Broncos vs. Chargers: Live Game Grades and Player Analysis for San Diego

The San Diego Chargers fell to the Denver Broncos in an early season huge AFC West showdown, 35-24. The Chargers opened up to 24-0 lead, which they carried into halftime. For the Chargers sake they wished the game was just over after one half. 

The Broncos just completely demolished the Chargers in the second half in thundering fashion. Peyton Manning was nearly perfect in the second half as he marched his team up and down the field as the Broncos scored 35 unanswered points. 

The loss drops the Chargers to 3-3 and improves the Broncos to 3-3. Both teams will be heading into their bye week. The Broncos won the first battle in a competition that is surely going to come down to one of the last weeks of the season. 

Final: 35-24 Broncos

Quarterback

Overall Grade: D 

Philip Rivers was on pace to have a terrific game. Despite throwing a second quarter interception he was nearly perfect on throughout the first half. In the second half he was as close to awful as you can be in the NFL. He turned the ball over six times overall and two of those turnovers were returned to touchdowns. When his team needed him the most Rivers came up short. It was a horrible game for Rivers who will need to use the bye week to get on the same page with his receivers, who have been nonexistent throughout the season. 

4th Quarter Grade: F 

Philip Rivers saved his worst quarter of the season for the arguably the biggest quarter of this young season. Rivers made horrible decisions and horrible throws, two things that don't go well together. Rivers struggled to hold onto the ball under pressure and failed to make any type of accurate throws for the Chargers. 

3rd Quarter Grade: C

Philip Rivers and the rest of the Chargers took a step back in the third quarter. Rivers struggled to get anything going on the offensive end. Rivers also fumbled which was returned for a score that really amped up the pressure on the Chargers. 

2nd Quarter Grade: B+ 

If it wasn't for the interception that River threw in the beginning of the second quarter, Rivers would have easily received a A for his performance in the 2nd quarter. He moved the ball down the field will ease and looked fantastic in the final drive of the quarter, which put the Chargers up by 24. 

1st Quarter Grade: C+ 

Not a great quarter for Rivers who struggled throughout the beginning of the game. The Chargers are using an extra blockers to slow down the Broncos' pass rush, which is cutting down the number of receivers that Rivers is able to find. The Chargers need to establish the running game which could open up the passing game. Rivers is a quarterback who plays better as the game progresses so expect to see his play rise in the second quarter. 

Offense

Overall Grade: C- 

A tale of two halves for the Chargers offense. In the first half, the offense looked as good as it had all season. They were balanced with both Philip Rivers and Ryan Mathews marching the Chargers down the field. However, in the second half it was the complete opposite. The Chargers couldn't get anything going on the ground or through the air. The offensive line turned into ghosts during the second half and the extra protection that Rivers had in the first half was gone. The Chargers need to use the bye week to figure out how they can get their offense back into first half form and play at that caliber for the whole game. 

Fourth Quarter Grade: D-

Where did the protection go? Was someone else going to step up and make a play besides Antonio Gates? The offensive line disappeared in the fourth quarter. Even a banged up Von Miller was blowing past the protection and into the backfield. It was some of the worst protection that I have seen all season and the Chargers struggled to get anything going from their slim receiving core. 

3rd Quarter Grade: C 

The Chargers struggled immensely in the third quarter. The offensive line became soft which completely killed the Chargers offensively. The Ground game was nonexistent and the passing game failed to get anything going. I don't know what happened at halftime but the Chargers need to turn this around. 

2nd Quarter Grade: A- 

The Chargers overcame the River interception and are putting together a clinic on offense. The Chargers are able to run the ball on the Broncos with ease, which is surprising based on how physical the Broncos front seven is. Undrafted left tackle, Mike Harris is doing a fantastic job protecting Rivers' backside. 

1st Quarter Grade: B 

The offense struggled to get into a rhythm early in the quarter, but to seemed to find a nice groove after the Antonio Gates touchdown. The offensive line is doing a decent job but their play will need to be raised if the Chargers want to keep pointing up numbers on the scoreboard. 

Defense

Overall Grade: C

The Chargers defense played well enough to get their team a win. If it wasn't for the 14 points that the Broncos scored on the pick six and the fumble recovery for a touchdown the Chargers would have won the game. The Chargers play diminished into the second half and Peyton Manning exposed the Chargers extremely weak secondary, which will need some retooling over the bye week. It was also disappointing to see the pass rush fall apart during the second half. 

4th Quarter Grade: D 

The Chargers' defense struggled once again in the fourth quarter. Peyton Manning absolutely put on a clinic in the fourth quarter. The Chargers collapse in the second half was not completely on the defense but they certainly didn't help the team out. 

3rd Quarter Grade: C 

It wasn't just the Chargers' offense that struggled following halftime, the Chargers defense struggled to stop anything that the Broncos tried to do on offense. The front seven of the Chargers struggled to put pressure on Manning and the corners had a hard time covering the pass. 

2nd Quarter Grade: A 

The Chargers were lucky that Eric Decker stumbled on his what seemed to be easy touchdown reception but they responded nicely by picking off Manning and returning it for a touchdown. The front seven of the Chargers are dominating the Denver Broncos upfront and the Chargers' secondary is playing well against Manning and the Broncos. 

1st Quarter Grade: A 

A great quarter by the Chargers defense. The Broncos were only on the field for 8 plays in the first quarter, which is exactly what the Chargers want to do. The turnovers created by the special teams kept Peyton Manning and the Broncos off the field, leaving the Chargers defense rested and ready to get after Manning. 

Coaching

Overall Grade: F 

There is no way the Chargers lose this game if Norv Turner isn't on the sideline for the Chargers this week. He was so badly out-coached in the second half by John Fox. The play calling once again became extremely predictable and the Chargers offense looked awful. While Turner did not personally turn the ball over six times like Rivers did but the play calling as well as the lack of halftime adjustments cost the Chargers this game. Turner did not make one adjustment in the second half and it showed as they Chargers got killed in the second half and were not able to do things that they were doing in the first half. Norv Turner's seat just got hotter and it will only heat up as the Chargers head into their bye week. 

4th Quarter Grade: D 

Classic Norv Turner. Only a Norv Turner coached team could start as well as the Chargers did only to fall apart in epic proportions. The play calling was redundant and the secondary was awful. The Chargers were out-coached by John Fox, who made Norv Turner look like a Pop Warner coach in the fourth quarter. 

3rd Quarter Grade: D 

It's like a movie that you have already seen once (or many five times), the Chargers came out of the halftime and completely laid an egg in the third quarter. Norv didn't make the adjustments needed and Denver responded by crushing the Chargers in the third quarter. Norv Turner needs to get back to into his play calling rhythm that he was in the first half. 

2nd Quarter Grade: A- 

Norv Turner has done a great job at mixing the run and the pass. The Chargers have done a nice job at using the balanced the attack to completely dominate Denver. The defense is playing well and the coaches are doing a nice job at dialing up the blitz when needed. 

1st Quarter Grade: B+ 

A great job by Norv Turner getting the Chargers out of the funk that they were in the first couple of series of the game. The Chargers will need to get the ball moving on the ground in order to get open up the downfield attack. The Bolts are doing a great job getting of the field on defense, something that they have struggled with this season. 

Special Teams

Overall Grade: A- 

The Chargers' special teams unit was the most impressive it has been all season. They gave the Chargers 10 points off of the turnovers that they created. They protected well on kickoffs and punt returns but the Chargers could work on their kick off returns. Richard Goodman constantly returns kicks that are six-eight yards deep in the end zone and does not make it to the back to the 20 yard line. While the team will be heavily occupied during bye week working on other areas during bye week, kickoff returns must be practiced during the bye week. 

4th Quarter Grade: N/A 

The Chargers' special teams don't receive a grade for this quarter because they literally did not do anything in the fourth quarter. Richard Goodman looked as close as he has all year to breaking a touchdown return but came up short and was tackled on the 30 yard line for just an average return. 

3rd Quarter Grade: B 

There was not much special team plays in the third quarter but the Chargers' special teams unit has yet to make a mistake that could cost the Chargers a game, something that all Charger fans worry about. 

2nd Quarter Grade: A 

The Chargers' special team unit continues to impress. Mike Scifres had a brilliant coffin corner punt which pinned the Broncos deep into their own territory. 

1st Quarter Grade: A+

Woah! The Chargers special teams are dominate. If it wasn't for the kick off and punt team coverage this game would likely be tied at 0-0. They have done a great job at creating turnover, which is something that the Special Team unit hasn't been able to in recent memory.