Dec 7, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during a third quarter stop in play for a video review against the New England Patriots at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Chargers, after winning three straight games, dropped their Sunday Night contest against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The Bolts had some great defensive performances, but play lack-luster football overall. Their offensive line failed to protect QB Philip Rivers and the defense gave up big plays drive after drive.
This week the Chargers will be taking on the division-leading Denver Broncos and their high-powered offense. Currently Peyton Manning’s squad has a 10-3 record and the fifth-highest scoring offense in all of football. The Chargers are going to be playing at home, but will need multiple things to go right in order for them to truly secure a win.
In this article I will be describing three things the Chargers will need to do on Sunday in order to defeat the seemingly invincible Denver Broncos and make a run for a playoff spot or even the AFC West title.
Play Outstanding on Offensive Line
Since center Nick Hardwick’s injury early on in the season, the Chargers offensive line has been inconsistent. In their past five games, the Chargers offensive line has allowed 15 sacks. While those numbers seem minimal at first, the O-Line has allowed 25 QB hits as well as 28 tackles for loss.
While three of those games were wins (two out of three were versus sub-500 teams), the Chargers cannot afford any more hits on Philip Rivers, nor any defensive stops in the backfield with the playoffs rapidly approaching. This Sunday the Chargers will be taking on the Denver Broncos, one of the best defensive fronts in the league. The Chargers could use running back Ryan Mathews to help out Philip Rivers, but it seems his prospects are slim to none. According to ESPN.com, “Mathews has been slowed by an injured ankle this week, making him questionable for Sunday. Mathews has given the Broncos all kinds of trouble in his career with 778 total yards and five touchdowns over seven meetings. However, Denver’s run-stop unit has been outstanding all season, ranking second in the NFL in both rushing yards (72.8 per game) and yards per carry (3.5). A touchdown is also unlikely with the Broncos allowing just one rushing TD to an opposing running back in the past nine games combined.”
Mathews has looked relatively fresh as of late, rushing for 259 yards in his past four games (little under 65 yards per game). He missed practice every single day leading up to this game and will probably be a game-time decision. Donald Brown is always there in relief if the Chargers need it.
Regardless of who is in the backfield, the Chargers will need the offensive line to play its best game of the season. The Broncos have 10 sacks in the past two games. Demarcus Ware and Von Miller are formidable pass rushers that can turn any game inside out. Whether or not the Chargers will be running or throwing does not matter much. The Broncos will be coming with all they’ve got.
The Chargers offensive line will need to step it up on Sunday. Philip Rivers can work wonders against any team and I believe that if his offensive line is playing strong, Rivers has the ability to beat Peyton Manning.