Tag: Denver Broncos

Chargers draw blood first with Austin Ekeler’s rushing touchdown

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler scored his 18th touchdown of the season.

The Chargers started off Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a rushing touchdown from Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler produced 30 yards on the ground and a touchdown through four carries on the Bolts’ opening drive.

This is Ekeler’s 18th touchdown of the season, all of his scoring play’s have come in the red zone.

Check out Los Angeles’ first touchdown of the day here:

The Bolts lead the Broncos 7-0.

Chargers inactives: See who’s in and who’s out for Week 17 vs. Broncos

The Chargers ruled out five players, including Drue Tranquill.

The Los Angeles Chargers are set to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 17 of the regular season.

Here is a look at their inactive players today:

LB Drue Tranquill

QB Easton Stick

OL Senio Kelemete

DB Essang Bassey

CB Davontae Harris

With Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray out (COVID-19), Amen Ogbongbemiga and Nick Niemann will split the playing time alongside Kyzir White.

Nasir Adderley, Chris Harris Jr. among Chargers players removed from COVID-19 list

The Chargers will be at near full strength when they take on the Broncos.

The Chargers will be at near full strength when they take on the Broncos, as a large group of players came off the league’s Reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday.

The players who are no longer on the list:

S Nasir Adderley

S Alohi Gilman

DB Chris Harris Jr.

CB Davontae Harris

K Dustin Hopkins

OT Storm Norton

LS Matt Overton

OT Trey Pipkins

There are two active-roster players still on the COVID-19 and, as a result, will miss Sunday’s game: LB Kenneth Murray and TE Jared Cook.

To fill out the 53-man roster, the Chargers elevated LB Cole Christiansen and TE Hunter Kampmoyer from the practice squad.

Derwin James’ return a big boost for Chargers

The Chargers’ recent defensive struggles can be contributed to the absence of Derwin James.

After a disappointing loss to the Texans, the Chargers need to bounce back against the Broncos this Sunday.

Derwin James, who was cleared to play, is a pivotal player who should boost the Bolts’ chances to come out on top and stay alive in the playoff race.

James has been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of Week 14 against the Giants, limited him in the Week 15 matchup against the Chiefs early, and miss last weekend’s contest against Houston. 

Earlier this week, defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill spoke on the importance of James’ presence. 

“It’s definitely hard to replace when Derwin’s not out there,” Hill said. “He’s obviously the vocal leader, as well as the alpha guy in the huddle. His presence was definitely missed last week. When that happens, you’re so used to going through the whole season and having him there, it’s kind of like, ‘Who’s the next guy to step up and take that on?’ 

It’s hard to replace a guy like that. That’s what he brings. He brings that presence. He’s that vocal leader. I think he has a good sense of when things aren’t going right and when he does need to pick those guys up. It definitely expresses itself when he’s in there and it is definitely felt when he’s not in there.”

Los Angeles has struggled to find competency on the defensive side of the ball in prior weeks, and one of the primary factors is that they didn’t have the do-it-all defender, making plays in coverage, against the run, and as a pass rusher.

Along with James, the Chargers will have Chris Harris Jr., Michael Davis, Nasir Adderley, and Alohi Gilman available, as they were removed from the COVID-19 list.

In 13 games, James, who was named to the Pro Bowl, has 103 tackles, five tackles for loss, five passes defended, two sacks, and a pair of interceptions.

Ex-Dallas Cowboys RB, NFL head coach Dan Reeves dies at 77

Former NFL player and coach Dan Reeves has died at 77

Dan Reeves, who played running back for the Dallas Cowboys and went on to coach multiple NFL teams has died at the age of 77.

Reeves died Saturday from complications of dementia.

“His legacy will continue through his many friends, players and fans as well as the rest of the NFL community,” the family said in a statement.

Reeves played for the Cowboys from 1965-72 after attending college at South Carolina.

He threw a halfback option pass for a touchdown to Lance Rentzel in the Ice Bowl on New Year’s Eve 1967.

Over 23 years as a head coach, Reeves had a record of 190-165-2. He was head coach of the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants.

 

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.

Will the Chargers-Broncos matchup be on in your area?

Find out if you will get the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos on national television.

The Los Angeles Chargers (8-7) are set to get Week 17 underway against the Denver Broncos (7-8).

Those in the green area on the TV map will get the game on CBS, courtesy of 506 Sports.

If you’re in the red area, you will get the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.

Those in the periwinkle (purple) area will see the New York Giants take on the Chicago Bears.

If you’re in the yellow area, you will watch the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans.

In the orange will be the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots.

Those in the aqua will see the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

Ian Eagle and Charles Davis will have the call.

Los Angeles is currently a 6.5-point favorite over Denver. Sunday’s matchup will begin at 1:05 pm PT.

Updated Chargers vs. Broncos odds: Los Angeles now bigger favorite in Week 17

The odds favor the Chargers even more, as they begin to get key players back.

The Chargers are now bigger favorites over the Broncos than when the week opened ahead of the matchup at SoFi Stadium.

As Los Angeles opened the week as 5.5-point favorites, the spread moved more into its favor as the week has gone on.

It could be because the Bolts are getting key players back from the COVID-19 list, like Joey Bosa, Corey Linsley, Austin Ekeler, and Justin Jones.

Here are the updated betting odds for the matchup entering the weekend, per Tipico Sportsbook:

Spread Moneyline Total Points
Los Angeles Chargers (8-7) -6.5 -290 U 45.5
-110
Denver Broncos (7-8) +6.5 +225 O 45.5
-110

Nonetheless, despite the Chargers being heavy favorites, they can not overlook the Broncos. One, Denver beat them earlier this season, 28-13. Two, Los Angeles just suffered defeat to a Texans team that they should have beat.

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.