Chargers (

17.5) at
Broncos (

21)

Game Overview ::

By MIKE JOHNSON >>

• The Broncos benched quarterback Russell Wilson this week despite still having an outside chance to make the playoffs.
• Los Angeles bounced back from its embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Raiders by nearly upsetting the Bills last Saturday.
• The Chargers’ pass-catching corps continues to deal with a ton of injury issues, as Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer may miss this game.
• The Broncos may be without their top wide receiver, Courtland Sutton, as well in this game. Sutton is dealing with a concussion and has yet to practice this week.
• These teams met two weeks ago when the Broncos won 24-7 and their defense absolutely dominated.

How LOS ANGELES Will Try To Win ::

The Chargers bounced back in a big way after their embarrassing primetime loss to the Raiders that got Brandon Staley fired. Playing in primetime again last Saturday night against the Bills, the Chargers controlled the game and kept things close for all four quarters while playing terrific complementary football in a close loss. The big key for the Chargers in that game was that they forced three turnovers from the Bills while committing none of their own. That was in stark contrast to the Raiders game, where the Chargers committed five turnovers while creating none. That swing from a -5 turnover differential to a +3 was everything for Los Angeles and showed that it definitely needs to be on the plus side to have a chance to win.

This week, the Chargers face a Broncos team that has been terrific at creating turnovers in their victories over the second half of the season. While Denver lost an ugly game to the Patriots on Sunday night in Week 16, this has been a team whose defense has improved over the course of the season and has given some weaker teams fits this season, including the Chargers just three weeks ago in the game where Justin Herbert and Allen were injured. Herbert is done for the season and Allen seems unlikely to return this week, while Palmer is also likely to miss this game due to a concussion. That leaves quarterback Easton Stick in a tough spot as the Chargers continue to lose playmakers and will be facing an opportunistic defense.

The strength of the Broncos defense is their ability to create takeaways and their perimeter defense against the pass. Where they are most vulnerable is against running backs and the short/middle areas of the field in the passing game. Austin Ekeler should be extremely busy in this game and operate as the focal point of the Los Angeles offense. Tight end Gerald Everett should also be heavily involved, as tight ends have given Denver fits at times this season. The Chargers may also look to get Stick out of the pocket to use his legs to create easier passing angles and let him run the ball when the defense allows. Mobile quarterbacks creating yards with their legs can be a bit of a cheat code for teams like this who are running out of able bodies, and Stick isn’t their long-term quarterback so they should have no issues letting him run the ball 8-12 times this week. All things considered, the Chargers are likely to keep things simple and play close to the vest early as they hope to play another low-scoring game and win the turnover battle.

How DENVER Will Try To Win ::

MIKE JOHNSON >>

• There are precisely four players I have an interest in from this game:: Stidham, Jeudy, Ekeler, and Everett.
• Stidham to Jeudy is one of my favorite cheap stacks this week. 
• Jeudy is a talented receiver who has had flashes during his career but struggled due to injuries and inconsistent QB play. Between the switch to Stidham at QB and the likely absence of Sutton, Jeudy could have the perfect storm this week against a beatable Chargers defense.
• Stidham has a very good offensive coach, is extremely cheap, and is facing a defense that has been smashed at times this season. I also am willing to bite a bit on the “narrative” angle here, as Payton is a proud man who is taking a lot of heat for benching Wilson. It has the feel of a spot where if given the opportunity, Payton will want to prove his decision was right/justified.
• Ekeler has, by far, his lowest salary of the season. The Broncos have been gashed by running backs this season. The Chargers are likely going to feature their backs and tight ends as a means of protecting the ball and adjusting to their injury issues. It wouldn’t be shocking for Ekeler to have a bit of a renaissance game in this spot. He is also an incredible leverage play against a Broncos defense that is sure to be one of the highest owned on the slate.
• The Chargers’ wide receiver corps is depleted and the Broncos defense is very tough on the perimeter. This should force a ton of volume to the backs and interior receivers, mainly Gerald Everett. 
• Brandon Johnson is a viable option to stack with Stidham as well. He saw a huge bump in snaps and usage when Sutton left the lineup last week and is near-minimum price. If Marvin Mims were to miss this game with his hamstring injury, that would only serve to increase the confidence in Jeudy and Johnson this week.