Broncos Hump Day Hot Reads: Broncos Stay Classy in San Diego

Nov 10, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) is sacked by Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe (95) during the first half at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

This week the Broncos went on the road and beat their division rivals, the San Diego Chargers, 28-20.  The Broncos struck first with a 74-yard touchdown from Peyton Manning to Julius Thomas to make things 7-0 Broncos. The Chargers added two field goals and then the Broncos scored 21 unanswered points, all by Manning to Demaryius Thomas, to go up 28-6. The Chargers went on a 14-0 run but the Broncos held on for the win. Here is what I liked, what I didn’t like, what’s next for the Broncos after the win.

What I Liked

Getting a Quality Win on the Road

The Broncos are in arguably their toughest stretch of the schedule. They played and beat a good Chargers team on the road this week and the next three weeks Denver is home against Kansas City, at New England, and at Kansas City. All of these teams are in the playoff hunt and three of the four games in this stretch are on the road.  I was very happy that the Broncos were able to get the first win, during this stretch under their belt.  It was also nice to get a win on the road because it is never easy going on the road to get a win against any team in the NFL, especially against a division rival.

What I Didn’t Like

Chargers Sack and Fumble of Manning

I didn’t like the sack and fumble that happened in the 2nd half of Sunday’s game. The Broncos looked like they were going to run away with game and cruise to a win but this turnover gave the Chargers good field position and a lot of momentum towards the end of the game. After this happened the Chargers were able to crawl back into the game. They ended up falling short still but in a closer game this could have been the difference between a win and a loss.  The Broncos need to clean things up if they want to beat the Chiefs and Patriots in the coming weeks.

What’s Next

Kansas City at Denver

It’s finally here! The moment we all have been waiting for, the Chiefs and Broncos will finally meet. These two teams have a combined record of 17-1 so far this year and they have the two best records in the AFC.  There will be many storylines leading up to the game. Are the Chiefs for real or have they benefitted from a weak schedule? Is Manning healthy? Is the Chiefs defense or Broncos offense better? Sunday Night’s game should help us answer a lot of these questions and will have direct implications on the AFC West race.

The Broncos and Chiefs kickoff at 6:30 p.m MST in Denver.

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