The Broncos' offense is off to a slow start after the Chargers' loss, continuing a season-long trend

On the Broncos' 17th offensive snap Sunday afternoon, they finally pulled off an easy feat.

For the first time, they found themselves in the midfield of the Los Angeles Chargers.

The 45 yard line, to be exact.

Instead of continuing to chug, however, running back Javonte Williams fumbled and the first really promising drive for Denver was wiped out before it had a chance to develop.

The Broncos' chances were also somewhat realistic a few minutes later when Los Angeles scored a decisive touchdown with a minute left in the first half.

The Chargers dominated the first 30 minutes so thoroughly that the final score of 23:16 wasn't really meaningful in their favor.

This sequence did it.

“We did all the things you can’t do in a game like this,” head coach Sean Payton said. “We knew what kind of game it would be. We shot twice in the first half. That led to points. When you do that, then start paying attention to the timing of possession. They ran the ball better than us. We put together some offense toward the end of the game.”

The Broncos' defense, playing without Pat Surtain II (concussion), suffered a loss of oil for the first time this season. The Chargers offense was in full swing in terms of pace and precision with two shots on goal that lasted 20 and 11 plays respectively.

In between, Denver’s offense didn’t help.

“We can’t start slow,” right-back Quinn Meinerz said flatly. “Our performance in the first half was nowhere near what we were capable of.”

During the team's 3-3 start to the season, slow starts have been the frustrating norm.

To stay anywhere close to the postseason in the future, Denver needs to find a way to do something, anything, offensively in the first 30 minutes.

Not only did they mar this beautiful Front Range afternoon by stopping early and often, but they also turned the ball over twice in five possessions.

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix was intercepted on Denver's third play of the game – fittingly, a third-and-long – and Williams later fumbled.

“We didn’t play enough games in a row to find a rhythm,” Nix said. “It took a few plays and you were off the field. In a game like this, where you know they’re going to control the ball, you have to find ways to stay on the field.”

The coach and quarterback could have tried to find solace in a fourth quarter full of empty calories, but instead they largely avoided it.

“Let’s be honest, it went quicker once we started picking up the pace and we were behind,” Payton said. “The reporting looks different. … The game was in a different situation at that point.”

Nix was 4 of 14 for 27 yards and a pick after three quarters. The Broncos' offense totaled 88 yards and five first downs, compared to the Chargers' 321 and 20.

Nix led several long touchdown drives against soft coverage and prevent defense in the fourth quarter, completing 15 of 19 for 189 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos managed 230 yards to Los Angeles' 29.

But make no mistake, Denver's offense spent the first half shoveling and digging a hole so deep that they had no real chance of getting out.

That happens sometimes in the NFL, but the problem here is the frequency with which it happened to the Broncos this fall.

They had the ball 36 times in six games in the first half and failed to get a first down in half the time.

They scored two early touchdowns against Tampa Bay in Week 3 and otherwise have an offensive touchdown in five other first halves.

In six games they were eliminated three times in the first half.

Take away the fast start against the Bucs and the Broncos had the ball 30 times, scored a touchdown and failed to get a first down 17 times.

They were one of the worst teams in the NFL overall in the third period and are even worse early than late, converting just 9 of 41 in the first half (22%).

Nix doesn't escape the ugliness either.

He lit up the Bucs with 169 yards.

Otherwise, he is 39 of 74 (52.7%) for 226 yards, no touchdowns, two picks and six sacks (minus 41 yards). That's an average of 37 net passing yards in five first halves.

Even taking into account the stellar performance in Week 3, Nix's first-half passer rating this year is 59.4 and the Broncos are averaging 59 net pass yards in the first 30 minutes.

“It all starts with me,” Payton said. “We have to get better offensively.”