(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
On the verge of Week Six, the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers are two teams looking to make a statement early in the season.
While the Broncos are one of the hottest teams in the NFL with a 5-0 record, there are still some doubters out there waiting for them to fall.
Surprisingly, defense has been the biggest shock in Denver. Through five games, the Broncos have only allows seven points in the second half, which is an amazing stat compared to the 2008 version of this defense.
The key to the game for the Broncos will be to get pressure on Phillip Rivers. It seems apparent that the Chargers can't run the ball, so if the Broncos can prevent Rivers from getting into the seven-step drop they should be able to shut down the Charger offense.
On the other side of the ball, the Chargers must find a way to stop the run if they are going to have a chance. Broncos back Knowshon Moreno has racked up 337 rushing yards and Correll Buckhalter has added an additional 267 yards.
In addition the Chargers run defense has been less than impressive giving up an average of 151.1 yards per game which ranks 27th in the NFL.
The Chargers are at a different point than I think anyone expected. This week, the team's GM AJ Smith called the team out, saying they had been soft and embarrassing to this point in the season.
The Chargers have owned the series against the Broncos in recent time, winning five of the last six, including the 52-21 dismantling in 2008 to give the Chargers a route to the playoffs.
It seems as though the Broncos aren't the same team that was beat down last season. The question becomes, can the Chargers show any resemblance of that 2008 team?
Not to call it good this early in the season, but a Broncos win over the Chargers this week could make it next to impossible for the Chargers or any other team to catch the Broncos in the AFC West race.
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