Heading into MetLife against a first-time rookie starting quarterback, the Chargers were a heavy favorite and felt rather safe to move to 4-0. Once Malik Nabers went down with a significant knee injury that kept him out the rest of the game, it felt like a given that the Chargers would pick up a win on the road.
Everything but that occurred for the Chargers. Justin Herbert struggled to complete 50% of his catches for the Chargers, throwing a pair of interceptions in the process. Omarion Hampton dominated, but only saw 12 carries on the entire game. Jaxson Dart accounted for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Giants, including a rushing score.
The Giants might have painted the picture for how to knock off the Chargers, and with this blueprint, the AFC West could be more open than we thought after Week 3. Their win over the Bengals became paramount for the Broncos, especially after being given new life in the AFC West by the Chargers.
The Broncos needed to dominate on Monday Night Football after recent Chargers' loss, and they did just that
The biggest reason the Broncos' loss to the Chargers in Week 3 was disasterous was the major concessions it gave in the divisional race. Worse, the Chargers seemed to have a relatively easy Week 4 matchup against a 0-3 Giants team.
Denver has new life in the AFC West thanks to the success of Brian Daboll and Jaxson Dart. With their newfound life, however, the Broncos needed to dominate in primetime to close this week. With their win, Denver moves back to just a game behind the Chargers in the AFC West and will have until Week 18 to try to gain just one game on them before heading into their final matchup of the season.
With their big win over the Bengals, the Broncos also displayed that they have the talent to contend in this division, which will once again have a legitimate claim to the AFC's best. The Broncos dominated on both sides of the ball, putting up the biggest gap in offensive yards between two teams in a game this season. Denver outgained the Bengals by 353 yards on Monday night.
Denver was able to show just how much better they are than the Bengals. With their dominant win, the Broncos are once again able to compete for an AFC West crown that seemed to be already too far away from them just two weeks ago.