Chargers vs. Broncos: Keys to victory, matchup to watch

Laying out what the Chargers need to do to beat the Broncos and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Heading into their matchup against the Broncos, the Chargers should benefit from having key players back after missing 14 to COVID-19 in their loss to the Texans, including Austin Ekeler, Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Michael Davis, Justin Jones, and Mike Williams. However, specific things must be properly executed on both sides of the football to beat Denver on Sunday and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Offensively, it starts with taking care of the football. The last time the Chargers faced the Broncos, Justin Herbert was picked off twice. Vic Fangio had his head spinning with disguised looks, which means Herbert must do a better job of identifying coverage and anticipating the voids. To aid him, the protection must be on its A-game to buy him time against a Denver front that’s one of the best at generating pressure. To keep all the weight off Herbert’s shoulders, the ground game must get going, and there’s a good shot with Ekeler returning and Justin Jackson hitting his stride. Without Ekeler last weekend, Justin Jackson ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

On the other side of the ball, slowing down the run is key. After showing improvement in this area, Los Angeles allowed 5.3 yards per carry last weekend. While the team should benefit from having Bosa and Jones back, gap discipline upfront and sound tackling from the second and third levels is still essential. In addition, the Bolts must exploit an offensive line that has allowed pressure on 39% of dropbacks overall this season, tied for last in the league, and get to Drew Lock, especially in third-down situations, where they’re dead-last.

Key matchup to watch: Vic Fangio vs. Justin Herbert. There’s one thing that Herbert has had a hard time with this season, and that’s late movement and disguised looks in the secondary. It has led to his internal clock being sped up, resulting in questionable decisions and throws. In one of the most crucial games of the season, Herbert’s play will largely dictate whether or not the Chargers will be playing beyond the regular season.

Chargers’ reasons for optimism vs. Broncos

A look at some reasons for optimism as the Chargers look to seek revenge over the Broncos and keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Chargers and the Broncos are set to battle it out on Sunday afternoon, as Los Angeles is seeking revenge from earlier this season and looking to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Here are three reasons why the Bolts should be feeling good about their chances of coming out victorious ahead of the Week 17 bout:

3 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 17 opponent: Broncos

Highlighting important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent ahead of the Week 17 matchup.

The Chargers are looking to climb into the playoffs after digging themselves into a hole, with their last two games resulting in losses, as they’re set to take on the Broncos this Sunday.

Here are three key things to know about Los Angeles’ Week 17 opponent:

COVID-19 tracker

The Broncos only have two players on the COVID-19 list as of today: defensive end Jonathan Harris and center Lloyd Cushenberry.

Struggling offense

Since the last time the Broncos faced the Chargers, they have averaged just 10.7 points per game. Last weekend against the Raiders, Denver rushed for 18 total yards and was 1-of-10 on third down. They’ve been hindered by a quarterback carousel between Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock, an inconsistent run game and dropped passes. In Lock’s first start last Sunday, he finished 15-of-22 for 153 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and an 87.9 rating. Bridgewater is currently questionable with a concussion.

Dominant defense

While the Broncos have struggled to put points on the scoreboard, they’ve ensured their opponents haven’t been able to, either. Denver is currently tied for the top scoring defense, allowing just 17.3 points per game. In addition, they have the fourth-best red zone defense, as opponents have scored just 50% of the time on possessions inside the 20-yard line. Vic Fangio has gotten the better of opposing quarterbacks, limiting them to just 210.3 passing yards per game.

4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 12 opponent: Broncos

Highlighting important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent ahead of the Week 12 matchup.

The Chargers are set to take on the Broncos on Nov. 28 at 1:05 pm PT in hopes of extending their division record to 3-0 on the season.

Here are four important things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the Week 12 bout:

Who’s starting at quarterback?

The Broncos have experienced a quarterback carousel throughout the past few seasons, hoping to find competency at the position. After facing Drew Lock last season, the Chargers will match up against Teddy Bridgewater this time around. Bridgewater has helped Denver to five wins thus far, in which he has thrown six touchdown passes and zero picks. At his best when taking care of the football, Bridgewater has a completion percentage of 69.2 and 14 touchdown passes to just five interceptions, with just one coming in the last four games.

Solid support cast

Bridgewater has benefited from having reliable pass-catchers at his disposal, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy. Last week, Sutton and Patrick were rewarded for their efforts, inking contract extensions. Sutton missed nearly the entire 2020 season due to a torn following a Pro Bowl campaign. He is back and is playing like he did not lose a step, leading the Broncos in receptions (43) and receiving yards (617) this season. Patrick has 37 receptions for 523 yards and four touchdowns. Jeudy has at least six receptions in three of his four games. Tight ends Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam are both weapons in this department, as well.

1-2 punch

Running back Melvin Gordon is now in his second season with Denver. Despite some fumbling issues, Gordon has played well, totaling five touchdowns. He has split the backfield with rookie Javonte Williams. Williams has carried the ball 103 times for 514 yards (5.0 yards per carry), including a team-high six runs of 20-plus yards. The two have combined for 221 carries for 1,036 yards.

Dominant defense

Brandon Staley is set to face his former mentor in Vic Fangio. The defense that Staley enforced is replicative of the one Fangio has in place in Denver. They both rely heavily on two high coverage shells and disguising their coverages to make it difficult on opposing quarterbacks. Currently, the Broncos have the ninth-best defense overall, are 14th in rushing (110.1 yards allowed per game), 9th against the pass (218.1 yards allowed per game), and third in scoring (18.3 points allowed per game).

Point spread, over/under for Chargers vs. Broncos in Week 12

The Los Angeles Chargers open as slight favorites over the Denver Broncos in Week 12.

The Los Angeles Chargers (6-4) are currently 2.5-point favorites over the Denver Broncos (5-5), heading into Week 12 of the regular season. The over/under is set at 47.5, per Tipico Sportsbook.

The Chargers most recently defeated the Steelers by a score of 41-37.

Los Angeles appeared to be on its way to an easy win after taking a 27-10 lead. However, Pittsburgh responded with 27 fourth-quarter points. Justin Herbert found a wide-open Mike Williams for a 53-yard touchdown to close it out.

The Broncos, on the other hand, are coming off a bye week. The weekend prior, Denver was outmatched by the Eagles in all three phases, falling on its home turf, 30-13.

Last season, the Chargers and Broncos split the two-game series.

Sunday’s contest between Los Angeles and Denver will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and be televised on CBS.

3 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 16 opponent, Broncos

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez previews Los Angeles’ Week 16 opponent.

The Chargers are set to face the Broncos in their second battle this season. The last time the two teams met, Denver bounced back after being down big to come out victorious, 31-30.

Here are three things to know about Los Angeles’ Week 16 opponent:

Slim secondary

The last time that the Chargers faced the Broncos, quarterback Justin Herbert was given fits, where he threw two interceptions. Heading into this week, Herbert could be in for a strong outing, as Denver’s cornerback group is rather thin. The Broncos will be without Bryce Callahan, A.J. Bouye, Essang Bassey, Michael Ojemudia, Duke Dawson and De’Vante Bausby. Entering the beginning of December, the Broncos were allowing 210.1 passing yards per game; they’ve allowed 305.0 over the last three weeks.

Second year struggles

The Broncos saw glimpses of a solid signal-caller in Drew Lock’s rookie season. However, it’s safe to say that Lock’s sophomore season has been far from that. Lock has seen Year 2 consist of ball security issues, as he has thrown 13 interceptions to just 14 touchdowns in 11 games. Even after general manager John Elway added a slew of skill players last offseason, he has been unable to make the most with them, as his mechanical and decision-making issues have hindered him.

Running game is rolling

While Lock has been unable to elevate the offense, running backs Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay have picked him up. Ranked No. 13 in rushing, the Broncos are averaging 118.8 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. In his new home, Gordon has enjoyed a pretty productive year as he has 814 yards on the ground (4.4 YPC) and nine total touchdowns.

Prediction poll for matchup between Chargers vs. Broncos

The Los Angeles Chargers look to carry their momentum into this weekend’s contest against the Denver Broncos.

The Los Angeles Chargers are set to face off against the Denver Broncos in an AFC West duel on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2:05 p.m. PT at Empower Field at Mile High.

The Chargers are looking to build off their victory against the Jaguars last Sunday. For the Broncos, they are eager to simply get out of last place in the division and find some consistency with their play.

L.A. has been led by the dominance of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, but it won’t be an easy task facing a Denver defense that ranks No. 8 in the NFL and is allowing 230.2 passing yards per game.

While the Broncos have been stout at limiting opposing offenses, they have struggled to get an offensive rhythm, averaging just 322.8 yards per game (28th), 209.2 passing yards (26th) and 113.7 rushing yards (16th).

Denver’s defense has slowed down some of the league’s best offenses and while there’s some issues up front in the trenches for the Chargers, I don’t see it shaking Herbert up.

Plus, Los Angeles’ defense started to come back to life with defensive linemen Melvin Ingram and Justin Jones back and getting key players healthy. They should be fired up to keep it up against a bad Broncos offense.

With that being said, I have the Bolts winning by the score of 26-21. It won’t be easy, but they ultimately find a way to prevail.

What do you guys think? Post in the poll below.

3 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 8 opponent, Broncos

Breaking down the Los Angeles Chargers’ Week 8 opponent.

The Chargers are set to embark on an AFC West battle against the Broncos on Sunday.

Here are three things to know about Los Angeles’ Week 8 opponent:

Checking in on a familiar face

The Chargers ended their four-year marriage with running back Melvin Gordon, who wound up signing with the Broncos this past offseason. Gordon, who has shared the backfield with Phillip Lindsay, hasn’t had the season he was hoping for. Not only has he dealt with fumble issues, but he endured in a DUI arrest earlier this month, going 71 miles per hour in a 35 MPH zone. Gordon has 82 carries for 349 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.

Strong defense

Like in 2015 when they won the Super Bowl, the Broncos have relied on their defense to keep them in games. Denver is coming off a performance where they limited Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to only 200 passing yards. The Broncos rank 10th in rushing yards allowed per game (109) while ranking 13th in passing yards allowed (230.2). The Chargers have been rock solid on third downs, but it could be a lot more difficult this weekend. The Broncos have held their last two opponents to 4-of-21 on third down (19 percent).

Struggling offense

Denver hasn’t been able to find their groove with second-year quarterback Drew Lock and has new reinforcements. After missing three games with an injury, Lock has four interceptions and zero touchdowns in the past two contests. The offensive unit has only scored one touchdown in eight quarters, ranking 29th in points per game (19.3). The offense will already be without right guard Graham Glasgow, but they could be also be without wide receiver Tim Patrick (hamstring), running back Phillip Lindsay (concussion).