Studs and duds from Broncos' 23-20 loss vs. Chargers

The Denver Broncos suffered another brutal last-second loss, this time at the hands of their AFC West rivals, Los Angeles Chargers. The Broncos fought hard yet again, but there were several hiccups along the way. We take a look at the studs and duds from the gut-wrenching loss.

Stud: WR Courtland Sutton

After a one catch effort in Week 2, Sutton bounced back with another great WR1 game. Sutton caught six passes (on eight targets) for 118 yards and one touchdown. Sutton continues to show why he's Nix's favorite target on a week-in, week-out basis.

Dud: Long passing game

Denver could have had several big plays in Sunday's game, including three long passes; two to Marvin Mims and one to Sutton. If Nix throws the two to Mims on the money, it's an easy 14 points. The plays were well-designed, but not well executed. If the Broncos are going to continue telling the world they are playoff contenders, they need to execute these plays well.

Stud: EDGE Nik Bonitto

Bonitto was his usual disruptive self during the game, notching two crucial sacks of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Bonitto played well on defense, helping the Broncos stay in the game until the very end. He is making a case for the best defensive player on the team right now.

Dud: Pat Surtain

For the second week in a row, Surtain actually looked human. Surtain was on the wrong end of some catches from the Chargers. It is not something you see out of a defending DPOY. Surtain, and the defense as a whole, need to be better if they are going to compete for the division, much less a playoff spot.

Dud: Penalties

The Broncos played completely undisciplined football at times with penalties for the second straight week. Denver ended up with 10 penalties for 90 yards, including giving six first downs by way of penalty. A Bonitto offsides on a punt, a Hufanga unnecessary rougness penalty after the whistle was blown, a Franklin offensive pass interference in the end zone all stalled Bronco drives or kept Charger drives going. The Hufanga penalty in particular came on the tying Chargers' touchdown drive, allowing Los Angeles to quickly get into Denver territory. Self-inflicted wounds for the second straight week prevent the Broncos from being 2-1, or even 3-0.

It's still early, but next week's rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals feels like a must-win to keep the Broncos in the mix in the AFC playoff picture.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Studs and duds from 23-20 loss vs. Chargers