Coming off an early-season bye week, the 2-2 Chargers will head to Denver for a Sunday afternoon matchup against the 3-2 Broncos. This game is as important as it gets for Los Angeles as they try to avoid going under .500 and lose ground in the NFC West. Even though Denver has won three games in a row, the Chargers are three-point favorites over the Broncos.
This will be the fourth time Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton will have faced each other, with Harbaugh winning the head-to-head battle 2-1 after his stint with the 49ers and when Payton was coaching the Saints. Payton is 6-0 against the Chargers including a sweep last year.
Quarterback Justin Herbert has been banged up with a high-ankle sprain and sat out the last few weeks, but he should be ready to go on Sunday. He ranks 31st in the league with 578 passing yards and has five touchdowns and one interception. Rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey has been Herbert’s most targeted receiver so far and leads the team in receiving yards with 176. Quentin Johnston has drastically improved from last year, already having recorded more touchdowns this season than the last.
Rookie QB Bo Nix is coming off a career-best performance in Week 5, posting a 117 passer rating with 206 passing yards, throwing two touchdowns and diving in the endzone for another in Denver’s win over the Raiders. The rookie has not thrown an interception since Week 2 and has only been sacked three times during Denver’s three-game winning streak. Herbert and Nix both played at the University of Oregon, the former from 2016-19 and the latter from 2022-23 after spending three seasons at Auburn. The two squared off in 2019 when Herbert was a senior and Nix was a freshman.
The Chargers’ ability to run the ball has been impressive and could throw off a very aggressive Denver defense. Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins is averaging 6.1 yards per carry, which is the best of any running back with at least 40 carries. He is also fifth in the league in rushing yards per game at 85.5. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman has helped Los Angeles average 17 points a game, while Denver has maintained an average of 19.2.
While the Chargers have the advantage of extra rest, their overall performance has not been at its fullest due to injuries and a lack of key defensive players. The offensive line was missing Rashawn Slater and rookie Joe Alt in the Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Safety Derwin James Jr. will return to the field after sitting out last week due to his one-game suspension for “repeated violations of playing rules.”
On the defensive side, the Chargers’ pass rush has some stars in Khalil Mack, Bud Dupree and Joey Bosa. The Chargers are allowing a league-low 12.5 points per game, followed by the Broncos’ 14.6 points a game. In four games played, the defense has 11 sacks with a 31.2 quarterback pressure percentage. Joey Bosa has 2.5 sacks but may miss a second-straight game due to injury.
Asante Samuel Jr. and James Jr. lead a Los Angeles secondary with an 85.8 defensive passing rate, allowing only three touchdowns and snatching four interceptions. Linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu has yet to get a sack this season but has 10 tackles and one forced fumble.
This game will likely be more of a defensive battle than an offensive beatdown, so the Chargers need to make sure they win the turnover battle.