The Los Angeles Chargers already know they’ll be playing beyond Sunday, but what’s still in the air is when the Chargers will play next. With a win and a loss by the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chargers will earn the top overall seed in the AFC, a first-round bye and home field advantage. With a loss or a Chiefs win Sunday, the Chargers will drop to the No. 5 feed and will have to win the Wild Card game to advance. In their path is the Denver Broncos, who have been eliminated from the playoffs after a lackluster season that failed to live up to expectations. Despite their differing situations, there’s been no love lost between the two rivals, and with so much on the line, expect this to be a competitive matchup in this AFC West clash.
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The Los Angeles Chargers (11-4) had been one of the hottest teams in the league, winning seven of their last eight games before hitting a road block last Sunday in a 22-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens that shook up the AFC playoff picture. The Chargers offense has dominant for most of the season averaging 27.0 points per game behind the offensive trio of quarterback Phillip Rivers (31 touchdowns, 10 interceptions), running back Melvin Gordon (10 touchdowns) and wide receiver Keenan Allen (six touchdowns). Los Angeles will be getting a boost on the offensive side of the ball with both Allen and backup running back Austin Ekeler expected to return for the matchup. While the Chargers will need help from their rival Oakland Raiders to have a shot at the top seed, Los Angeles is focused on what they can do in this upcoming matchup.
“That’s a distraction,” Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said. “Why do I care what the Raiders are doing? We’re trying to beat the Broncos.”
The Denver Broncos (6-9) got off to a good start this season, winning their first two games, before their slide. The Broncos come into their season finale on a three-game slide, losing against the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns before a 27-14 loss to the Oakland Raiders on Christmas Eve. The Broncos will enter the offseason with questions at quarterback, with big free agent signing Case Keenum throwing just 17 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Denver’s running game will be without rookie running back sensation Phillip Lindsay, who became the first undrafted rookie to make the Pro Bowl just a week earlier. Lindsay is officially out for the upcoming game, which spells trouble for a Denver offense that averages only 21.3 points per game. Veteran linebacker Von Miller and rookie Bradley Chubb anchor the Broncos defense, which is giving up only 21.7 points per game.
The Broncos and Chargers have met on the gridiron since 1960, with the Broncos holding a 66-51-1 edge and have won eight of their last 10 meetings, with the most recent victory coming earlier this season in a 23-22 win in November in Los Angeles. The Chargers will hope to split the season series and hope to swipe the top seed going into the playoffs.
