The Chargers ended a two-game losing streak and defeated their Mile High demons with a 23-16 win over the Denver Broncos.

It was the Chargers’ first win in Denver since 2018, the year Derwin James Jr. was drafted in the first round.

“Wow,” the star safety said about ending the road losing drought against their AFC West rival. “Man, it’s important, man, y’all know division play plus two counts.”

What we learned:

Fourth quarter a different game

The Broncos, a franchise that started in 1960, were never left out at home. The Chargers came within a quarter of the historic feat with a 23-0 lead.

The three-quarter masterpiece, one reporter began while talking to outside linebacker Khalil Mack, must have been a big deal.

“Not really, man,” Mack interjected. “We want to do it all four quarters.”

The Chargers have made big strides under first-year defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, taking the unit that ranked 24th in the NFL in points allowed last season to six weeks in first place. But the late-game blowout prevents the Chargers from truly enjoying the turnaround with so much room for improvement.

Read more: Jim Harbaugh, Chargers feeling better after first win in Denver since 2018

The Chargers, who led the NFL with 13.2 points per game, gave up back-to-back 10-7 halftime leads in losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.

On Sunday, quarterback Bo Nix threw for 176 of his 216 passing yards in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of a small Chargers secondary that lost cornerback Kristian Fulton while the Broncos were in desperation mode.

Nix struggled for two critical first downs in the fourth quarter. He shrugged off an arm tackle attempt by James on fourth-and-5 and gained six yards to set up a 15-yard touchdown to Courtland Sutton on the next play. Nix got out of a tight tackle late in the fourth quarter while scrambling for 21 yards to set up the Broncos’ final field goal attempt.

The 24-year-old rookie was the Broncos’ leading rusher with 61 yards on six carries.

Chargers rookies resign

Fulton left the game late in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. The cornerback was already dealing with a knee injury during the week and his departure was another blow to an already thin secondary that was without Asante Samuel Jr. (shoulder) and Ja’Sir Taylor (fibula).

With the veterans sick, rookies seized their opportunity.

Cam Hart, a sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame, made his first start at defense on Sunday and finished with three tackles, while fellow rookie Tarheeb Still got his second straight start in the slot.

After playing a quiet role as a point guard on special teams, Hart announced his defensive arrival by combining for a tackle on the opening play of the scrimmage. He showed his physicality by throwing off a block and finishing with a solo tackle on Troy Franklin in the first quarter.

Read more: Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has had this heart problem before, but what are the next steps?

“They were balling,” James said of Hart and Still with a wide grin. ‘I’m so proud of those boys. I told them that there is no age limit for this game. You can be a rookie and make plays.

Still had three tackles and a key pass breakup against Marvin Mims Jr. in the first quarter, saving a potential touchdown. However, the rookies allowed some big plays in the fourth quarter. Still had tight coverage on Sutton when the receiver lunged for a touchdown catch in the back of the end zone.

On offense, rookie running back Kimani Vidal made his NFL debut in style, hauling in a 38-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert on his first touch as a pro.

The former sixth-round draft pick was inactive through the first four games of the season, but took advantage of an ankle injury to running back Gus Edwards to break into the rotation. Vidal had 11 yards rushing in four carries with 44 yards receiving and two catches.

The rookies will likely get more opportunities in the coming weeks, as Samuel and Edwards have been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least three more games.

Third place was the Chargers’ first priority

Justin Herbert called third-down conversions the offense’s top priority after the off week. The Chargers controlled the box against the Broncos and converted on 11 of 18 third-down attempts.

The team was seven for 24 on third down in their two losses.

Key third-down plays allowed the Chargers to dominate time of possession, especially in the first half when they held the ball for more than 21 minutes. The highlight was a 20-play drive, the team’s longest since 2000. It lasted 10 minutes, 29 seconds, but ended in a field goal.

Attacking the Red Zone is Herbert’s next task. The Chargers scored just one touchdown in their three red zone trips on Sunday.

Get the day’s best, most interesting and strangest stories from the LA sports scene and beyond with our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.