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San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos
Monday, October 24, 2016
BACKGROUND
5 – 2 feels SO MUCH better than 4 – 3 would have felt. The Broncos beat up on the Texans Monday night, not allowing the Brock Osweiler led team into the end zone all night. The defense was spectacular against the Texans, looking like a unit that is just as formidable as last year’s model, and the offense overcame another sluggish start scoring 27 points and finding its way on the ground.
Gary Kubiak’s return to the sidelines clearly motivated a team that looked listless and lifeless in its loss to the Chargers the week before this context. Oh, and don’t look now, but the Chargers come to town Sunday afternoon looking for a season sweep over the Broncos.
I bet they don’t get it.
KEY MATCH UP
The match up when the Chargers play the Broncos is going to be Phillip Rivers versus the Broncos’ defense until the day Rivers hangs it up or the day that the Chargers begin to feature a franchise player other than him. Until that time, Rivers is the quarterback the Broncos fans love to hate and, while the Chargers seemingly handled the Broncos fairly easily two weeks back, don’t be confused: Rivers was not spectacular in that one. He was human to be sure. I like the Broncos chance to handle him with something approaching ease this Sunday in the Mile High City.
X-FACTOR
The Broncos didn’t lose a key player to a devastating injury last year in their Super Bowl season. Yes, Peyton Manning missed a lot of time and, yes, so did Demarcus Ware, but the team was fairly healthy overall. Thursday’s announcement that CJ Anderson could mean many things – a drop off at the running back position, a lack of veteran leadership carrying the ball, a decline in pass protection. One thing it means for certain is that Devontae Booker will get the first start of his career against the Chargers. Will he be able to put up similar numbers to the 83 yards and a touchdown he amassed Monday night? The Broncos hope so. This game and their season could depend on it.
PREDICTION
Monday night felt better but was it a significant step back toward the post season and the Super Bowl? Perhaps. The Broncos ended the game looking like a far superior team to the Texans, but wasn’t that expected? Shouldn’t the Broncos handle teams like the Texans? Handily? Certainly they should.
The question this week is can they handle the Chargers. I think the fact that the Chargers beat the Broncos two weeks ago works in the Broncos’ favor. Primed for revenge, much like they were last week against Brock Osweiler, the Broncos should win this one going away.
If they do, Bronco fans can set their sights on contending for the division title and a first round bye in the playoffs. Lose it and the team will be scrapping for the rest of the year.
Is this the classic, so-called “trap game”? Here we have two teams that seem to be going in different directions, two teams that ended last season in different places, two teams that don’t know each other very well. For the Broncos, this is an out of conference game against what seems a lesser opponent. For the Buccaneers, this is an opportunity to measure up against last year’s Super Bowl champion.
The Trevor Siemian is no longer our X-Factor. I promised I’d take him out of the X-Factor category this week if the Broncos beat the Bengals. Beat them they did and all Siemian has going for him right now is that he is the reigning AFC Offensive Player of the week.
It sometimes seems that one team has another team’s “number” as it were. In recent seasons, the Denver Broncos have been very successful against more opponents than they’ve failed against, but that equation has not held up in terms of the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have gone 3-1 (including playoffs) against the Broncos in recent years, a record significantly above how they have performed against other competition, and it’s hard to put a finger on why. The Cinnamon Girl would suggest it was the Manning factor and I think she’s right. There is no other reason that the Colts (really an inferior team overall in recent years) should have experienced such success against the Broncos.
Brandon Marshall has made headlines this week with his actions during the National Anthem last Thursday night and his comments and steps afterwards. On Sunday afternoon, he will have to make headlines on the field. He has to match up against Andrew Luck mentally and physically. He has to get Denver into the correct defenses. He has to out quarterback the Colts star quarterback. If Marshall does so, the Denver Broncos will beat the Indianapolis Colts, likely handily.
I don’t know what to say here. We have to continue to watch Trevor Siemian and his performance as the Broncos’ quarterback. Though he kept his cool last week, especially when the Broncos were down 10 and the offense wasn’t moving the ball. The fact that he seems unflappable may be his be most “quarterback-y” quality. He also tossed two interceptions, neither a particularly good ball. One of the ways the Colts can stay with the Broncos is if the Broncos turn the ball over. They cannot do this again this week. Siemian cannot do this again this week.
Denver is Number 8 in the ESPN poll? Number 8?!?! Wow. That’s pretty stunning and my guess is I am not the only one stunned by this. A defending Super Bowl champion beats the team that many had Number 1 in their power polls is the 8th best team in the league? C’Mon. I suspect the Broncos locker room has this message plastered all over. I suspect the team will feed on the perception of disrespect.
As has become an annual tradition, I re-post my review of the Kevin Costner movie Draft Day today on the occasion of the NFL Draft beginning in Chicago tonight and continuing over the weekend. GO BRONCOS!
And There Came a Day... 