The Broncos took a commanding lead in the AFC West with their 30-23 win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday at Mile High. The Broncos, 7-3, now hold a three game lead over the 4-6 Chargers, but they have now swept San Diego to give them the edge in the tiebreaker with six games to go. This game was similar to last week's game in the fact that the offense really wasn't the story of this win. The Broncos defense was fantastic. Forget about the last touchdown that the Chargers scored to with a few minutes left. Their defense flat out dominated Philip Rivers and that offense. Von Miller was again the best player on the field. The Broncos didn't give up a third down conversion until the third quarter. They got key turnovers deep in San Diego territory and added a blocked punt. The Broncos offense was able to capitalize on those turnovers, and they got points on key drives. The Broncos clearly proved that they were the better team, and the now they have positioned themselves to win the AFC West. One thing that I thought about right after the game ended was the fact that the Broncos swept the Chargers for the first time since 2005. People can talk about the recent disappointments the Broncos have suffered since 2005, and many people point to the collapse of 2008, the firing of Mike Shanahan, the hiring of Josh McDaniels, and the trades of Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall as the key moments in the demise of the Broncos franchise. In my opinion, I always thought the key moment that started the whole stretch of disappointment as a Broncos fan started on November 19, 2006. That night Denver hosted San Diego in a matchup of two 7-2 teams. The Broncos blew a 27-7 lead to San Diego, and they fell apart that year and finished 9-7 and out of the playoffs. I've always felt that the Broncos franchise never really recovered from that game, and it actually started the Chargers on their run of dominance in the AFC West that lasted from 2006 through 2009. Now, six years later to the day, the Broncos defeated the Chargers, swept them in the process, and it might lead to major changes in San Diego, and it could send the Broncos on a big run down the road. We'll see what happens, but it took about six years for the Broncos to finally displace the Chargers and take control of the AFC West from them. Here are my thoughts and observations from the game.....
1) Von Miller added 3 sacks, two tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. He is making a run at the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, and he is just dominating in every aspect in every game.
2) The Broncos run defense was stout once again, and they got key turnovers at critical times. Wesley Woodyard's interception set up a field goal in the first half, and Miller's forced fumble of Rivers set up a Peyton Manning to Eric Decker touchdown to give the Broncos a 24-9 lead in the third quarter. The story of this game was the Broncos defense.
3) Although Manning and the Broncos offense struggled a lot in this game, they were able to convert turnovers into points. Also, when they needed a score to add to their 24-16 fourth quarter lead, Manning was able to drive the length of the field, convert some key third downs, and get two critical field goals to give them a 30-16 lead.
4) The Broncos special teams have been really good this year. They have had touchdowns on punt and kick returns the past few weeks, and this week they added a key block punt in the second quarter. That set up a Manning to Brandon Stokley 31 yard touchdown to give them a 17-7 lead at the half.
5) The run game was actually moving the ball effectively in the first half, but once Willis McGahee went down, they really couldn't run the ball. McGahee tore his MCL, and he will be out at least 6 weeks. The Broncos are going to have to rely on Lance Ball, Ronnie Hillman, and possibly Knowshon Moreno to keep the running game going. The McGahee injury is very significant for their offense, but it is not a deathblow because this offense obviously runs through the arm of Manning and the passing game.
6) Every week the same names stand out for this Broncos team. We know how great Manning playing, how great Von Miller looks, but guys like Chris Harris, Tony Carter, Wesley Woodyard, and Kevin Vickerson continue to impress. Even D.J. Williams came back from suspension and made some nice plays. This defense is playing really well, and if they can keep it up, then it changes everything.
7) The Broncos still make too many mistakes. Manning threw a pick-six, Lance Ball fumbled, and Trindon Holliday fumbled a ball that was recovered by the Broncos. Decker, Jacob Tamme, and Joel Dreessen each dropped passes that would have kept drives alive. All of these mistakes that happen every week are really going to kill the Broncos at some point down the road. Mark my words.
8) Denver is now 7-3, and they head to Kansas City to play the 1-9 Chiefs. The Broncos always struggle at Arrowhead, but this might be the most dysfunctional Chiefs team to host Denver in a really long time. The Broncos have to take care of business this week and dispatch of an inferior team to get to 8-3.
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