Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
This might as well be a playoff game for San Diego, which was torched by Peyton Manning and the Broncos earlier this season. San Diego beat Baltimore in the final minute before falling victim to a Tom Brady rebound last Sunday night at home.
This is a different version of the Broncos offense that defeated the Chargers in their previous meeting. The team has reverted to a run-first attack, making Manning all but a bystander of late. Still, that has translated into three straight wins. Of course, the Bolts’ biggest weakness is the back end of their defense, so perhaps we’ll see a bounce-back performance by the Sheriff as he looks to sweep the season series against his AFC West rival.
San Diego enters this Week 15 game as the No. 6 seed in the AFC, with the edge over the Ravens in the Wild Card race. At 8-5, the Chargers just saw their three-game win streak come to a close against New England. Brady torched the Chargers’ secondary for 317 yards while the defense posted a second-half shutout, which begs the question if Philip Rivers and Co. can respond.
Bold prediction: We’ve kind of questioned the Broncos lately, especially because Manning hasn’t been a part of the equation in their three-game roll. On the other end of the spectrum, the Chargers need this win to remain in the playoff hunt as it heats up down the stretch. Last year, we saw the Chargers win this game late in the year at home. Yet again, I’m predicting a similar fate. Rivers musters up a very December Rivers-esque performance, downing the Broncos and reminding us the Bolts are a team to be wary of in the postseason. Chargers get this win easily.
