Denver Broncos Opponent Preview: Los Angeles Chargers

We begin our team by team preview of each of the 13 opponents the Denver Broncos will face in the regular season with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Denver Broncos have the most difficult schedule in the NFL this season. It does not help when the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders are in your division as well. But today, we will be talking about the other AFC West team in the division, the Los Angeles Chargers.

Yes, you heard that right. It was announced early in January of this year that the Chargers would move to Los Angeles along with the Rams, who have already moved there. The Chargers will play their home games at Stubhub Center in Carson, California until the new stadium in Los Angeles is ready.

Not only will they play in Los Angeles, but they will do so under a new head coach. Like the Denver Broncos, the Chargers also have a new leader at the helm in Anthony Lynn. He is the former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator and interim head coach.

Some Broncos fans might know his name. He was a backup running back for the Denver Broncos when the team won their two Super Bowl titles during their 1997 and 1998 seasons.

The Los Angeles Chargers have gone through a lot of changes during the offseason. But are they destined to make some noise during the 2017 season? Let us take a look at what they have done.

Draft Class of 2017

Mike Williams, WR, Clemson (7th Overall)

Forrest Lamp, OG, Western Kentucky (38th Overall)

Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana (71st Overall)

Rayshawn Jenkins, S, Miami (113th Overall)

Desmond King, S, Iowa (151st Overall)

Sam Tevi, OT, Utah (190th Overall)

Isaac Rochell, DE, Notre Dame (225th Overall)

Key Departures: King Dunlap, D.J. Fluker, Manti Te’o, Danny Woodhead

Key Signings: Russell Okung, Branden Oliver, Jeff Cumberland

Closing Notes:

The Denver Broncos will be facing the Los Angeles Chargers twice this season. Their first meeting is the final game in Week One on Monday Night Football in Denver. These two teams play each other again six weeks later in Carson, California in Week Seven.

With both teams under new head coaches, the first game of the season between these two AFC West rivals should be interesting. While on paper, the Broncos are the better team, the Chargers do seem to give them fits from time to time.

Both games in 2016 were very close. Denver lost the Week 6 matchup against them in San Diego 21-13. Two weeks later, the Broncos got the best of the Chargers 27-19.

Next: It is Now or Never for Paxton Lynch

With two new head coaches, it will be important for both teams to get off to fast starts. However, I believe that the Denver Broncos are the better team. With the Chargers dealing with relocation, it might be a struggle their first year. Not having many fans to seat the games (Stubhub Center has only 30,000 seats) might hurt them too.

The Los Angeles Chargers are in a tough spot right now. But Phillip Rivers should once again be a bright spot for them in 2017.