Broncos block late FG, top Chargers in Joseph’s debut

DENVER — Shelby Harris got a hand on Younghoe Koo’s 44-yard field goal attempt with a second left, and the Broncos began the Vance Joseph era with a 2421 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.

Koo nailed the kick moments earlier, but Joseph had called a timeout to ice the kicker.

“I had two timeouts and I wasn’t going to leave with those in my pocket,” Joseph said. “So, just ice the kid and see how he reacted.”

On the re-do, Harris — who made the team largely because of a rash of injuries along the D-line — sliced through and got his right hand on the kick.

It was reminiscent of last year’s opener, when the Broncos escaped with a 2120 win over the Carolina Panthers when Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal with 4 seconds left.

Denver took a 24-7 lead into the fourth quarter but had two turnovers that were converted into touchdowns, a missed field goal and a punt.

“The game was in firm control for about three quarters there and we felt good but you turn the ball over twice on the short side of the 50, it’s going to be a problem with Philip Rivers,” Joseph said.

Von Miller presented Joseph with a game ball in the jubilant locker room.

“It wasn’t clean, but it’s good to win,” Joseph said. “It’s a hard league. Every week is going to be a challenge, so a win’s a win. We’ll take it.”

Before those fourth-quarter foibles, Trevor Siemian threw two TD passes to Bennie Fowler and ran for another score.

The Broncos held Philip Rivers to 115 yards passing through three quarters but let him engineer a comeback when Siemian threw an interception and Jamaal Charles fumbled on plays that were upheld despite video evidence that had the crowd of 76,324 convinced they should have been overturned.

Safety Adrian Phillips intercepted a pass that went off cornerback Desmond King’s leg as King was tackling Fowler while the ball was still in the air. A review upheld the turnover and L.A. pulled to 24-14 on Keenan Allen’s 5-yard TD catch with eight minutes left.

Less than a minute later, Charles fumbled — although replays showed his left elbow was down before the ball was ripped away by Korey Toomer. Cornerback Casey Hayward recovered. One play later, Rivers hit Travis Benjamin for a 38yard touchdown that made it 24-21 and safety Darian Stewart hobbled off with a strained groin.

Back-to-back sacks of Siemian set up a 50-yard field goal try that McManus pushed wide right, giving L.A. the ball at its 40-yard line.

But Koo’s miss loomed larger in the final seconds.

The Broncos led 14-7 at halftime after Siemian threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Fowler and scored on a 1-yard keeper.

Los Angeles’ only touchdown drive was aided by a 40-yard pass interference call on cornerback Bradley Roby before Rivers hit running back Melvin Gordon for an 11-yard touchdown toss. Safety Justin Simmons hit Gordon at the 2, but he just somersaulted across the goal line.

Rivers stayed away from the All-Pro tandem of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., instead targeting Roby and safeties Stewart and Simmons.

Roby atoned for his crucial penalty with an interception in the third quarter on a pass intended for Allen. That led to Siemian’s 6-yard TD toss to Fowler that made it 21-7.

McManus kicked a 20yard field goal on the last play of the third quarter, capping a 78-yard drive that ate up 8 minutes, 16 seconds.

The game presented landmarks on the football field, along the sidelines and in the broadcast booth.

Not since 1960 had the Chargers represented L.A., where they played their inaugural season before bolting to San Diego.

Beth Mowins became the first woman to call an NFL regular season game since NBC’s Gayle Sierens in 1987 when she handled play-by-play on the doubleheader nightcap alongside Rex Ryan, who made his debut as an ESPN analyst.