Chargers (

12.5) at
Broncos (

25)

Game Overview ::

By Mike johnson

• The Chargers have clinched a playoff berth, but are locked into a Wild Card spot, and announced early in the week that QB Justin Herbert and other key starters would not play in this game.
• Dual threat QB Trey Lance is set to start for the Chargers.
• Denver needs to win this game to clinch the top seed in the AFC.
• The Broncos defense has been dominant against weaker opponents and are set to face a team of backups.
• Broncos head coach Sean Payton is not afraid to run up the score on inferior opponents and may look to build confidence in his offense heading into a bye week if they are in control in the second half.

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How los angeles Will Try To Win ::

The Chargers have decided to err on the side of caution this week and will rest star QB Justin Herbert, along with many other key players in this divisional tilt that up until last week appeared that it may have massive playoff implications. The Chargers lost to the Texans last Saturday and if they had pulled out the victory this game would have been for the AFC West crown. Instead, the Chargers are content with accepting wherever they fall in the playoff seeding and taking the “bye” week to get healthy prior to a potential playoff run. This is a team that has battled injuries to their backfield, defense, offensive line, and even Herbert has been nursing a broken bone in his hand in recent weeks. The Chargers have shown they can compete with anyone when healthy and prepared, and have wisely chosen to optimize themselves for the Wild Card round.

What this means for this week is that QB Trey Lance will be under center and in control of the offense against a dominant Broncos defense that can be suffocating to opposing passing games and is very strong up front. The Broncos need a win to lock-up the #1 seed in the AFC, so it is safe to assume they will be bringing the full experience to Lance’s doorstep in this one. Los Angeles has been struggling with offensive line issues that Herbert has been able to overcome in most weeks, but this week they will be down even more key players up front as they try to preserve the few healthy and effective bodies they have left. This means they will essentially have a backup offensive line against one of the league’s toughest defensive fronts. The Broncos secondary is also notorious for being a lock-down unit and assuming the Chargers also rest their top receivers, it is unlikely that there will be many open receivers for Lance to pass to. The reality is that Lance is primarily a runner and struggles with a lot of the traditional things about the quarterback position. Expect the Chargers to run the ball at a high rate and limit the concepts they ask of Lance, while hoping to turn this into a low-scoring defensive battle.

How denver Will Try To Win ::