The Denver Broncos will be returning home after a two-game road trip. Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers will face off in an AFC West battle at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. Los Angeles will be strutting in after a win while the Broncos will be stumbling in from a loss.
It was close but no cigar for Denver as they fell 27-24 to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Denver's defeat came about despite a quality game from QB Russell Wilson, who passed for one TD and 222 yards on 38 attempts in addition to punching in two rushing touchdowns. Wilson ended up with a passer rating of 120.90. Wilson's sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
Meanwhile, the Chargers made easy work of the Los Angeles Rams last week and carried off a 31-10 victory. It was another big night for Los Angeles' RB Austin Ekeler, who rushed for two TDs and 122 yards on ten carries. One of the most memorable plays of the contest was Ekeler's 72-yard touchdown rush down the right side of the field in the second quarter.
Los Angeles is now 10-6 while the Broncos sit at 4-12. Los Angeles has clinched a playoff berth as the current fifth seed in the AFC. Denver has been eliminated from playoff contention.
This next matchup is expected to be close, with Denver going off at just a 2.5-point favorite. But bettors beware: they are only 1-6 against the spread when favored.
Two offensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: The Broncos are stumbling into the game with the third fewest overall offensive touchdowns in the NFL, having accrued only 25 on the season. The Chargers have experienced some struggles of their own as they are third worst in the league in rushing yards per game, with only 91.6 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.