3 storylines to follow in Chargers’ Week 8 matchup against Broncos

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out what to watch for on Sunday against the Broncos.

The Chargers and Broncos are set to meet in an AFC West battle on Sunday afternoon.

With that being said, here are three storylines to follow as Los Angeles looks to pick up their third victory of the season:

Can Justin Herbert continue his dominance?

Herbert has been lights out, which was awarded with Offensive Rookie of the Month for the month of October. While the first-year signal caller has shown that he can hang with some of the league’s best defenses, this weekend might be his toughest test yet. The Broncos, who held Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to just 200 passing yards, rank No. 13 in pass defense. Denver will show a handful of coverage looks and the unit will be hungry to exploit a depleted offensive line. But if everything clicks and they are able to overcome the offensive line deficiencies, look for Herbert to flourish in that thin Denver air.

Can the running game get anything going?

The Chargers rushing attack has been nonexistent ever since RB Austin Ekeler was placed on the injured reserve. Rookie Joshua Kelley has failed to surpass 30 rushing yards in the last three outings and Justin Jackson is coming off a performance where he only he ran for 12 yards. If the offense can’t get anything going through the air because of the stingy secondary and fearsome pass rush, Los Angeles will expect Kelley and Jackson to step up.

Can the defense compete in all four quarters?

The Bolts’ defense has produced a mixed bag of results this season. While the unit has looked outstanding in the first half, they’ve fallen apart in the second half in nearly every singly game, resulting in at least 29 points given up in each of the last three outings. If defensive coordinator Gus Bradley wants to get back on the right track, this would be the game to do so. After missing three games with an injury, QB Drew Lock has four interceptions and zero touchdowns in the past two contests. The offense has only mustered one touchdown in eight quarters, ranking 29th in points per game (19.3). On paper, it doesn’t look appealing. But the defense has to piece it all together by staying disciplined without busted coverages, missed tackles or blown assignments.