Denver Broncos: Behind Enemy Lines with Bolt Beat

The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers are set to face off on Monday Night. I got to talk to Travis Wakeman of Bolt Beat and get his takes.

We only have one more day to go until the Denver Broncos open up the regular season against the Los Angeles Chargers. It is awesome to know that football is back. It will be a battle of first year coaches. Vance Joseph vs. Anthony Lynn.

With as competitive as the AFC West is supposed to get this season, each divisional game will be important. A win here by the Denver Broncos will give them a head start in the division.

That goes without saying that the Broncos should not take the Chargers lightly. Especially with Philip Rivers the quarterback on the other side. And with a solid running game and defense for Los Angeles, this will be an interesting fight.

Such an important game calls for interviewing someone on the other side. And Predominantly Orange decided to cross enemy lines over to Bolt Beat. Travis Wakeman is someone that we should be familiar with since we talked to him last season.

I was interested to see what the Chargers have been up to this offseason. So, let us see what is going on in Los Angeles.

PO: The Chargers moved over to Los Angeles during the offseason. What is your takes on the move? Will it be better for the Chargers to be in LA?

BB: It’s sad that it had to happen. I still feel for all those wonderful fans in San Diego. As far as better for the team, that’s hard to say. Initially, I feel like they will have to succeed to stay relevant in a deep sports market. Sports fans in L.A. have a lot of options. 

PO: Out of all the moves that the Chargers have made this offseason, which one surprised you the most? And which one were you more excited for?

BB: Though it’s just a kicker, I was most surprised that the team chose to go with Younghoe Koo over Josh Lambo. Koo didn’t attempt a single field goal until the last preseason game. The one I’m most excited for is first-round pick Mike Williams, though unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a little longer for that. 

PO: Why do you believe the Los Angeles Chargers will have a chance to make some noise this season?

BB: Because top to bottom, it’s one of the best rosters in the league. Anthony Lynn is going to bring a toughness that Mike McCoy just didn’t have and as long as you have Philip Rivers, you have a chance. If this team stays healthy, it can compete with anyone. 

PO: Which player on the Chargers are you most excited to see in 2017?

BB: He’s just an undrafted rookie, but Austin Ekeler. This kid has already surprised Chargers fans by making the 53-man roster and he’ll surprise people on a much wider scale starting in Week 1. 

PO: With both the Chargers and Broncos debuting new coaching staffs, what do you believe is going to be key to getting a win?

BB: The key in this game is going to be protecting the quarterback. These two teams had arguably the two worst offensive lines in the NFL last year. Coincidentally, each team brings a top 5 pass rusher into the game with Von Miller and Joey Bosa. I feel the team who protects the quarterback and gives up the least amount of disruption in the offensive backfield wins this game. 

Next: Kyle Peko Waived, Will Tyrique Jarrett be called up?

Thank You Travis for taking the time out to meet with me. If you want to see what Wakeman and the rest of Bolt Beat are up to, you can go to Boltbeat.com.