Davis Is Looking to Return

SAN DIEGO — Terrell Davis was finally a winner in his third NFL homecoming. He’d love to do it again Jan. 25.

Davis, a San Diego native, ran for 178 yards and one touchdown and John Elway threw three touchdown passes as the Denver Broncos became the first AFC team to clinch a playoff berth with a 38-28 victory over the Chargers on Sunday night.

The Broncos badly want to atone for last season’s playoff collapse and make it to the Super Bowl, to be played in San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium on Jan. 25. None more so than Davis, who attended the same San Diego high school (Lincoln) as Marcus Allen.

“It would mean a lot, of course,” Davis said. “It’s fun to come back to San Diego and do well. All my friends are here, I was born here. It would be a dream come true if I could actually come back for the Super Bowl.”

It was the first time Davis had been on a winning team at the former Jack Murphy Stadium covering high school, college (Long Beach State and Georgia) and three games with the Broncos.

Davis also regained the NFL rushing lead from Detroit’s Barry Sanders and, with 1,647 yards, needs to average 118 yards in his final three games to become the third NFL player to reach 2,000. Sanders has 1,594 yards.

Denver (11-2) shares the NFL’s best record with San Francisco, which lost at Kansas City. The Broncos are a game ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC West.

Last season, the Broncos clinched the AFC West title and home-field advantage shortly after Thanksgiving, then were upset by Jacksonville in the divisional playoffs.

The Chargers (4-9) have lost five in a row for the first time since going 0-5 to start the 1991 season. Eric Metcalf set an NFL record with his ninth career punt return for a touchdown, an 83-yarder in the third quarter.