Opponent Profile: Hungry Chargers A Tenacious Foe For Broncos
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By Rich Kurtzman
This is the game everyone in the AFC West has been looking forward to. When the Denver Broncos host the San Diego Chargers on Thursday Night Football, it will decide the early lead of the division which is more contentious than was first thought.
Of course, no one really expected the 2-3 Kansas City Chiefs to beat the 5-1 Chargers in San Diego on Sunday, but that’s exactly what happened. It was a close contest throughout, with the Chargers holding a lead at halftime and into the fourth quarter until the Chiefs battled back and won on the leg of rookie kicker Cairo Santos. Kansas City controlled the clock, holding it for nearly two-thirds (39 minutes) of the game, disallowing Philip Rivers and that awesome offense to run up the score.
Yes, that Chargers offense – who call former Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy head coach – has been performing well this season. Rivers is playing his most efficient football ever, with 17 touchdowns thrown compared to a mere three interceptions, and the offense has yet to lose a fumble. Youngster and speedster Keenan Allen leads the team with 34 receptions while ageless wonder Antonio Gates’ seven touchdowns is by-far the most on the squad. Former Bronco wideout Eddie Royal is playing at a high level, as is Malcom Floyd, giving Rivers a ton of targets to go to.
Denver’s much-improved defensive backfield must play with discipline this week or risk being burned by Rivers and his receivers.
The newcomer is Branden Oliver, a 23-year old running back who’s gained 316 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while also being a talented pass-catcher. While he only stands at 5’7” tall, Oliver refuses to go down at first contact, meaning Denver will need to wrap up to take him down.
It all adds up to 26.3 points per game, while the defense is allowing a mere 16.3.
That defense has been the surprise in San Diego. They’re not only third-best in points allowed, but have only given up three rushing touchdowns all year. Longtime safety Eric Weddle leads the team in tackles with 37, Donald Butler right behind him (30) with two fumble recoveries. Brandon Flowers is a talented cornerback, picking off two passes already this season, while Corey Liuget knows how to get after the quarterback.
All told, 12 men have at least one sack for San Diego, and they’ve accounted for 15 on the season. Peyton Manning has been under duress in the Broncos last two games, against the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, the offensive line will need to step up this week and protect their quarterback.
Of course, with the 5-2 Chargers losing to the Chiefs and simultaneously losing their grasp on the AFC West lead, San Diego will be hungry to beat the 5-1 Broncos in the Mile High City. They were the only team to do so on the Broncos turf last year, and that game also came on a Thursday night, setting up for a rematch for the ages.
Rich Kurtzman is a Denver native, Colorado State University alumnus, sports nerd, athletics enthusiast, and competition junkie. Currently writing for a multitude of websites while working on books, one on the history of the Denver Broncos and Mile High Stadium. Rich is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
