Sean Payton’s been telling his team all season that they’d eventually be playing in bigger games. Those games are here and so far the results are mixed. The Broncos started slow but dominated late to beat Indianapolis and get to the doorstep of the playoffs. Then they did the opposite and squandered a dominant start against the Los Angeles Chargers in their first chance to clinch a spot. Each game showed how small the margin is this time of year. If Colts running back Jonathan Taylor doesn’t drop the ball at the goal line in the second half of Week 15, Indianapolis goes up 20-7 and perhaps wins that game. The key sequence from a momentum standpoint in the Broncos’ 34-27 loss to the Chargers? A measly little three-and-out sandwiched between L.A.’s back-to-back second-half scoring drives. The Broncos’ efforts were undoubtedly hurt by the end-of-half sequence in which Payton turned the aggressive meter to 11, leading to a punt, penalty and 57-yard free kick field goal to turn a two-score lead into a 21-13 advantage. Payton insisted Sunday in a conference call with reporters that sequence didn’t start the Broncos’ spiral. “One of the dumber storylines was the end of the half in regards to us being aggressive with 41 seconds, two timeouts,” Payton said. “We punt the ball, the half’s over with. I read more stuff that I just looked at and thought, ‘This is garbage.’ No. 1, it didn’t shift the momentum. We got the ball back to start the second half, went down the field and kicked a field goal.” Indeed, the Broncos opened the third quarter with an 11-play, 47-yard drive to start the second half that chewed six minutes, 29 seconds off the clock and ended in a 41-yard Wil Lutz field goal. At that point, midway through the third quarter, Denver held a 24-13 lead. The Chargers drove for a touchdown and failed to convert the two-point conversion and the Broncos’ offense was tasked with stunting the momentum there. Instead, Blake Watson lost a yard on first down and two Bo Nix completions totaled just 4 yards. Punt. “We just kind of fell flat,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said after the game. “We didn’t convert first downs regularly enough, didn’t move the ball successfully and it came back and bit us in the ass.” The Chargers went down, scored again and took the lead for good. “This area of the game is the area that, as a coach, you look at and you get frustrated,” Payton said. “How do we put a brake on the momentum as it shifted? I feel like we could have done a better job there.” Related Articles Denver Broncos | Broncos HC Sean Payton hopes CB Riley Moss can play vs. Bengals Denver Broncos | Broncos’ Sean Payton: Not a fan of broadcast showing play sheet Thursday night Denver Broncos | Broncos still have several paths to playoffs, but pressure only ramps up from here: “It’s just delayed, not denied” Denver Broncos | Renck: If Nik Bonitto wants to be considered among NFL elite, Broncos edge rusher must play his best when it matters most Denver Broncos | NFL picks: Woody Johnson and the Jets deliver laughs and another win for the Los Angeles Rams Payton lamented the fact that the Broncos ran 11 times for 73 and a touchdown on their first two drives and for 89 yards total in the first half, but couldn’t convert on the ground on first down on that possession. “The second half there were two series I kind of kicked myself where even when we did run it, it was the type of run that wasn’t as effective,” he said. “We had ample opportunities in that second half.” There’s a lot that goes into winning or losing any game any weekend. The margin gets smaller and smaller as the stakes grow larger and larger. The Broncos will have to find a way to win more of those moments Saturday at Cincinnati and in Week 18 against Kansas City to ensure they make the postseason for the first time since 2015. “There’s going to be a sense of urgency always,” Payton said. “There’s a lot of different scenarios. The focal point always is on the game you’re playing. That’s the one thing that you can control. I look forward to having a good week.” Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.