Mile High Report
Week 18 provides the opportunity for the Denver Broncos to earn the top seed in the AFC. If so, the Broncos will earn a first-round bye and enjoy the perks of homefield advantage throughout the postseason. That’s certainly a major reason why Denver is treating it like a playoff game. Here are some of my thoughts on what Denver has to do in order to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
With Justin Herbert sitting out for Sunday’s gridiron matchup, that means backup quarterback Trey Lance will take command of the Chargers’ offense. After being an early first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lance went from a potential future superstar at the position to being relegated as a journeyman backup several seasons later.
Early this week, Head Coach Sean Payton spoke about the Broncos’ biggest glaring issue as the postseason nears—their lack of turnovers. With a -5-turnover margin on the season, Denver is in the bottom 10 in the NFL and have only forced 11 turnovers on defense this season. Going up against the former North Dakota State Bison standout will provide Denver with the opportunity to make some headway in that department.
I’m expecting big things from Denver’s defensive front seven going up against a banged-up offensive line. The Chargers have surrendered 56 sacks on the season. If players like Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, and Jonathon Cooper can dial up the heat and force Lance into making some bad decisions, that would help the defense generate some turnovers.
I don’t care if it’s an interception or a fumble. I just want to see them making a play or two that can help change the tide of the game. My gut tells me that is going to happen this weekend.
One of the reasons the Broncos have a bright future is because of their quarterback situation. While some were hesitant to move on from Russell Wilson, Denver absorbing a monumental dead salary cap hit over the past two seasons and subsequently drafting Bo Nix was certainly the right call to make.
Even though he was the sixth quarterback taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s fair to say Nix has exceeded any expectations fans could have of him. In 33 starts, the former Auburn-turned Oregon prospect has 23 wins, 7,565 yards passing, 54 touchdowns and just 23 interceptions. That’s quite the impressive start to his career.
One of the best aspects of his game has been a penchant for late game heroics—sporting eight fourth quarter comebacks and ten game-winning drives on his resume. Through nearly two seasons, Nix has also been one of the best quarterbacks at avoiding turnovers and taking bad sacks. All of the aforementioned have been key to Denver’s success the past two seasons.
This Sunday, the Broncos will need Nix to play much...
