An all-time low. That's the only way to describe the state of the San Diego Chargers.

The Denver Broncos beat the Chargers in the ugliest game in years at Qualcomm, with a 16-13 overtime decision making the 6th loss in a row for a team many thought might have a big bounce back season. Now, the only phrase coming out of the stadium, as anger spilled into the parking lot, was that it is time to bounce coach Norv Turner.

The Broncos, with quarterback Tim Tebow running a "Fraternity Row Flag Football Offense," grinded out enough yards for Matt Prater to kick a game-winning field goal for the win. Only in San Diego, against a team coached by Turner, could something like this happen.

Tebow, deemed unfit to be an NFL starter because of his passing shortcomings, had one of his best games throwing the ball. Forced to throw, forced to flee the pass rush, forced to use his escapability to keep plays alive, he was (9-18) for 143-yards, and had three more dropped. He added 67 yards rushing, taking him over the 200-all purpose yard mark. Not bad for someone the critics say can't play this style of the ball. Tebow is (5-1) and Denver is the playoffs. Norv, with a pasty-white dead man look on his face, retreated to the locker room amidst boos, howls and flying objects.

In a game where the Chargers seemed certain to post a blowout win, the sun set on Mission Bay and their playoff hopes, with San Diego now planted firmly in last place.

Ryan Mathews came up with a career best 137 rushing day. Philip Rivers did not throw an interception, finishing with 188 yard passing. But for every big play (Mathews had five nice runs and Vincent Jackson had a good catch or two) there was no yardage gained. There were wild incompletions. There were pressures, sacks and hits. Rivers had the dirty uniform, as the Broncos recorded 3 sacks, 8 hits and 9 pressures on San Diego's $16 million dollar man.

There's no doubt defending the Broncos option read offense is a challenge. More times than not, San Diego got big hits on Tebow, but more times than not, it came after he handed the ball off to tailback Willis McGahee, who rumbled for 117 yards rushing.

The defensive front got pounded. The linebackers made some big plays, but too often, tackles were down the field. The secondary was taken advantage of, with Paul Oliver and Steve Gregory giving up big pass plays on the odd occasion Tebow needed to throw downfield. He did, and he completed passes.

The early season magic of Nick Novak, the field goal kicker, has dimmed, like the teams playoff hopes. He missed two long distance field goals, and his misses are become a weekly thing now.

I was prepared to write that the Chargers were ready to make a statement in the second quarter, when Rivers marched them 91 yards for a TD, using all his weapons, run and throw. It was a nine minute drive down the field that gave San Diego an early lead, with the hope they punished the Broncos enough to wear them out. But there were still 30 minutes of football to be played, and the Broncos were the ones who punched the Chargers in the mouth.

It could have been worse, had it not been for a poor job by NFL ref Jeff Triplett and his blind-as-a bat officiating crew. They missed a flagrant Travis LaBoy facemask penalty, an illegal procedure penalty against a tackle, a Paul Oliver missed pass interference penalty on the goal line, and Steven Gregory's out-of-bounds hit in OT on Tebow.

It is astounding to think the Chargers would lose to a team whose quarterback went 26 minutes without a completion, and had just two completions at halftime. It's stunning to think that you would lose to a team converting just 23% of its third down plays with this guy at quarterback. But they did. Tebow completed 9-critical pass plays. The Broncos completed 5-big third downs. When they were done, Denver's down and dirty offense had accounted for 208 yards on the ground.

Coach John Fox probably could have ended it early in OT, had he gambled on a couple of 4th-and-1 plays, but instead chose to punt it, and put Rivers on a long field, somewhere out in the parking lot. He believed in his defense, and did not believe in Turner's offensive prowess. He was right on both accounts.

Here I was, finally ready to write about a win, a possible winning streak, renewed hope. Maybe it would have been an ugly victory, but who cares about style points, when a "W" is all you need. I criticized them early in the season, when they had that (4-1) start, unimpressed because they never played well and were beating tomato can teams.

Now, how do you describe all this?

The Chargers lost to a badly outmanned team, running a junkyard college offense, run by a one dimension young quarterback, at home before a raging crowd, wearing their Powder Blue passion on their sleeve.

In a five year run, Norv Turner has taken the team to the brink, missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Along the way there have been horrible losses, in the playoffs and in the regular season as well. You don't lose to the likes of Buffalo, St. Louis, Seattle, Cincinnati, and now downtrodden Denver, over the last two seasons without someone being held accountable.

Catch Lee 'Hacksaw' Hamilton weekday mornings starting at 10am on XX-1090am