The Denver Broncos are set to face the Los Angeles Chargers for their first AFC West matchup of the season. Denver defeated Tennessee in their opener and lost against Indianapolis last week. On the other hand, Los Angeles will face their third division opponent. They defeated Kansas City in their season opener and won on the road against Las Vegas last week. This will be a very interesting matchup because the Broncos can take first place in the division with a win at SoFi.
Denver is 2-2 against Los Angeles in the Sean Payton era, but 0-2 in the Bo Nix era. Last season, the Broncos were up in the scoreboard in their road game against Justin Herbert and company, but were not able to finish it. The free kick field goal ended up being a key factor for the loss. Can Bo and the Broncos get his first win against the Chargers on the road in their Week 3 matchup?
3 keys to victory for the Broncos in Week 3 matchup against the Chargers:
1. Finish the game if they are up in the scoreboard:
Denver has struggled to maintain leads in multiple recent matchups. The most recent one was last week against the Indianapolis Colts. They ended up losing in a heartbreaker, by one point in a last-second field goal, after leading the game by 5 points entering the fourth quarter. Last season, against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Broncos were up by 3 points entering the fourth quarter and were up by 8 points at halftime.
If they are up in the score, they have to find a way to eat the clock, close out the game and get back home not only with an AFC West victory over the Chargers, but with the first place in the division. Denver cannot blow more leads if they want to make a deep run for the Super Bowl. This leads to my second key to victory.
2. Unleash JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey:
A consistent run game is key to success in today's NFL, especially in games that are expected to be close ones like this one against a division rival. If you want to win games, you have to be in command of the game clock, and running the ball consistently helps you to do that. If you have a consistent run game, your defense will not be much time on the field, and will give a clear path to victory - if they score points.
JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey have been good so far in the first two games, but they must have more carries. Dobbins will face his former team, the Chargers, for the first time since leaving LA. Last season with them, he had over 900 rushing yards. Sunday is the perfect opportunity to unleash the beast as the Chargers will be without Khalil Mack. They allowed 98 rushing yards in Week 1. In Week 2, the Raiders had 19 yards on the ground but did not have many carries. It is a great opportunity for coach Payton to give Dobbins and Harvey a big chunk of carries.
3. Win the turnover battle:
The Chargers have been a good team through the first two weeks, taking care of the football. They are the fifth-best team in turnover differential. Their offense lost one fumble against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2, and that's it. On the other hand, the Broncos had 5 offensive turnovers in their first two games. The Broncos have lost the turnover battle in both games so far in the season.
Los Angeles' offensive line has allowed 5 sacks in their first two games, while Denver's defense is tied at third-most with 7 sacks, despite only having one last week. The Chargers lost a key member of their O-line, specifically Rashawn Slater, to a season-ending injury.
They were forced to move their former first-round pick, Joe Alt, to be Justin Herbert's blindside protector over backup Trey Pipkins III, who is starting in Slater's place. Denver must take advantage and put pressure on Pipkins' side throughout the entire game. Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, and company must make Justin Herbert's life miserable. With pressure, they can force turnovers and have extra possessions.
This will be Denver's toughest matchup of the season in the first three weeks. Will they be capable of winning on the road against the Chargers following a disastrous loss in Week 2 at Indianapolis?