DENVER, CO — The playoffs are now upon us, especially for the Los Angeles Chargers who closed the casket on the Denver Broncos season with a 23-9 win at Mile High on Sunday.
The Chargers defense played well and was consistent throughout the game, however the offense took a significant time to get rolling in the second half. Los Angeles has struggled in the last six quarters to score a touchdown against their opponents.
Philip Rivers connected on a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams for their first offensive touchdown of the game in the third quarter. Rivers finished on 14-of-24 passing for 176 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown. Williams had a fantastic season finishing with 10 touchdowns, and 664 yards.
Melvin Gordon led the team with 10 carries for 42 yards, the silence weapon on the ground was Austin Ekeler who finished with 58 yards on 8 carries and a touchdown.
Gus Bradley has done a remarkable job all season fine tuning this defense and they completely showed out in Denver. Joey Bosa finished with 6.5 sacks on the season, an outstanding accomplishment considering he only played the final six games of the year due to a foot injury. Safety Derwin James is the first Chargers rookie in franchise history to record 100 tackles and finished with 3.5 sacks and three interceptions.
The Bolts have the tall task of facing the Ravens in Baltimore next Sunday, a team they’ve seen just a week ago at Stub Hub Center. The Ravens defense is lethal, however the Chargers have performed better on the road this season than at home, so this could be a blessing in disguise.
One thing is for certain, Rivers must cut down the interceptions, and the offense must set the tone early in order to have a chance to defeat the Ravens. If Los Angeles is successful, then their next challenger is in Foxborough, where the New England Patriots await.
