After dropping a game to the Houston Texans in Week 13, the Denver Broncos need tor rebound in a big way versus the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14 to keep their season afloat. XanB21, a Broncos' Twitter legend, made a very good point about the team recently:
Seems like the margins are widening for the Broncos for the first time in years
— Xan (@XanB21) December 5, 2023
They were -3 in the turnover differential and 0/11 on 3rd down and still had a shot to win against a good team on the road
Testament to Payton and the other coaches
The Broncos played, perhaps, their ugliest game of the season not counting what happened in Florida earlier this year. They didn't convert a single third down and turned it over three times, yet, as Xan notes, the team had a realistic, legitimate shot to win that game. The margin for error is widening for this team, and it's a testament to the coaching staff.
The Broncos will now get to play one of the more poorly-coached teams in the NFL in the Los Angeles Chargers. Their defense is bad. They have no legitimate running game, and the passing attack is one-dimensional and centers around a 31-year-old. Anyway, the Broncos likely need to get to 8-6 after this road trip is over to keep their playoff hopes alive.
A win against the bad Chargers is a must. Let's make some bold predictions for Week 14.
Bold Prediction #1: Jerry Jeudy gets a ton of work in the passing game
Jerry Jeudy hasn't caught more than six passes in 2023 and hasn't hit 100 yards receiving in a game. He's also got just one touchdown on the season, and it's clear that he's getting open. Predominantly Orange's own Jordan Lopez has detailed this on his personal Twitter account and on our website. It's actually a travesty that Jeudy isn't getting the ball, as he was open numerous times in Week 13, one of which would have been the go-ahead TD.
Fortunately, the LA Chargers' passing defense is one of the worst in the NFL. They've allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL this year and have allowed opposing QBs to throw for 3,481 yards, 17 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Sean Payton also spoke about the passing game in Week 13 and did seem to call out Russell Wilson for missing Jeudy without using Wilson's name.
I do think that Wilson and Payton have or will watch some film this week and will see how open Jeudy was. In Week 14, I'd expect the WR to get a ton of run in the passing game.