The San Diego Chargers have been rolling against the Denver Broncos, carrying a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter of Thursday Night Football. The tides may be turning, though, after Travis Benjamin muffed a punt and the Broncos recovered.
The Chargers were playing well, so naturally they botched a punt return
It isn’t Travis Benjamin’s first costly mistake of the season.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
The officials initially ruled that the punt had been downed at the San Diego 11-yard line, but the ball clearly touched Benjamin, making it a live ball. The Broncos challenged, and the ruling was reversed.
Broncos safety Will Parks had recovered the ball and ran it into the end zone, but rules do not allow a player to advance the ball in that situation. The Broncos took over at the 11-yard line, but were unable to get it into the end zone, settling instead for a field goal to narrow the Chargers’ lead to seven points.
This isn’t Benjamin’s first costly mistake this season. Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4, he fumbled the ball and the Saints recovered, converting the turnover into a score to take a 35-34 lead. That one-point lead held through the end of the game, giving the Saints their first win of the season.
Philip Rivers has been on point against the Broncos, completing 14 of 19 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown so far. The Chargers hope to break a 10-game losing streak against AFC West opponents.
It could have been worse, since the Broncos only came away with a field goal, but it was still a big mistake by Benjamin.
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