Bo Nix (aka Ferris Bueller) comes on in the first half of the Broncos' loss to the Chargers

First thoughts on the Broncos' 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6 at Empower Field at Mile High:

Bueller's day off: It was on Bo Nix's very first throw of the day – a third-and-8 shot downfield to Marvin Mims Jr. that sailed toward the rookie quarterback and into the hands of safety Elijah Molden. And things didn't get much better from there: Nix' converted a penalty on Courtland Sutton late in the second quarter, the closest the Broncos came to a first-half high point on five possessions. The quarterback's rating at halftime (0.0) was the same as yours. Yes, Ferris Bueller was successful in the first half as the Broncos went scoreless in the first two quarters for the third time this season and fell behind 20-0. And no miraculous second-half comeback was going to change that.

Why Surtain is important: It's not quite the same when Pat Surtain II isn't on the field, is it? The Broncos All-Pro cornerback's day was over after one snap. And for the first time in a long time, Vance Joseph's defense looked lethal. Linebacker Cody Barton had no chance to cover Kimani Vidal on a wheel route that went for a 38-yard touchdown. QB Justin Herbert converted three third-and-longs on the next drive: a 20-play, 10-minute, 29-second march that slowly drained the life out of Empower Field. And when JK Dobbins stretched the ball across the goal line for a 4-yard score with 1:03 left in the second quarter, the Chargers had converted 8 of 10 third downs, scored on all four possessions and had a 20-point lead.

First year lessons: For a moment we had an all-time charger in the game. And that was thanks in part to a group of rookies who represent the Broncos' offensive future. Devaughn Vele, a healthy player the past three weeks, started the rally with an impromptu 37-yard catch-and-run from Bo Nix on fourth-and-2. Troy Franklin then made a 2-yard touchdown grab, his first touchdown a week after his end zone drop sparked the now infamous sideline confrontation between Nix and Sean Payton. And Nix kept the dream alive by scoring a miraculous 6-yard scramble on fourth-and-5 on the next possession and then hitting Courtland Sutton for a 15-yard score. Unfortunately, Marvin Mims Jr.'s ensuing jet sweep on the two-point attempt came up empty and the Chargers died with it, providing the ultimate rookie lesson: Don't wait until the fourth quarter to do that.