INGLEWOOD — Quarterback Justin Herbert threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes and the Chargers overcame a halftime deficit to seize a 34-27 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium. The victory all but assured the Chargers of an AFC wild-card berth.

Herbert rallied the Chargers from a 21-13 halftime deficit to a 27-24 lead with a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Derius Davis and a 2-point conversion pass to Joshua Palmer. In the end, it was difficult to know which pass was the more remarkable throw with 12:23 remaining in the game.

First, Herbert rolled to his left to avoid pressure and then whipped a pass across his body to a wide-open Davis for a touchdown that put the Chargers in front of the Broncos for the first time in the game, 25-24. Coach Jim Harbaugh declined to kick the extra point, but went for the conversion.

Herbert’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and then Palmer tapped the ball with his right hand before snaring it with both hands while simultaneously dragging his feet to ensure it would be a legal, inbounds catch. Herbert raised both hands in triumph as teammates congratulated him and Palmer.

Herbert then drove the Chargers for a game-clinching touchdown, capping a six-play, 90-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown pass to running back Hassan Haskins with 2:27 remaining for a 34-24 lead. Gus Edwards, who rushed for two touchdowns earlier in the game, set up the score with a 43-yard run.

The Chargers (9-6) needed a victory over the Broncos (9-6) to secure the tiebreaker in case the teams have identical records by the end of the regular season. The Chargers have games against the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders to end the season. The Broncos face the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.

A loss would not have damaged the Chargers’ playoff chances, but it would have made things more difficult and more uncertain. They went into the game with an 87% chance of advancing to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons and the first with Harbaugh as their coach. The Chargers can clinch a berth as soon as this weekend if Indianapolis and Miami both lose their games.

The Broncos rolled to a 21-13 lead by halftime, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three possessions and torching the Chargers for 236 total yards. The Chargers forced their first punts since the third quarter of their Dec. 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the second of which led to an unusual field goal for the Chargers.

Cameron Dicker converted a 57-yard field goal on the final play of the half on what was the first fair catch free kick in the NFL since Ray Wersching kicked a 45-yard free kick for the Chargers on Nov. 21, 1976 against the Buffalo Bills. Dicker’s kick was set up when the Broncos interfered with Derius Davis’ fair catch.

The ensuing 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the Broncos’ 47-yard line. Under the rules, Dicker kicked from the line of scrimmage in a formation that looked like a typical kickoff rather than lining up in a customary field goal formation, with the holder spotting the ball roughly seven yards behind the line of scrimmage.

The Broncos were not allowed to attempt to block the kick.

Dicker booted the ball through the uprights with plenty to spare, trimming the Chargers’ deficit to 21-13 and providing their fans something to cheer heading into the second half. Dicker might also have been successful on a kick of 65 yards, in a traditional formation, had the Chargers gone that route.

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The final play of the half did little to overshadow the Chargers’ many defensive troubles, an ongoing issue in the wake of their 40-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Bo Nix passed for 155 yards and two touchdown passes on 15-for-21 passing in the first half.

Denver took a 24-13 lead on Wil Lutz’s 41-yard field goal. The Chargers countered with Edwards’ 5-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left in the third quarter, his second rushing touchdown of the game. Herbert’s two-point conversion run failed and the Chargers trailed 24-19.

Herbert set up the second of Edwards’ touchdown runs with a 7-yard scramble on third-and-13 from the Broncos’ 18-yard line. An unnecessary roughing penalty against the Broncos on a sliding Herbert moved the ball to the 5, setting up a first-and-goal situation and Edwards’ score.

That scoring drive was a mere warmup for what was to come in the fourth.

Nix finished 29 of 40 for 263 yards and two touchdowns for Denver, which was swept by the Chargers for the first time since 2010.

More to come on this story.