Denver Broncos: Key matchups vs the Los Angeles Chargers

What are the key matchups between the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers?

Since week one, I have taken a look at two critical individual matchups the Denver Broncos needed to win to come out of each game with a victory. Last week the Broncos lost at home against the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.

My two key matchups from the clash with the Chiefs failed to help the team pull out a win.  Melvin Gordon fumbled away any bright spot he had earned from his play against the New York Jets.

Sadly, the offensive and special teams gaffs ruined a solid effort from the secondary, who I highlighted as a key focus for the Broncos against Patrick Mahomes.

Throughout the season, I’ll continue to break down two key individual matchups each week that are critical to a Broncos win.

This week, the Denver Broncos face off with the Los Angeles Chargers at home, where the team is winless to start the season. The Chargers are coming off a win against the AFC South bottom-dwellers Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Chargers come in at 2-4, just like the Broncos but riding the high of having found their quarterback in Justin Herbert. Herbert has been on a tear and providing the Charger offense with a punch both in the air and on the ground.

Additionally, the Chargers have a ton of talent on the ball’s defensive side and will be a tough matchup for a Denver team that has struggled to score points.

The Broncos got a boost from running back Phillip Lindsay the last two weeks before leaving Sunday’s game with an injury.

This team needs to bounce back in a big way if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive.

So, what players will help catapult the team to a victory against the reigning champs?

This week, I look at who must win their matchups to ensure the Broncos win against their division foes this week.

Matchups: Drew Lock vs. Michael Davis

Michael Davis is the starting outside corner for the Chargers. He has played really well since earning the starting nod.

Davis has shown he can hold his own versus the game’s best, even returning an interception for a touchdown vs. Tom Brady and the red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Davis plays opposite Casey Hayward, the other tremendous corner for the Chargers. Davis is a tall and athletic player who can mirror the likes of Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy.

Despite Davis’s quality play, the Broncos would be smart to game plan away from Hayward and target Davis early and often.

Davis is aggressive and can be had on double moves and or well-designed route combinations.

Enter the morale-beaten Drew Lock. Lock, coming off of his worst game of the season, and maybe his young career, requires a pick me up.

The Broncos will look to their young quarterback to bounce back and deliver a solid outing, which is needed to match the high scoring output of the Chargers.

Lock, who was late in his reads all last week, must shore up in this game if the Broncos have any shot to win Sunday.

Lock can take advantage of Davis in his less-than-average lateral quickness as Jeudy and K.J. Hamler has significant advantages in and out of their cut.

To do so, the ball has to be out of time. If Lock plays with intention and comes to the line of scrimmage with a plan to execute under pressure, he can deliver a ball with pinpoint accuracy.

He needs to do that this week to put up some points and help his team win.

If Lock can make the easy throws against a good secondary, including Davis, his confidence and swagger may start to come back, which we desperately need.

His team believes in him, so now he has to go out there and back them up.

Matchups: Justin Simmons vs. Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert has balled out this season, plain and simple. Not everyone was high on the rookie quarterback out of the University of Oregon, and he is making a lot of doubters eat their words (me included).

He has shown tremendous control of the offense, spreading the ball to a variety of receivers.

So, the Broncos cannot simply key on wide receiver Keenan Allen or tight end Hunter Henry, both of whom are studs, and must defend the field’s entirety.

I did see from watching some of his games the desire to throw the ball down the middle of the field.

His desire to attack in between the hash marks with the intermediate and deep passing game may play right into Denver’s hands as they boast one of the best safety tandems in the NFL.

Leading the secondary is All-Pro safety, Justin Simmons.

Simmons’s ability to roam and impact the play simply by his effective and heady play could cause the young quarterback problems.

Head Coach Vic Fangio should continue to call pressure looks for his defense, which may cause Herbert to get rid of the ball sooner than he’d like or force a throw.

Simmons is a playmaker, and if the ball is in his facility, he is likely to come down with it and change the game’s course.

If Simmons can make a big-play early or in crunch time, the Broncos may be able to rattle the Chargers offense and come away with a much-needed win Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.