There are no teams below .500 in the AFC West, and everyone is still in the division hunt, with only two wins separating first place from last place.
Following their furious fourth quarter against the Steelers, L.A. pulled out the late win and took second place in the West. A victory this Sunday would actually move them past Kansas City into first place, which would be quite a coup for a team that had lost three of four games before last Sunday.
For Denver, it’s a strange time. They hammered the Cowboys and looked like one of the best teams in the NFL. Then the next week, they looked lost against the Eagles and played like one of the worst. Yet still, they remain in the playoff hunt.
Los Angeles Chargers (-3)
The Chargers’ defense remains a big problem. They gave up 27 points to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in just the fourth quarter. They held on to win because Austin Ekeler and Justin Herbert played out of their minds, but the Chargers’ defense did everything it could to give the game away at the end.
The 273 yards allowed to Ben Roethlisberger was his highest total since Week 3. His 103.7 passer rating was his third-highest of the season.
The Chargers rank 17th in total defense but dead last in defense against the run, and that includes Sunday’s game in which they significantly slowed rookie Najee Harris.
Denver Broncos
That porous Chargers run defense is an opening the Broncos can exploit. The more their own rookie running back Javonte Williams gets involved in the run game, the better it is. Williams had 111 yards against the Cowboys, and even in the loss to the Eagles, he averaged more than six yards per carry.
Williams is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season, which is tops among all rookie running backs. His 514 yards on the ground ranks second among all rookies.
Last week’s bye, however, was all about the Denver wide receivers. Both Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton were signed to lucrative contract extensions, and now Patrick is in Denver through 2024, Sutton is there through 2025, and Jerry Jeudy’s rookie contract comes with a fifth-year option in 2024.
It’s obviously great to have a young core of talent locked up for the next several years. But if you were also going to enter this offseason with designs on convincing a veteran quarterback that Denver is his most attractive option, a good young nucleus of wide receivers is a great place to start.
Nothing against the way Teddy Bridgewater has been playing. He hasn’t thrown an interception in three games, and he was not the reason the Broncos lost to Philadelphia. But to take full advantage of the talent on this offense, Bridgewater can’t compete with Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson.
Betting Picks
Broncos (+3)
The up and down season for the Broncos goes back up this week. The two-headed rushing attack of Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon will control this game and keep Justin Herbert from turning it into a shootout.
If Teddy Bridgewater can continue to play turnover-free football, the Denver offense can be very efficient against a bad L.A. defense. Not only can the Broncos cover the spread, they can win this game outright.
Under 47
The Broncos will slow their offense down, and L.A. will not find the same open space to operate as they did last week against Pittsburgh. The Broncos have had two weeks to prepare, and that will keep Herbert from having a huge day.
This game will stay under 47.