles Chargers game had an event that last occurred way back in 1976.

With eight seconds left in the half, and the Broncos leading 21-10, they punted the ball away in hopes of the time expiring and sending both teams to the locker room.

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The good news is that the clock hit zeroes – the bad news, however, is that Denver was called for fair catch interference.

Of course, a half cannot end on a defensive penalty or a flag by the kicking team, so the Chargers had the opportunity for a "fair catch kick" after the penalty moved them up 15 yards.

Cameron Dicker was able to line up for a 57-yard kick without any sort of rush, not before some confusion on both sidelines – in fact, the ball didn't even need to be snapped. Essentially, it was as much of a practice rep as an actual kick could get.

PATRICK MAHOMES, PREVIOUSLY CRITICAL OF CHIEFS' TIGHT SCHEDULE, WILL PLAY DESPITE ANKLE INJURY

Dicker, of course, nailed it, and it was instead an eight-point lead for Denver going into the half instead of winning 21-10.

In ironic fashion, the last successful "fair catch kick" was way back in 1976 by none other than San Diego Chargers kicker Ray Wersching.

It was the 27th recorded fair catch kick in NFL history, including the postseason, and just the seventh that went through the uprights. The last attempt prior to Thursday was 2019, when Joey Slye missed from 60 yards.

Dicker's kick is now the longest fair catch kick in NFL history, surpassing the 52-yard boot by Paul Hornung in 1964.

There had been nine unsuccessful attempts between the Chargers' two free kicks, yet this one was the shortest attempt. It has not been uncommon for the kick to reach 70-plus yards, since fair catches are normally caught on the opposite side of the field.

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The Los Angeles Chargers are in the final stretch of the playoff push as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but a special guest could give them the motivational boost they need after a narrow loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week.

Judge Judy Sheindlin will serve as an honorary team captain for this week’s matchup where she will join quarterback Justin Herbert and other team captains for the coin toss prior to kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET. 

But her appearance shouldn’t come as a surprise to those that know head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

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Harbaugh has openly discussed his admiration for Sheindlin in press conferences over the years, and has repeatedly called himself a fan of her legendary TV courtroom drama series.

The former Michigan football coach even appeared in the audience of her show "Judge Judy," in January 2015 alongside his father, Jack Harbaugh.

"Jim Harbaugh is a force of nature. His enthusiasm for the game and for life in general is infectious," Sheindlin told Fox News Digital ahead of Sunday’s game. "I had the great pleasure of spending a day with Jim and his dad, a pretty cute guy himself. I am definitely a fan of the Harbaughs. They are a one-of-a-kind family."

For Harbaugh, the feelings are mutual. 

CHARGERS STAR DERWIN JAMES JR. TOSSES LADD MCCONKEY'S NAME IN RACE FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 'GREAT PRO'

"It will be an incredible honor to share our sideline with Judge Judy. She's been appointment television viewing for my family for years," he told Fox News Digital. "If we could just get Judge Judy on The Supreme Court, the world would be a better place. Suffice to say, I'm a huge fan."

This is not the first time the legendary coach has made a push for Sheindlin to join the Supreme Court. In 2016, Harabaugh posted a message on social media encouraging former President Barack Obama to nominate Sheindlin. 

"I urge President Obama to nominate to the Supreme Court the wise and competent, Judge Extraordinaire Judith Sheindlin," he said at the time. 

Sheindlin starred on "Judge Judy" for 25 years, before moving to "Judy Justice," which streams weekdays on Prime Video and is a winner of two Daytime Emmys. 

A win on Sunday won’t secure a playoff berth for the Chargers as they dropped to the sixth seed in the AFC last week. They currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Denver Broncos, but a victory over the Bucs will get them to nine wins this season and one step closer to the playoffs. 

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The Los Angeles Chargers are in the final stretch of the playoff push as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but a special guest could give them the motivational boost they need after a narrow loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week.

Judge Judy Sheindlin will serve as an honorary team captain for this week’s matchup where she will join quarterback Justin Herbert and other team captains for the coin toss prior to kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET. 

But her appearance shouldn’t come as a surprise to those that know head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Harbaugh has openly discussed his admiration for Sheindlin in press conferences over the years, and has repeatedly called himself a fan of her legendary TV courtroom drama series.

The former Michigan football coach even appeared in the audience of her show "Judge Judy," in January 2015 alongside his father, Jack Harbaugh.

"Jim Harbaugh is a force of nature. His enthusiasm for the game and for life in general is infectious," Sheindlin told Fox News Digital ahead of Sunday’s game. "I had the great pleasure of spending a day with Jim and his dad, a pretty cute guy himself. I am definitely a fan of the Harbaughs. They are a one-of-a-kind family."

For Harbaugh, the feelings are mutual. 

CHARGERS STAR DERWIN JAMES JR. TOSSES LADD MCCONKEY'S NAME IN RACE FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 'GREAT PRO'

"It will be an incredible honor to share our sideline with Judge Judy. She's been appointment television viewing for my family for years," he told Fox News Digital. "If we could just get Judge Judy on The Supreme Court, the world would be a better place. Suffice to say, I'm a huge fan."

This is not the first time the legendary coach has made a push for Sheindlin to join the Supreme Court. In 2016, Harabaugh posted a message on social media encouraging former President Barack Obama to nominate Sheindlin. 

"I urge President Obama to nominate to the Supreme Court the wise and competent, Judge Extraordinaire Judith Sheindlin," he said at the time. 

Sheindlin starred on "Judge Judy" for 25 years, before moving to "Judy Justice," which streams weekdays on Prime Video and is a winner of two Daytime Emmys. 

A win on Sunday won’t secure a playoff berth for the Chargers as they dropped to the sixth seed in the AFC last week. They currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Denver Broncos, but a victory over the Bucs will get them to nine wins this season and one step closer to the playoffs. 

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Kansas City Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright was the hero in their 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Wright’s four field goals, including the game-winning field goal as time expired, and an extra point earned him AFC special teams player-of-the-week honors on Wednesday.

Despite his heroics, the Chiefs released Wright on Saturday, with the return of Harrison Butker, who is coming off injury reserve.

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Butker missed four games to undergo surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee and is now back and ready to go. 

Wright had kicked in two games for the Chiefs, nailing 8-9 of his field goal attempts and making both extra point attempts across the two games. 

The most pivotal kick in Wright’s short Chiefs tenure was the last one he made. Patrick Mahomes had driven the Chiefs into the Chargers’ territory with the team down 17-16, giving Wright a chance to win the game.

CHIEFS ROOKIE XAVIER WORTHY CALLS IT 'DREAM COME TRUE' HAVING PATRICK MAHOMES AS HIS QUARTERBACK

Wright nailed the 31-year-old field goal but not before he smoked it off the left upright and in, giving Chiefs fans a momentary scare.

The 28-year-old has played for five teams in his five-year career, and his most recent stint with the Chiefs was his third time with the team. He was with the Chiefs for two different periods during the 2022-2023 season. 

Wright has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, spending time with them in two separate stints. He has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. 

Wright has played a total of three games this season, one for the 49ers and two for the Chiefs, and all three games have been wins for his team. 

In his career, Wright is 51-59 on field goal attempts and 40-42 on extra points, and he will look to latch onto a team in free agency. 

Butker’s first game back from injury will be in Cleveland when the Chiefs take on the Browns on Sunday. 

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The Kansas City Chiefs are your AFC West winners for the ninth straight season, as they took down their divisional foe, the Los Angeles Chargers, on a game-winning field goal. 

The 19-17 win moved the Chiefs to 12-1 on the season, which was a big victory to not only claim the division, but create separation from the Buffalo Bills for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Meanwhile, the Chargers are now 8-5 on the season as they continue to search for a playoff spot with four games remaining now. 

This low-scoring affair saw a long drive from Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense that chewed up 8:29 of fourth-quarter clock, but it resulted in a field goal to make it 17-16. 

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There was more than enough time for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense to respond, and as we’ve seen too many times to count, that’s exactly what happened at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. 

On 3rd-and-10 on the ensuing drive, Mahomes escaped Chargers pressure and found his rookie receiver Xavier Worthy for a 14-yard strike, where he came back to the ball and secured it to extend the drive. 

A Mahomes scramble and a few runs from Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt would continue to churn yards and clock, as the Chiefs got closer to the end zone for kicker Matthew Wright, who was perfect with three field goals, including a 50-yarder, made prior to stepping into the game-winner. 

CHIEFS' TRAVIS KELCE SOUNDS OFF ON LACK OF SCORING THIS SEASON: ‘F---ING FRUSTRATING’

On 3rd-and-7 from the Chargers’ 20-yard line, it was imperative Los Angeles stopped the Chiefs to force the field goal and give Herbert another chance to get a game-winning drive himself. 

But Mahomes’ magic took place yet again, as he rolled outside the pocket, made a tackler miss, and flipped the ball to Travis Kelce for the first down. 

That allowed the Chiefs to run the clock down to the end of the fourth quarter, where Wright knocked the ball off the left upright from 31 yards out, but it was inside just enough to stay true for three points and the victory. 

"Doink for the division!" NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico yelled from the broadcast booth.

It took a while for someone to find the end zone in this game, but it finally happened near halftime as DeAndre Hopkins caught a short pass from Mahomes and took it nine yards to make it 13-0. 

The Chargers, who had to play without Herbert’s trusty rookie Ladd McConkey, couldn’t get going with five straight punts in the first half. 

However, they turned it around in the second half with back-to-back touchdown drives to make this one a real AFC West battle. 

First, it was the opening drive of the second half, as Herbert dissected the Chiefs’ defense over 13 plays where Gus Edwards, taking over the starting role with J.K. Dobbins injured, scored from three yards out. 

Then, after forcing a three-and-out on the Chiefs, Herbert needed just four plays to eventually find Quentin Johnston for the four-yard score to take a 14-13 lead. 

But when Mahomes and the Chiefs have the ball at the end of a close game this season, it just hasn’t worked out for the opponent. 

Mahomes was 24-for-37 for 210 yards with his one touchdown pass, while rushing for 17 yards in the win. Pacheco, who had more of a lead role as he eases back from injury. 

Kelce had the most yards by a Chiefs player with 45, while Worthy finished with 41 and Hopkins with 32. 

For the Chargers, Josh Palmer had a game-high 78 yards on six receptions while tight end Stone Smartt, who saw a bigger role with Will Dissly hurt during the game, had 54 yards on three catches. Johnston finished with 48 yards on five receptions as well. 

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Many believe the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year race is between two players with five games remaining, but a Los Angeles Chargers star safety made his own suggestion for a dark horse candidate. 

Quarterbacks Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos are the frontrunners to win the regular-season award, but Derwin James Jr. wants rookie receiver Ladd McConkey added to the conversation. 

"We got Ladd McConkey. That’s the Rookie of the Year. Ladd McConkey at receiver," James said during an appearance on FanDuel TV’s "Up & Adams" with Kay Adams.

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James also shouted out his quarterback, Justin Herbert, rookie right tackle Joe Alt and left tackle Rashawn Slater. 

But McConkey, who leads the team with 58 catches for 815 yards, has emerged as a true top receiver in Greg Roman’s offense in Los Angeles.

James was asked why he believes McConkey has gotten his career off to a fast start. 

"Ladd’s a great pro," James responded. "Every day he shows up to work, he’s got his priorities in line off the field. I feel like every day he wants to be great and give it all to the team. Love Ladd so much."

McConkey ranks second among rookies in receiving yards. Budding Las Vegas Raiders star Brock Bowers has 884 to lead the way. The tight end also leads all rookie receivers with 84 catches on 113 targets. 

There are still games remaining, so maybe McConkey can top Bowers. 

However, the race will likely remain between Daniels and Nix considering they have led their teams to playoff contention. 

Nix leads all NFL rookies with 2,842 passing yards, and Daniels is right behind him with 2,819. Nix has thrown 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Daniels has thrown 15 touchdowns and six picks. 

Daniels also has six rushing scores and 590 yards on the ground. Nix has rushed for 304 yards and four touchdowns. 

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The "Harbaugh Bowl" at SoFi Stadium went to John, as he beat his brother Jim's Los Angeles Chargers, 30-23, on "Monday Night Football" to get his Baltimore Ravens back in the win column. 

The Ravens moved to 8-4 on the season, while the Chargers dropped to 7-4. 

It may have been the first game he didn’t score this season, but the Ravens’ offense was once again led by the strong rushing attack of Derrick Henry. 

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Henry tallied 140 rushing yards on 24 carries (5.8 per attempt), as Baltimore’s run game continues to beat up on NFL defenses this season. 

It was nothing flashy for Henry, but one of the best defenses in the league couldn’t figure out how get the big stop when he had the ball in his hands. 

Meanwhile, two other rushers were able to find the end zone, with Lamar Jackson getting in for the Ravens’ first score of the game and Justice Hill putting the dagger in the victory with a 51-yard score in the fourth quarter. 

EAGLES' SAQUON BARKLEY SETS FRANCHISE SINGLE-GAME RUSHING RECORD IN STATEMENT WIN OVER RAMS

Things went so well for Los Angeles to start this game off, as Justin Herbert was methodical as he charged downfield and ultimately rushed it in for an opening-drive touchdown. But it was the only one of two touchdowns the team would score all game, as Cameron Dicker was active kicking field goals.

Jackson, on the other hand, was able to get two of his passes into the end zone with Mark Andrews leaping to haul one in during the fourth quarter, while Rashod Bateman fought through a defensive pass interference call at the end of the first half to snag a 40-yard bomb from Jackson to take a 17-13 lead at the time. 

Gus Edwards was able to score from one yard out with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter, giving Dicker a chance to have an onside kick with a one-score game. 

But Isaiah Likely secured the attempt to seal the Ravens’ victory, a much-needed win for Baltimore after faltering in Pittsburgh last week.

Jackson finished the game with 177 passing yards on 16-of-22 through the air with his two touchdowns and one rushing score. Zay Flowers was his top receiver with 62 yards on five receptions, while Andrews had 44 yards on five catches as well. 

For Herbert, he went 21-of-36 for 218 yards, where drops were an issue for his receivers on the night. Quentin Johnston was the main culprit of that as he couldn’t haul in any of his five targets. 

Ladd McConkey, who has been a standout rookie for Los Angeles, had 83 yards on six catches. 

Also worth nothing for the Chargers: J.K. Dobbins, the ex-Ravens who has shined for the Chargers this season, left the game with a knee injury. Dobbins has a history of torn ligaments in his knee, so Chargers fans are waiting with bated breath to see what happens with their star running back. 

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President-elect Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development played eight years in the NFL and on one of the worst teams in league history. 

Scott Turner, a seventh-round pick out of Illinois, played for a 2000 Chargers team that went 1-15. It's recognized as one of the worst teams in NFL history, and Turner shared a locker room with infamous NFL bust Ryan Leaf. The other quarterback on that team was current Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who went winless in five games as a starter with 10 interceptions. 

But it was one of Turner's best individual seasons as a pro. The former defensive back had a career-high two starts and his only interception for a touchdown that year. He also blocked a punt in his team's first meeting against the Denver Broncos in October of that year. 

Turner's touchdown, a 75-yard pick six against the Broncos in their second meeting Nov. 19, 2000, came in the final two minutes of the first half to put San Diego up 24-7. 

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Leaf had a career day passing in the only game in which he threw for more than 300 yards or three touchdowns. But Leaf threw an interception, and the Chargers lost the game 38-37. It was Leaf's last season in San Diego, and by 2003 he was out of the league. 

Leaf later served time in jail and is known as one of the NFL's biggest draft busts after being taken with the No. 2 overall pick in 1998 after Peyton Manning went No. 1. 

Turner played one more season in San Diego, appearing in just four games in 2001. His final NFL season came in 2003 with the Broncos.

Turner scored his first-ever touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone for the Washington Redskins against the Arizona Cardinals in December 1996. 

ESPN'S ELLE DUNCAN CLAPS BACK AT GIANTS FANS IRKED BY DANIEL JONES CRITICISM

Turner also worked as an intern for U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., during offseasons and after he retired in 2004. In 2006, Turner ran unsuccessfully as a Republican in California’s 50th Congressional District.

Turner joined the Texas House in 2013 as part of a large crop of Tea Party-supported lawmakers. He tried unsuccessfully to become speaker before he finished his second term in 2016. He did not seek a third term.

Trump introduced Turner in April 2019 as the head of the new White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Trump credited Turner with "helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities."

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For the first time in league history, the NFL is flexing a "Thursday Night Football" game. 

The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals were scheduled to play the Thursday night game during Week 16, but the NFL is replacing that matchup with the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers.

The change is unprecedented because of how drastically different team preparation is between a Thursday and Sunday game. 

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Teams and players generally don’t like playing on Thursday because of a lack of recovery time and preparation can lead to injuries. 

The Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 Thursday to improve to 3-8 and are closer to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft than playoff contention.

The Bengals, despite Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase playing well, are 4-7 and have an uphill climb to make the playoffs. 

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The Chargers (7-3) and Broncos (6-5) both occupy playoff spots in the AFC and their Week 16 matchup could be pivotal for determining seeding, not to mention better ratings for the NFL. 

The current seeding in the AFC:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)

2. Buffalo Bills (9-2)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)

4. Houston Texans (7-4)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)

6. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

7. Denver Broncos (6-5)

The Indianapolis Colts (5-6) and Miami Dolphins (4-6) are on the outside looking in. 

The Chargers will be home for the Thursday night matchup against the Broncos Dec.19. Both teams are home the prior week, potentially another reason the NFL made the schedule change. 

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