The Denver Broncos had a playoff ticket in hand but let it get ripped away by the Los Angeles Chargers.

Sean Payton's crew controlled much of the first half and built an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter. But in a snap, the lead deteriorated. The Chargers scored three second-half touchdowns, turning a 24-13 deficit into a 34-24 lead. L.A. would hold on for a 34-27 victory.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said his frustrated over his team's collapse, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

"Everybody in that locker room -- every guy -- wants to already play next week, I think, at this point," quarterback Bo Nix said. "We're all competitively frustrated. I think we're excited for this opportunity. We know that this next one's the most important, and we just want to go out next week and not feel this way again."

Added linebacker Jonathon Cooper: "I just feel like the frustration comes from the fact that we knew we could have won this game, and we started the way we knew that we wanted to. We just didn't finish the way we wanted to. ... Everybody is hurt. It's a tough loss, a very tough loss. But we've just got to learn from it and come back next week stronger and focus on getting our 10th win."

The collapse was a group effort, with the offense going cold and the defense making miscues. Payton said he liked how his team battled, but they must be smarter, particularly with five "dropped coverages" from the defense.

"I think we're playing hard," coach Sean Payton said. "But we've got to be smarter. And we've got to be smarter as coaches as well."

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