The Denver Broncos’ playoff hopes were shattered for good in Week 17 with their road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Coming into Week 17, the Broncos still had an outside chance at making a late push for a wild-card spot in the AFC, but this defeat to the Chargers means that they will not be playing playoff football in January for the sixth straight season.

Third-year quarterback Drew Lock earned a start for Denver against the Chargers, as Teddy Bridgewater was ruled out for the second consecutive game due to a concussion. Lock had an early injury scare after taking a hard hit to his right shoulder by Chargers outside linebacker Joey Bosa. Still, he later returned to the game, where he wound up finishing with 245 passing yards and a 116.3 passer rating.

In his post-game press conference, Lock touched on his first reaction to the Broncos now officially being eliminated from playoff contention, where he noted that this “hurts” for plenty of the team’s veterans.

“We all wanted a super successful season for us,” Lock said. “That didn't happen. It hurts. It doesn't necessarily hurt for you; it hurts for Kareem Jackson. It hurts when I look at Justin Simmons… a lot of guys I hold close to my heart and wanted good things to happen for them.”

From Broncos tight end Noah Fant’s perspective, he sees a silver lining in this season in that the team improved its record from last year, but overall, he well aspired to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

“It shows improvement from last year… but it also is disappointing, honestly,” Fant said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to get in the playoffs; that’s the biggest thing… all the focus is on us. We’ve got to figure out how to win these games.”

The Broncos have now clinched a losing season for the fifth straight year. They have not featured in the playoffs since their Super Bowl 50-winning run over the 2015 campaign.