The Chargers will look to carry that momentum in a divisional battle against the Broncos on Sunday afternoon after their victory over the Steelers.
With that being said, here are three things to watch for in Los Angeles’ Week 12 bout with Denver.
Will Justin Herbert build off his last performance?
Herbert had one of his best outings of the season last weekend, posting 382 yards passing, 90 yards rushing, and three touchdowns. However, he did have an advantage facing a Steelers defense that was hampered by injuries to key players. Now, he will be tasked with Vic Fangio’s, a replica of Brandon Staley’s – a system predicated on limiting explosive plays. Denver allows just 218.1 passing yards per game and has held signal-callers to 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Fangio will certainly look to put the pressure on Herbert and make him work post-snap, which is something he’s struggled with this season.
Can the real pass defense please stand up?
The Chargers were one of the best teams against the air early in the season, but the department has struggled as of late. Since Week 8, Los Angeles has allowed 15 explosive plays (pass that gains 20+ yards), which is the sixth-most in the NFL. Teddy Bridgewater is not an elite passer in the league, but he is efficient. Furthermore, he has weapons at his disposal that pose a threat to any secondary. Without Asante Samuel Jr., who was the team’s most consistent cornerback, Michael Davis, Tevuaghn Campbell, and Chris Harris Jr. need to play tighter coverage.
Will the run defense continue to trend upward?
The Chargers have steadily improved in this area, with their most recent performance holding the Steelers’ rushing attack to just 3.1 yards per carry. Breiden Fehoko, Forrest Merrill, and Joe Gaziano all stepped up. Los Angeles will get Jerry Tillery and Christian Covington back, and they are expected to start while Fehoko and Gaziano will be part of the rotation “right away.” The Broncos present a solid one-two punch of Melvin Gordon and rookie Javonte Williams. Gordon averages 4.4 yards per carry and has five touchdowns, while Williams averages five yards per carry, including a team-high six runs of 20-plus yards.
Prediction
The Broncos have one of the best defenses statistically, but they are plagued by injuries to key players at each level. I expect Herbert to have a solid performance, with Austin Ekeler and the tight ends getting involved to exploit a belittled second level. It’ll be close but Chargers win, 24-21.