Broncos–Chargers rivalry

Broncos–Chargers
Statistics
Teams	Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers
First contested	October 16, 1960 Los Angeles Chargers 23, Denver Broncos 19
Most recent meeting	December 14, 2014 Broncos 22, Chargers 10
Next meeting	December 6, 2015
Number of meetings	111 (including the playoffs)
All-time series	The Broncos lead 61–49–1 (including the playoffs)
Postseason results	The Broncos lead 1–0 January 12, 2014: Broncos 24, Chargers 17
Largest victory	Broncos: 38–3 (1997); Chargers: 58–20 1963, 41–3 (2007)
Longest win streak	Broncos: 7 (1975–78); Chargers: 6 (1963–66)
Playoff and Championship success
AFL Championships (1960–1969) Chargers: 1963 Super Bowl Championships (2) Broncos: 1997 (XXXII), 1998 (XXXIII) AFL Western Division Championships (5) (1960–1969) Chargers – 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965 AFC West Divisional Championships (24) (1970–present) Broncos (14) – 1977, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Chargers (10) – 1979, 1980, 1981, 1992, 1994, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 AFC Wild Card Berths (10) (1970–present) Broncos (7) – 1979, 1983, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004 Chargers (3) – 1982, 1995, 2013 Super Bowl Appearances (8) Broncos (7) – 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2013 Chargers (1) – 1994

The Broncos–Chargers rivalry is a rivalry between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League's AFC West division. Since the American Football League was established in 1960, the Broncos and the Chargers have shared the same division, first being the AFL Western Conference, and since the AFL–NFL merger, the AFC West.

Notable moments

1985–2006

November 17, 1985: Broncos' safety Dennis Smith blocked two straight field goal attempts in overtime, after the Chargers had advanced the football to the Broncos' 23-yard line in the first overtime possession. On 4th and 4 from the Broncos' 23, Smith blocked Bob Thomas' initial field goal attempt, only to have it negated due to a timeout being called by teammate Mike Harden prior to the kick. Following the timeout, Thomas attempted a second kick, and this was also blocked by Smith and returned by Louis Wright for a 60-yard touchdown for a 30–24 Broncos' overtime win at Mile High Stadium.^[1]^[2]

September 4, 1994: The Broncos jumped out to a 24–6 lead at Mile High Stadium on the Chargers in the second quarter, however, the Chargers responded, and took a 27–24 lead at haltime, after safety Stanley Richard returned a John Elway interception 99 yards for a touchdown just before halftime. The Chargers later sealed the victory after linebacker Junior Seau recovered a fumble by Elway in the game's closing seconds.^[3]

September 14, 2003: The Broncos routed the Chargers 37–13 at Qualcomm Stadium. However, the game is notable for a uniform mix-up, in which the Broncos came to the stadium in their road white jerseys, when the host Chargers were planning to wear white, and were supposed to be the team that declared their uniform color. The Broncos were fined $25,000 as a result, and when the two teams met at INVESCO Field at Mile High later that season in Week 11 (November 16), the NFL allowed the Chargers to choose their uniform color in advance, and they chose navy blue, forcing the Broncos to wear their white jerseys at home for the first time since 1983.^[4]

December 10, 2006: The Chargers routed the Broncos 48–20 at Qualcomm Stadium, in which Chargers' running back LaDainian Tomlinson set a new NFL record for touchdowns in a single season, with 28.^[5]

2007–present

December 24, 2007: In the fourth quarter of a Monday night game at Qualcomm Stadium, Broncos' quarterback Jay Cutler was involved in a verbal scuffle with Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers and linebacker Matt Wilhelm, with Rivers taunting Cutler and Wilhelm mocking a "waving" gesture. Broncos' cornerback Champ Bailey took exception to Rivers' taunting of Cutler.^[6]

September 14, 2008: With 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Chargers were leading 38–31 in Denver. The Broncos hiked the ball on 2nd-and-goal from the Chargers' 1-yard line. Jay Cutler rolled out to the right and fumbled the football before he brought his arm forward, which was recovered by Chargers' linebacker Tim Dobbins. However, referee Ed Hochuli called the play dead as he believed it to be an incomplete pass, so the ball was returned to the Broncos at the 10-yard line (the spot where the ball hit the ground). Two plays later, on 4th-and-goal from the 4, Cutler threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal to make the score 38–37. Instead of kicking an extra point to tie the game and send it to overtime, Broncos' head coach Mike Shanahan opted for a 2-point conversion. Cutler completed the conversion with another pass to Royal, giving Denver a controversial 39–38 victory.^[7]

December 28, 2008: The Broncos and Chargers met in the 2008 regular-season finale in San Diego, with the winner clinching the AFC West title. Three weeks earlier, the Broncos were 8–5 and the Chargers were 5–8, with the Broncos losing their next two games and the Chargers winning their next two to pull to within one game of the Broncos for the division lead. Three and a half months after the aforementioned controversial Broncos' win in Denver, the Chargers exacted revenge, with an emphatic 52–21 win that not only completed a monumental Broncos' season-ending collapse, but also denied the Broncos a playoff berth. The two teams finished the 2008 season tied for first-place in the AFC West, each with an 8–8 record, however, the Chargers won the division based on a better record against AFC West divisional opponents (5–1 to the Broncos' 3–3).^[8] This was also Mike Shanahan's last game as the Broncos' head coach, as he was fired two days later after 14 seasons.^[9]

November 27, 2011: Quarterback Tim Tebow led the Broncos to a 16–13 win at Qualcomm Stadium in overtime, with kicker Matt Prater nailing a 37-yard field goal with 29 seconds left. Earlier in overtime, the Broncos blocked a 53-yard attempt by Chargers' kicker Nick Novak, however, Broncos' head coach John Fox called a timeout prior to the kick. Novak subsequently missed the second attempt.^[10]

October 15, 2012: Trailing 24–0 at halftime after back-to-back special teams turnovers and an interception returned for a touchdown, Peyton Manning led the Broncos to a stunning 35–24 comeback win in San Diego. Three second-half interceptions and two lost fumbles by Chargers' quarterback Phillip Rivers swung the momentum in Denver's favor, as Manning and the Broncos took full advantage of each Chargers' mistake. Manning went 13-14 for 167 yards and three touchdowns in the second half, hitting Demaryius Thomas on a 29-yard score with 10:56 left in the third quarter to get on the scoreboard. Following a 65-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery by cornerback Tony Carter, the Broncos suddenly found themselves down only 10 as the Chargers watched their comfortable halftime lead dwindle. Manning added two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, finding Eric Decker on a 7-yard score and then connecting with Brandon Stokley on a 21-yard pitch and catch to give Denver a 28–24 lead with 9:03 left. Cornerback Chris Harris sealed it with a 46-yard interception return to put the Broncos up 35–24 with 2:06 left. The defense added one final takeaway as Rivers fumbled in the game's final minute to end what was certainly an instant Monday Night Football classic.^[11]

Game results

Broncos' victory		Chargers' victory		Tie		Postseason meeting

Note: All game dates occur on Sunday unless indicated otherwise.
Source: Pro-Football-Reference.^[12]

1960s (Chargers 15–5)

Year	Date	Winner	Result	Loser	Location
1960^{[lower-alpha 1]}	October 16	Los Angeles Chargers	23–19	Denver Broncos	Denver
1960^{[lower-alpha 1]}	December 10 (Sat.)	Los Angeles Chargers	41–33	Denver Broncos	Los Angeles
1961	October 29	San Diego Chargers	37–0	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1961	November 12	San Diego Chargers	19–16	Denver Broncos	Denver
1962	September 7 (Fri.)	Denver Broncos	30–21	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1962	November 4	Denver Broncos	23–20	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1963	October 6	Denver Broncos	50–34	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1963	December 22	San Diego Chargers	58–20	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1964	October 18	San Diego Chargers	42–14	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1964	November 8	San Diego Chargers	31–20	Denver Broncos	Denver
1965	September 11 (Sat.)	San Diego Chargers	34–31	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1965	November 7	San Diego Chargers	35–21	Denver Broncos	Denver
1966	October 30	San Diego Chargers	24–17	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1966	November 27	Denver Broncos	20–17	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1967	October 22	San Diego Chargers	38–21	Denver Broncos	Denver
1967	November 23 (Thur.)	San Diego Chargers	24–20	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1968	October 20	San Diego Chargers	55–24	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1968	December 1	San Diego Chargers	47–23	Denver Broncos	Denver
1969	November 2	Denver Broncos	13–0	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1969	November 23	San Diego Chargers	45–24	Denver Broncos	San Diego

1970s (Broncos 13–6–1)

Year	Date	Winner	Result	Loser	Location
1970	November 18	San Diego Chargers	24–21	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1970	December 13		17–17		Denver
1971	October 17	Denver Broncos	20–16	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1971	December 12	San Diego Chargers	45–17	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1972	September 24	San Diego Chargers	37–14	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1972	December 10	Denver Broncos	38–13	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1973	November 11	Denver Broncos	30–19	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1973	December 9	Denver Broncos	42–28	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1974	October 20	Denver Broncos	27–7	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1974	December 15	San Diego Chargers	17–0	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1975	November 16	Denver Broncos	27–17	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1975	November 30	Denver Broncos	13–10 (OT)	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1976	October 3	Denver Broncos	26–0	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1976	November 14	Denver Broncos	17–0	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1977	November 13	Denver Broncos	17–14	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1977	December 11	Denver Broncos	17–9	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1978	September 17	Denver Broncos	27–14	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1978	October 8	San Diego Chargers	23–0	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1979	October 7	Denver Broncos	7–0	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1979	December 17 (Mon.)	San Diego Chargers	17–7	Denver Broncos	San Diego

1980s (Broncos 12–8)

Year	Date	Winner	Result	Loser	Location
1980	September 21	San Diego Chargers	30–13	Denver Broncos	Denver
1980	November 9	Denver Broncos	20–13	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1981	September 27	Denver Broncos	42–24	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1981	November 29	San Diego Chargers	34–17	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1982	September 12	San Diego Chargers	23–3	Denver Broncos	Denver
1982	November 28	San Diego Chargers	30–20	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1983	October 3	Denver Broncos	14–6	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1983	November 27	San Diego Chargers	31–7	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1984	November 11	Denver Broncos	16–13	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1984	December 9	Denver Broncos	16–13	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1985	November 3	San Diego Chargers	30–10	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1985	November 17	Denver Broncos	30–24 (OT)	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1986	October 12	Denver Broncos	31–14	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1986	November 9	San Diego Chargers	9–3	Denver Broncos	Denver
1987	November 29	Denver Broncos	31–17	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1987	December 27	Denver Broncos	24–0	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1988	September 11	Denver Broncos	34–3	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1988	October 2	Denver Broncos	12–0	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1989	October 8	Denver Broncos	16–10	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1989	December 24	San Diego Chargers	19–16	Denver Broncos	San Diego

1990s (Broncos 13–7)

Year	Date	Winner	Result	Loser	Location
1990	November 11	San Diego Chargers	19–7	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1990	December 16	Denver Broncos	20–10	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1991	September 22	Denver Broncos	27–19	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1991	December 22	Denver Broncos	17–14	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1992	September 13	Denver Broncos	21–13	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1992	October 25	San Diego Chargers	24–21	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1993	September 12	Denver Broncos	34–17	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1993	December 5	San Diego Chargers	13–10	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1994	September 4	San Diego Chargers	37–34	Denver Broncos	Denver
1994	October 23	Denver Broncos	20–15	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1995	September 24	San Diego Chargers	17–6	Denver Broncos	San Diego
1995	November 19	Denver Broncos	30–27	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1996	October 6	San Diego Chargers	28–17	Denver Broncos	Denver
1996	December 22	Denver Broncos	16–10	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1997	November 30	Denver Broncos	38–28	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1997	December 21	Denver Broncos	38–3	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1998	November 8	Denver Broncos	27–10	San Diego Chargers	Denver
1998	November 29	Denver Broncos	31–16	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1999	November 7	Denver Broncos	33–17	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
1999	January 2, 2000	San Diego Chargers	12–6	Denver Broncos	Denver

2000s (Broncos 11–9)

Year	Date	Winner	Result	Loser	Location
2000	October 8	Denver Broncos	21–7	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
2000	November 19	Denver Broncos	38–37	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2001	October 21	San Diego Chargers	27–10	Denver Broncos	San Diego
2001	November 11	Denver Broncos	26–16	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2002	October 6	Denver Broncos	26–9	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2002	December 1	San Diego Chargers	30–27 (OT)	Denver Broncos	San Diego
2003	September 14	Denver Broncos	37–13	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
2003	November 16	Denver Broncos	37–8	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2004	September 26	Denver Broncos	23–13	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2004	December 5	San Diego Chargers	20–17	Denver Broncos	San Diego
2005	September 18	Denver Broncos	20–17	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2005	December 31 (Sat.)	Denver Broncos	23–7	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
2006	November 19	San Diego Chargers	35–27	Denver Broncos	Denver
2006	December 10	San Diego Chargers	48–20	Denver Broncos	San Diego
2007	October 7	San Diego Chargers	41–3	Denver Broncos	Denver
2007	December 24 (Mon.)	San Diego Chargers	23–3	Denver Broncos	San Diego
2008	September 14	Denver Broncos	39–38	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2008	December 28	San Diego Chargers	52–21	Denver Broncos	San Diego
2009	October 19 (Mon.)	Denver Broncos	34–23	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
2009	November 22	San Diego Chargers	32–3	Denver Broncos	Denver

2010s (Broncos 7–4)

Year	Date	Winner	Result	Loser	Location
2010	November 22 (Mon.)	San Diego Chargers	35–14	Denver Broncos	San Diego
2010	January 2, 2011	San Diego Chargers	33–28	Denver Broncos	Denver
2011	October 9	San Diego Chargers	29–24	Denver Broncos	Denver
2011	November 27	Denver Broncos	16–13 (OT)	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
2012	October 15 (Mon.)	Denver Broncos	35–24	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
2012	November 18	Denver Broncos	30–23	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2013	November 10	Denver Broncos	28–20	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
	December 12 (Thur.)	San Diego Chargers	27–20	Denver Broncos	Denver
	January 12, 2014	Denver Broncos	24–17	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2014	October 23 (Thur.)	Denver Broncos	35–21	San Diego Chargers	Denver
2014	December 14	Denver Broncos	22–10	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
2015	December 6				San Diego
2015	January 3, 2016				Denver

Connections between the teams

Coaches

Name	Years with Broncos	Years with Chargers
Craig Aukerman	Defensive assistant, 2010	Assistant Special Teams coach, 2013–present
Clancy Barone	Tight ends coach, 2009, 2011–14 Offensive line coach, 2010, 2015–present	Tight ends coach, 2007–08
Tim Brewster	Tight ends coach, 2005–06	Tight ends coach, 2002–04 Assistant head coach, 2004
John Fox	Head coach, 2011–14	Secondary coach, 1992–93
Alex Gibbs	Offensive line coach, 1984–87 Assistant head coach/Offensive line coach, 1995–2003 Offensive line consultant, 2013	Offensive line coach, 1990–91
Mike McCoy	Offensive coordinator, 2009–12	Head coach, 2013–present
Ron Milus	Secondary coach, 2000–02 and 2011–12	Secondary coach, 2013–present
Wayne Nunnely	Defensive line coach, 2009–11	Defensive line coach, 1997–2008
Dwain Painter	Offensive assistant, 1997	Quarterbacks coach, 1994–96
Wade Phillips	Defensive coordinator, 1989–92, 2015–present Head coach, 1993–94	Defensive coordinator, 2004–06

Players

Name	Position(s)	Years with Broncos	Years with Chargers
Stephen Alexander	Tight end	2005–07	2002–03
David Binn	Long snapper	2011 (one game)	1994–2010
Marco Coleman	Defensive end	2004–05	1996–98
David Diaz-Infante	Center/Guard	1996–98	1987
Dedrick Dodge	Safety	1997	1998
Orlando Franklin	Guard	2011–14	2015–present
Jacob Hester	Fullback	2012	2008–11
Quentin Jammer	Cornerback/Safety	2013	2002–12
Marlon McCree	Safety	2008	2006–07
Anthony Miller	Wide receiver	1994–96	1988–93
Shaun Phillips	Defensive end	2013	2004–12
Adrian Robinson	Linebacker	2013 (six games)	2013 (three games)
Dante Rosario	Tight end	2011	2012
Eddie Royal	Wide receiver/Return specialist	2008–11	2012–14
Neil Smith	Defensive end	1997–99	2000
Jimmy Spencer	Cornerback	2000–03^{[lower-alpha 2]}	1998–99
Harry Swayne	Offensive tackle	1997–98	1991–96
Maa Tanuvasa	Defensive tackle	1995–2000	2001
Mitch Unrein	Defensive tackle	2011–14	2015–present
Louis Vasquez	Guard	2013–present	2009–12
Reggie Walker	Linebacker	2015–present	2013–14
Wes Welker	Wide receiver/Return specialist	2013–present	2004 (one game)
Jamal Williams	Nose tackle	2010	1998–2009

Notes

↑ The Chargers were known as the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960, and played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during that season.
↑ Jimmy Spencer also worked as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Broncos in addition to playing during the 2003 season.

References

↑ Saccomano, Jim (October 3, 2007). "Broncos-Chargers Always Interesting". Denver Broncos. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
↑ "On This Day in Broncos History: November 17". Mile High Report. November 17, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
↑ Associated Press (September 5, 1994). "Chargers Rally for 37-34 Victory : AFC: Trailing, 24-6, three touchdown passes by Humphries and a 99-yard interception return by Richard leads San Diego over Denver.". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
↑ "End Zone Sports Charities" (PDF).
↑ Bell, Jarrett (December 11, 2006). "Super Charger: L.T. sets single-season TD mark as Chargers clinch AFC West". USA Today. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
↑ "Broncos' Bailey not a fan of Rivers after talk during game". ESPN. December 27, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
↑ "Cutler finds Royal for late TD, two-point play to edge Chargers". ESPN. September 14, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
↑ Caldwell, Gray (December 29, 2008). "End of the Road". Denver Broncos. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
↑ "Shanahan, Broncos Part Ways". Denver Broncos. December 30, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
↑ Legan, Kenny (November 27, 2011). "Overtime Field Goal Caps Comeback". Denver Broncos. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
↑ Caldwell, Gray (October 16, 2012). "California Comeback". Denver Broncos. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
↑ "Boxscore finder: Denver Broncos vs San Diego Chargers". June 17, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

External links

Denver Broncos

Founded in 1960
Based in Denver, Colorado
Headquartered in Dove Valley, Colorado

The Franchise

Current league affiliations

League: National Football League
Conference: American Football Conference
Division: West Division

Stadiums

Culture

Lore

Rivalries

Key Personnel

Owner: The Pat Bowlen Trust
President/CEO: Joe Ellis
Executive Vice President/General Manager: John Elway
Head Coach: Gary Kubiak

Retired Numbers

Ring of Fame

Media

League championships (2)

1997
1998

Conference championships (7)

Other titles

AFC West: 1977; 1978; 1984; 1986; 1987; 1989; 1991; 1996; 1998; 2005; 2011; 2012; 2013
Wild Card: 1979; 1983; 1993; 1997; 2000; 2003; 2004

Seasons (56)

1960s–1970s	1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979

1980s–1990s	1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

2000s–2010s	2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

San Diego Chargers

Formerly the Los Angeles Chargers
Founded in 1960
Based in San Diego, California

Franchise

Stadiums

Culture

Rivalries

Lore

Division Championships (14)

Super Bowl appearances (1)

1994 (XXIX)

League Championships (1)

1963

Current league affiliations

League: National Football League
Conference: American Football Conference
Division: West

Seasons (56)

1960s–1970s	1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979

1980s–1990s	1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

2000s–2010s	2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

National Football League rivalries

American Football Conference

AFC East	Bills–Dolphins Bills–Jets Bills–Patriots Dolphins–Jets Jets–Patriots

AFC North	Bengals–Browns Bengals–Steelers Browns–Steelers Ravens–Steelers

AFC South	Jaguars–Titans Texans–Titans

AFC West	Broncos–Chargers Broncos–Chiefs Broncos–Raiders Chargers–Chiefs Chargers–Raiders Chiefs–Raiders

Intraconference	Colts–Patriots Steelers–Titans

National Football Conference

NFC East	Cowboys–Eagles Cowboys–Giants Cowboys–Redskins Eagles–Giants Eagles–Redskins Giants–Redskins

NFC North	Bears–Lions Bears–Packers Bears–Vikings Lions–Vikings Lions–Packers Packers–Vikings

NFC South	Buccaneers–Panthers Buccaneers–Saints Falcons–Saints Falcons–Panthers

NFC West	49ers–Rams 49ers–Seahawks

Intraconference	49ers–Cowboys 49ers–Giants

Interconference

Governor's Cup	Missouri Texas