Tag: Chargers vs. Broncos

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 16 win over Broncos

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest-graded Chargers players from the win over the Broncos.

In Week 16, the Chargers defeated the Broncos, 34-27.

En route to victory, there were some standout performers and others who did not contribute as much.

That said, here are the best and worst performers from Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

FB Scott Matlock — 83.8

TE Tucker Fisk — 80.5

QB Justin Herbert — 78.2

WR Joshua Palmer — 74.7

RB Gus Edwards — 73.6

Top 5 Defense

DT Teair Tart — 92.9

DT Poona Ford — 77.0

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu — 73.4

CB Kristian Fulton — 72.0

LB Daiyan Henley — 71.5

Bottom 5 Offense

OL Bradley Bozeman — 32.1

OL Trey Pipkins — 35.7

OL Zion Johnson — 46.6

WR Quentin Johnston — 53.0

WR DJ Chark — 56.0

Bottom 5 Defense

LB Junior Colson — 29.1

S Kendall Williamson — 37.0

CB Ja’Sir Taylor — 49.5

LB Denzel Perryman — 51.8

CB Tarheeb Still — 52.2

3 bold predictions for Chargers in Week 16 vs. Broncos

The Chargers run offense has been poor recently, which has forced them to use Justin Herbert’s arm more than usual.

The Chargers are coming off their worst performance of the season in Week 15. They’ll have to shake it off rather quickly, though, as they now turn to face the Broncos on Thursday night.

They are 8-6 after the loss to the Buccaneers and need a win to solidify their chances for the postseason. Here are a few bold predictions for the contest between the two AFC West rivals:

Justin Herbert reaches 35+ pass attempts

Herbert has reached this mark just three times this season. The offense has been unable to run the ball lately, with J.K. Dobbins out of the lineup. Don’t expect that to change this week, as the Broncos are the fifth-best run defense in the NFL by allowing just 98.6 rushing yards per game. With that, expect the Chargers to air it out in this one. In the first meeting between these two teams, Herbert threw the ball 34 times with Dobbins active.

Ladd McConkey reaches 100+ yards for fourth time this season

The rookie wideout has been the Chargers’ best playmaker all season. McConkey is tied for 16th in the NFL in receiving yards (873) despite his recent shoulder injury that forced him to miss a game. The Georgia product has 26 catches over his last four games, including two 100-yard performances. Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II stays on the perimeter, allowing McConkey to feast on the inside in this contest.

Chargers defense snags 2+ interceptions

Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix has thrown five interceptions over the last two games, which included three against the Colts last weekend. His 11 on the year is tied for sixth most amongst quarterbacks. Meanwhile, the Chargers defense is tied for fourth in the NFL with 14 interceptions on the season. Thanks to Elijah Molden, the opportunistic secondary had one against Nix in the matchup earlier this season. With Nix being a bit overaggressive recently, expect Jesse Minter to dial up some pressure and try to force a few turnovers in this one.

5 Broncos players to watch in Week 16 vs. Chargers

This Week 16 primetime matchup will have huge implications on the AFC playoffs, as the Chargers beat the Broncos in their first meeting.

The stakes don’t get much bigger than this in Week 16. The Chargers host the Broncos on Thursday night with a chance to improve to 9-6.

Los Angeles won in Denver back in Week 6, so a potential sweep could have huge implications on playoff seeding. Here are five Broncos players to watch for this week’s primetime matchup:

Marvin Mims

Mims hasn’t broken out in the way that some thought he would in his sophomore campaign. He was a non-factor for the first two months of the season, but has stepped up recently. The former Oklahoma product didn’t have a game over 20 receiving yards in the team’s first 10 games, but has now topped that mark in four straight. His big play ability is something to be watched, as evidenced by his 93-yard touchdown against the Browns a few weeks ago.

Garett Bolles

Bolles caught a lot of flak early in his career for the amount of holding calls that he racked up. Nowadays, he looks like a much different player. Bolles has been superb for the Broncos in 2024, particularly in pass protection. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the fourth-best pass protector amongst OTs in 2024. His matchup against the Chargers’ edge rushers will be key in this primetime game.

Nik Bonitto

It seems to be a bit under the radar still, but Bonitto has been elite this season. The third-year linebacker is tied for third in sacks (11.5), which is already the best mark of his career. Bonitto has wrecked havoc in other ways too with 41 total tackles, three pass deflections, and two forced fumbles. The Defensive Player of the Year candidate has scored a defensive touchdown in each of his last two games as well.

Brandon Jones

Jones has tremendously helped make up for the loss of star safety Justin Simmons this season. The veteran leads the team with 91 total tackles and has been a playmaker all over the field. Jones has three interceptions, nine pass deflections, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Herbert and the Chargers offense will need to keep an eye on Jones at all times on Thursday night.

Kris Abrams-Draine

Riley Moss has established himself as an elite No. 2 cornerback for Denver this season, but he’s still a huge question mark for Thursday night. If Moss is unable to go, keep an eye on Abrams-Draine. The rookie fifth-rounder made his first career start in Week 15 and played quite well. Still, expect Herbert to target Abrams-Draine often in this one and make the rookie earn it.

Chargers’ Week 16 matchup vs. Broncos flexed to ‘Thursday Night Football’

The Chargers will have three primetime games throughout the remainder of the regular season.

The Chargers’ Week 16 matchup with the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium has been flexed to “Thursday Night Football” on Prime Video, the NFL announced Friday.

Los Angeles’ matchup with Denver at SoFi Stadium was previously set for 1:05 p.m. PT on FOX.

The Bengals were slated to host the Browns in the previously scheduled “Thursday Night Football” game.

The divisional bout is the first game to be flexed to “Thursday Night Football.” Under the new rules, effective as of 2023, up to two “Thursday Night Football” games between Weeks 13-17 can be flexed.

The Chargers will now have three primetime games left in the regular season, with the other two being against the Ravens on Nov. 25 and the Chiefs on Dec. 8.

Social media reacts to Chargers’ win over Broncos

Here is how the general population reacted to the Chargers’ victory over the Broncos.

The Chargers beat the Broncos on Sunday.

The Bolts are now 3-2.

Here’s how social media reacted to the Week 6 game:

Chargers highlight: Teair Tart recovers fumble for second turnover of game

The Chargers are starting to reach a fever pitch on defense.

The Chargers are starting to reach a fever pitch on defense.

After intercepting rookie quarterback Bo Nix in the first quarter and jumping out to a 13-0 lead, it already looked like Los Angeles was in control of Sunday’s game. A twenty-play drive for the Chargers offense gave the defense plenty of rest midway through the second quarter, but LA allowed Denver to get the ball near midfield on their fourth drive of the game.

On a first down handoff, running back Javonte Williams plunged ahead up the middle. Khalil Mack and Teair Tart beat their blocks and teamed up for the tackle at the line of scrimmage, but Mack went above and beyond by ripping the ball out of Williams’ hands. The ball ricocheted into the arms of Tart on the ground, and he made the recovery on the Chargers 44-yard line.

The fumble recovery gave Los Angeles the ball back with 4:32 left in the first half, and the team already had a 13-point lead.

Staff predictions for Chargers vs. Broncos in Week 6

Find out who the Chargers Wire staff is picking between Los Angeles and Denver.

The Los Angeles Chargers kick off Week 6 against the Denver Broncos.

Who is going to come out victorious?

Here is a look at the predictions from each of our writers at Chargers Wire:

Gavino:

The Chargers seem to struggle when they travel to Denver to play the Broncos, but those games usually come late in the season. They break the mold when they face rookie Bo Nix, who has experienced growing pains early in his pro career. Denver’s defense has been dominant, so expect it to be a low-scoring affair. But given the Bolts are fresh off their bye week and motivated to get back on track after suffering two consecutive losses, they squeak this one out. Chargers 17, Broncos 14

Alex K:

Both defenses in this game have been playing at a high level and will face offenses that have struggled to generate points or sustain drives. Ultimately, it’s more likely that rookie Bo Nix makes a crucial mistake than Justin Herbert, which could prove to be the difference. Injuries to Denver’s offensive line while Los Angeles returns both starting offensive tackles should also tip the scales in the Chargers’ favor. Chargers 17, Broncos 13

Who are the experts taking in Chargers vs. Broncos?

Find out who experts are picking between the Chargers and Broncos.

The Los Angeles Chargers are 3-point favorites over the Denver Broncos in Week 6 of the 2024 regular season. The over/under is 35.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

That means oddsmakers are taking bets on whether the two teams will combine to score more than or fewer than 35.5 points.

My score prediction for the game is a 17-14 win for the Chargers, with a combined total of 31 points. So, if I were putting money based on my prediction, I’d bet the under.

As for game picks, analysts believe Denver is going to win.

Expert Pick
Nate Davis (USA Today) Broncos
Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Broncos
Mike Clay (ESPN) Broncos
Matt Bowen (ESPN) Chargers
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Chargers
Bill Bender (Sporting News) Broncos
NFL.com Staff Chargers (3-2)
Bleacher Report Broncos

Sunday’s game will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Broncos stack up before Week 6 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Broncos stack up statistically ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Broncos are set to square off this Sunday.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Denver stack up statistically ahead of the Week 6 matchup:

Category Chargers Broncos
Points per game 17.0 ppg (28th) 19.2 (22nd)
Passing offense 136.0 ypg (31st) 163.8 (28th)
Rushing offense 127.8 ypg (9th) 106.8 (21st)
Total offense 263.8 ypg (29th) 270.6 (28th)
3rd down conversions 36.36% (21st) 24.64% (31st)
Red zone scoring 44.44% (24th) 43.75% (26th)
Sacks allowed 9 (7th) 7 (5th)
Turnovers 2 (1st) 7 (25th)

Defense

Category Chargers Broncos
Points allowed 12.5 ppg (1st) 14.6 (2nd)
Passing defense 188.5 ypg (10th) 159.8 ypg (5th)
Rushing defense 94.0 ypg (6th) 111.4 ypg (10th)
Total defense 282.5 ypg (5th) 271.2 ypg (3rd)
3rd down conversions 39.29% (20th) 32.35% (9th)
Red zone defense 28.57% (2nd) 33.33% (3rd)
Sacks 11 (T-13th) 19 (3rd)
Takeaways 7 (11th) 8 (6th)

 

Announcers set for Chargers vs. Broncos Week 6 game

Find out who will be calling the Week 6 game between the Chargers and Broncos.

The Chargers are back in action after their bye week and will face the Broncos on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 1:05 p.m. PT.

The Week 6 game will be televised on CBS. Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and Jason McCourty will have the call.

After starting the season 2-0, the Chargers dropped their last two games. Injuries to key players hamstrung Los Angeles. But after the bye, they should be well-rested to try to get back over .500.

The Broncos, on the other hand, have won their last three contests. While they haven’t been very efficient on the offensive side of the ball, their defense, which ranks near the top of the league in various categories, has helped them have the success they’ve had.

Denver has defeated the Bolts in 10 of the last 11 meetings in Mile High City.