The San Diego Chargers (8-5)  lost a defensive struggle to the New England Patriots in week 14. The game was a slow, back-and-forth, defensive chess match. The Patriots’ defense held the Chargers to 216 total yards. The Chargers offense struggled to move the ball the entire game. San Diego’s defense was the lone silver lining in the game. The Patriots were unable to score in the first half and committed two turnovers, one in the final minute of the half. The Chargers, however, could not shut out the Patriots in the second half. San Diego’s offense had virtually no run game. The Chargers will need to correct its offensive issues and that starts with the offense-line.

The Denver Broncos (10-3) struggled against the Buffalo Bills, but managed to salvage the victory. Peyton Manning threw two interceptions and did not throw a single touchdown in the game. Instead, the offense relied heavily on the running game. C.J. Anderson carried the load for the offense and had three scores. Outside of the scores, his runs were not overly impressive. The Broncos have found ways to win but the offense has not looked explosive since earlier in the season.

Chargers Vs Broncos Week 15 Odds

Here are the odds from Betonline.ag

Broncos -4 (-110)
Chargers +4 (-110)

Broncos (-205)
Chargers (+175)

Over/Under 50.5

Team Breakdowns

Chargers: The pass-rush against the Patriots created some great pressure. Outside-Linebacker Melvin Ingram was a nightmare against the Patriots. All game, Ingram successfully got through the offensive-line and put pressure on the quarterback. Peyton Manning, like Tom Brady, is not a mobile passer. The Chargers will come up with a defensive game plan that will utilize Ingram’s ability to rush from multiple areas of the field. Against hard-hitting and physical teams, Denver’s receivers have struggled. The Chargers will need an offensive strategy to help overcome their deficiencies at running-back, especially if Ryan Mathews is not able to play. Philip Rivers needs to find Antonio Gates and Keenan Allen over the middle of the field. Last week, Revis Island shut down Allen. This week, Rivers must find a way to get him more involved. Rivers will need to take chances down the field to overcome the lack of a true running threat.

Broncos: The last few weeks, Peyton Manning has struggled to move the ball down the field. The Broncos have relied heavily on their running game. This past week, the Broncos barely escaped with a victory. With the playoffs fast approaching, Denver needs to find its offensive form once again. Look for Peyton Manning to get the outside receivers more involved this week. Emmanuel Sanders has been Manning’s go to receiver all season. The Patriots had success against the Chargers secondary late in the game. The Broncos will have similar success if they can protect Manning. Also, the Patriots tore up the middle of the field with tight-end Rob Gronkowski. The Broncos will need to target their own tight-end, Julius Thomas, assuming he suits up this week. Denver’s defense has played well this season and will have no problem stopping the Chargers’ beleaguered ground game. The Broncos need to force Phillip Rivers to throw a lot and early. When the Chargers rely too heavily on the passing game, the Broncos defense will look to force turnovers.

Free Pick

The Broncos have been unbeatable at home, but on the road, they hold only a 3-3 record. The Chargers nearly pulled out a victory against the AFC leading Patriots. The Chargers’ defensive pass-rush was superb all game and this week will be no different. Linebacker Mark Ingram will need to have a huge game if the Chargers hope to pull off the upset at home. The Broncos cannot allow the Chargers to put pressure on Manning and push him off his spots. This will be a close game, but expect the Chargers to bounce back this week and pull off the upset.

San Diego Chargers 31 Denver Broncos 27

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