SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Chargers know the better team won in the Denver Broncos’ 35-21 conquest on Thursday.

“Give them credit, they played a good game,” Chargers coach Mike McCoy said of the Broncos.

It was the Chargers’ second loss in five days and dropped them to 5-3. They get some time to catch their breath, not playing again until Nov. 2 in Miami.

“We will have a great week of practice,” McCoy said Friday. “We will grind away.”

But before the loss to Denver gets too far in the rearview mirror, McCoy said it was clear what happened.

“We gave them too many opportunities,” McCoy said. “Turnovers, a big play at end of half.

“We got to play better and coach better, that is the big thing. If you give a good team opportunities, they will make you pay for it.”

The Chargers cashed in early in the schedule with wins over some struggling teams. But the schedule has turned and in the last two weeks the Chargers haven’t been able to beat the Kansas City Chiefs and the Broncos.

“We’ll get our chance at them again,” Rivers said of Denver. “Hopefully, we will be a better team then.”

The Broncos are already there. Now the Chargers looked to where they’re headed.

“We have 10 days to get ready for Miami, to play the best game of our lives and get to 6-3,” safety Eric Weddle said. “Hopefully, we will get some guys back healthy.

“This is a long season by no means did our season ride on winning or losing. We got eight games left and we are going to play our tails off.”

Weddle headed into the week with a promise for the Broncos.

“They are just better than us right now,” Weddle said. “The next time we see them we will be better.”