The Denver Broncos are set for their first AFC West game of the season.
And by no means is this anything but a daunting task.
Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers are 2-0 and playing complementary football. Now they get to play in LA for the first time this season. Can the Broncos (1-1) pull off the road upset?
We go “behind enemy lines” to get a feel for the Chargers heading into Sunday’s game with Michael Peterson from Bolts from the Blue to preview Sunday’s game. You’ll also be able to read
my answers to Michael’s questions.
MHR: How are Chargers fans feeling after the first two games? What were the expectations coming into the season, and how have the first two games changed any of that?
Michael: The Chargers fan base is feeling incredible. A win over the Chiefs to begin the season in a neutral environment, followed by a road win over the Raiders, has everyone in a place of euphoria. It’s rare air for the Chargers to start a season this well and against two divisional opponents at that. Expectations were likely a 9-8 or maybe 10-7 season if all things went well, but now I wouldn’t be surprised if they exceeded the 11 wins from a year ago. That’s a lot of optimism, but those are current vibes. This team looks as complete as they have in any recent season. There is no glaring weakness being carried by an overperforming area of the roster. It’s solid across the board through the first two weeks of the season.
MHR: What has allowed LA to start 2-0? And is this something the Chargers can replicate and sustain?
Michael: It’s been a wildly synergistic start to the season for this Chargers team. They’re clicking on all three phases of the game just enough to make them an extremely tough out. Offensively, they aren’t blowing up the scoreboard, but they’re doing enough to maintain leads, shorten the game, and win with the ball in their hands. Defensively, they aren’t letting opponents get into the end zone easily, if at all.
Is this all sustainable? I’d say to a degree, but this league is an “any given Sunday” sport, and that means you just never know how some teams will perform each and every week. Right now, the Chargers look exactly the same from Week One to Week Two. They won the same way and performed just as well in the facets they needed to. Only time will tell if this is truly who the Chargers are or if it’s just an early-season stretch coming soon to an end.
MHR: How does LA get the win on Sunday? What will the Chargers do to attack Denver on offense and defense?
Michael: I believe the Chargers will get the win on Sunday if they’re able to bottle up the Broncos rushing attack while keeping Bo Nix in check as a scrambler. With Denver averaging just 186.0 passing yards per game, it looks like they want to win with a similar ball-control offense as the Chargers. If the run game can’t quite find its footing, the Chargers will default to their short-intermediate passing attack as an extension of that ground game. Both Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey have benefited greatly from each other’s presence, and it shows up the most on money downs. Broncos All-Pro Patrick Surtain can only follow one receiver at a time, and the Chargers will most surely take advantage of the attention he CAN’T give elsewhere.
Defensively, I foresee the Chargers looking to make Nix earn his first downs one after the other. Big plays against the Chargers don’t come easily, and as they showed against the Raiders on Monday night, they’ll force you into a 15-play drive and still manage to keep you out of the end zone. The Broncos will have to come prepared to scratch and claw for everything they get on offense.
MHR: What is your best bet for Sunday’s game at FanDuel Sportsbook? And what do you think of the current spread?
Michael: I think the Chargers at -2.5 is just right. Really, either team at -2.5 would have sat well with me.
As far as my best bet, I’m going with Ladd McConkey anytime touchdown scorer. He’s been held out of the end zone the first two weeks, while both Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen have scored in two consecutive games. That’s just odd when many believed McConkey was going to be the team’s bona fide WR1 out of the gate. I think this week we will see some regression, and McConkey finds the end zone at last.
MHR: What are your expectations and predictions for Sunday’s game?
Michael: I think this game will be as competitive as they come. It’s always a close contest between two AFC West teams, and I have an inkling this one may be the most suspenseful yet for the Chargers. Despite the strong defenses, I think the points could be plenty on Sunday, as well. I foresee both Justin Herbert and Bo Nix recording multiple touchdown passes, which will stem from both defenses doing admirable jobs in shutting down the run. In the end, I think one of these teams will win by three points or less. I’m not entirely certain which team that will be, but I can feel it in my bones that we won’t be able to presume a winner until the final minute or less.
