How’s that for a spoiler? A Peyton Manning-less Denver Broncos gave Tom Brady and the New England Patriots their first loss of the season in a 30-24 overtime thriller on Sunday night. The Broncos now head to the road in an AFC West matchup against the lowly San Diego Chargers.
The Chargers had lost six straight before beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-25 on the strength of Philip Rivers’ strong arm. Can San Diego get an upset of their own when they welcome the AFC West leaders to Qualcomm Stadium? Read on for everything you need to know heading into this matchup.
Check out our complete previews for the Jaguars vs. Titans and Falcons vs. Buccaneers for some of this week’s big divisional matchups.
[sc:Football ]Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers Preview
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
When: Sunday, December 6, 4:05 PM ET
Line: Denver Broncos (-4) at San Diego Chargers (+4); total: 43.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Denver Broncos (9-2)
Peyton Manning watched on the sidelines as rival Tom Brady and the New England Patriots played his Denver Broncos on Sunday night. The Broncos were already missing their star quarterback; their problems were further compounded when defensive starters T.J. Ward and Sylvester Williams suffered injuries in the first quarter.
[sc:NFL240banner ] Facing a 21-7 deficit in the fourth quarter, backup Brock Osweiler led the Broncos to victory. Osweiler drove the Broncos 83 yards on just five plays in a little over a minute to take a 24-21 lead with 1:09 left. He hit Demaryius Thomas for a 36-yarder to start off the rally before hitting Emmanuel Sanders for 39 yards two plays later. The go-ahead drive ended with a four yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell.
Osweiler completed 23 of 42 passes for 270 yards with a touchdown and an interception. But he was especially clutch in the fourth quarter in Denver’s 30-24 upset victory. Having a pair of solid receivers Thomas and Sanders helped him aplenty. Sanders in particular had a game-high 113 yards receiving. The two should help Osweiler dissect a San Diego passing defense, which ranks in the bottom 10 of the league with 253.9 yards allowed per game.
The backup quarterback was solid and all, but the Broncos have their running backs to thank for the win. Ronnie Hillman scored on a 19-yard run in the second quarter. He finished with 59 yards on 14 carries. It was all C.J. Anderson from there. Anderson scored his first touchdown, a 15-yarder on a muffed punt return by the Patriots in the fourth. He then came up with the winner in overtime, rushing for 48 yards. Anderson finished with 113 yards rushing on 15 carries.
The Broncos’ pair of running backs should be dominant in this matchup against a San Diego defense allowing 123.7 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry.
The defense also has to be commended. The Broncos held the Patriots to six three-and-outs, none more important than the one in the overtime’s first possession. Defensive linemen Derek Wolfe and Vance Walker along with linebacker Von Miller each had a sack against Brady. They should have another strong game against the Chargers’ who’ve allowed 26 sacks this season.
The Broncos are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five against San Diego.
Betting on the San Diego Chargers (3-8)
Philip Rivers threw four touchdown passes, and the San Diego Chargers put an end to their six-game losing streak with a 31-25 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rivers passed Joe Montana and tied Vinny Testaverde for 11th on the NFL’s all-time passing touchdown list with 275. He finished the game with 300 yards on 29 of 43 passing, including his four touchdowns.
Two of Rivers’ touchdowns were caught by tight end Antonio Gates, who finished with 53 yards receiving on four catches. Gates should be a solid vertical threat in this game, considering the Broncos allowed Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski to haul in six passes for 88 yards and a score. Rivers has another solid receiver in Stevie Johnson, who caught seven passes for 92 yards and a score against Jacksonville.
Facing Jacksonville’s passing defense is one thing; taking on Denver’s is a whole ‘nother animal. The Broncos have the league’s best passing defense, allowing just 197.1 yards per game. But they did allow a big game against Tom Brady on Sunday night, conceding 280 yards passing and three touchdowns.
The Chargers would stand a good chance of keeping this game close if they can hound the inexperienced Denver quarterback Brock Osweiler with their pass rush. While the Chargers rank just 23rd with 21 sacks this season, they could count on a trio of players in the front seven. Linebackers Jeremiah Attaochu and Melvin Ingram have 4.5 and four sacks respectively. Meanwhile, defensive end Corey Liuget has three.
The Chargers are 0-5 ATS in their last five at home.
Writer’s Prediction
The Broncos blow out San Diego to take one more step to locking up AFC West. Create a betting account now and win big on some mind-blowing football action.
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