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Final Score
Broncos 3-6-7-6 — 22
Chargers 0-3-0-7 — 10
The Denver Broncos won their 4th consecutive division title under John Fox. The Chargers dropped to 8-6, and in a matter of two weeks dropped out of the AFC playoff picture altogether.
Peyton Manning left the game in the 2nd quarter because of a thigh injury, but returned after the half was over to finish the game. Manning finished 14-for-20 for 233 yards and a touchdown. He outplayed his counterpart Philip Rivers who finished the game 24-for-41 for 232 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The lack of any Chargers running game has hindered Rivers and the Chargers from matching the success they had to start the season.
The Chargers are now 2-2 in the AFC West and 6-5 overall in the AFC. Due to tiebreakers, they are now behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the race for the AFC’s final playoff spot, now owned by the Baltimore Ravens.
The 8-6 chargers will meet the 8-6 Chiefs next week in Kansas City, likely eliminating the loser. The Broncos will visit to take on the 9-4-1 Cincinnati Bengals, where both teams will still be playing for a 1st-round bye in the AFC.
Rivers to Gates Brought Chargers Within a Score
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The Chargers countered the Broncos touchdown drive with a long touchdown drive of their own. The Bolts moved 80 yards in 11 plays, which was capped off with an Antonio Gates 5-yard touchdown reception to pull the Chargers within a score 16-10.
The Broncos Extended Their Lead Going Into the 4th Quarter
Manning turned out to be just fine after it was revealed he left the game for a minor “thigh injury.” He received an IV in the locker room, and then came back into the game after the half was over and threw this 28-yard touchdown pass to Demariyus Thomas to give the Broncos a 16-3 lead.
Broncos Led at Halftime but Peyton Manning Left Game With Undisclosed Injury
Broncos backup QB Brock Osweiler is in game for Denver. Peyton Manning is in the locker room with undisclosed injury.
The game took an interesting turn when Manning left the game in the 2nd quarter after going back to the locker room with an undisclosed injury. Manning was 2nd in NFL history entering today with 208 consecutive games started — still 79 behind Brett Favre.
The Broncos offense was much of the same as it was last week against the Bills last week — they moved the football, but points were hard to come by. The Broncos ran five plays from the Chargers’ 1-yard line, but failed to convert any of those chances into six, settling for three points on all three tries. They doubled up the Chargers in 1st Downs (10/4) and total yards (200/92).
The Chargers were able to get on the board late with 10 seconds remaining in the half to cut Denver’s lead to 9-3. The Chargers received the 2nd-half kickoff.
Broncos Offense Dominated Early But Was Kept Out of the Endzone
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The Broncos offense was clicking on their first few drives of the game. The Chargers offense was not. Although the Broncos were able to accumulate 129 yards on two separate long drives, they had to settle for two short field goals on each, only leading 6-0.
Broncos Could Win AFC West Title With a Win
The 10-3 Denver Broncos have a chance to clinch their 4th consecutive AFC West division title under head coach John Fox when they visit the 8-5 San Diego Chargers. The Broncos have won two straight against the Chargers, which include a playoff game in January and their first meeting earlier this season in Denver, a 35-21 victory.
Peyton Manning has struggled since the start of November. Lat week, after going 51 straight games with at least one touchdown pass, Manning’s streak was broken by the Buffalo Bills defense. Manning has also had accuracy issues, dealing with injuries to Ronnie Hillman and Julius Thomas. Since November 2 against the Patriots, Manning owns a 14:8 TD:INT ratio, and has thrown two interceptions in a game in four of his last six contests. Last Sunday also marked the 11th time in 253 career regular-season starts Manning threw 20 or fewer passes, and the first since Jan. 3, 2010, with Indianapolis.
Rivers has come back down to Earth since his MVP-like first six games of the season. Last week, the Chargers lost a disappointing home game 23-14 to the Patriots. While the Chargers continue to own a playoff spot, they have been overtaken by the Steelers for the AFC’s top Wild Card spot.
The Chargers final three games look imposing: they host Denver in their final home game before taking the road to finish up their schedule in San Francisco in Week 16 and then Kansas City in Week 17. Denver visits Cincinnati in Week 16 before closing out at home in Week 17 against Oakland. It’s safe to say that this game is a must-win for the Chargers, who need to finish the season at least 2-1 to have a realistic chance at making the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
