Chargers vs. Broncos: 10 Keys to the Game for Denver

It's been a month since the Denver Broncos made a 24 point second half comeback to defeat the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. Since then, the teams have gone in completely different directions.

The Chargers have dropped three of four games since that devastating loss while the Broncos are in the midst of a four-game winning streak.

The rematch takes place this Sunday from Sports Authority Field in Denver, and the Chargers, now sitting at 4-5 on the season, will be in must-win mode.

Knowing the Chargers will be desperate makes them a dangerous team. However, here are 10 keys to the game to help ensure the Broncos defeat them again and sweep the season series for the first time since 2005.

Score First

The Broncos fell behind San Diego 24-0 in that Monday night game and have had a knack for slow starts this season. Putting the first points on the board this Sunday would not only prevent that from happening again, but also it would give Denver a big confidence boost against a tough divisional rival.

Even in their dominating win over Carolina last Sunday, the Broncos still got behind 7-0. This is a trend that they need to reverse before they run into a team that will make them pay for it, as Houston and Atlanta already have.

Trindon Holliday

Trindon Holliday is becoming a serious weapon for the Broncos and has been a dynamic player in an area where the Broncos had a glaring weakness: kick returns.

After returning a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown against Cincinnati and a punt 76 yards for another score the following week against Carolina, teams may shy away from kicking him the ball. The Chargers, however, may be take a different approach.

In the first meeting of the season between these teams, Holliday muffed a first-quarter punt that led to a San Diego field goal. Holliday is an electric player, but ball security issues exist. The Chargers may be willing to take a gamble and get a big turnover.

Keep Manning Upright

In the last four games, Peyton Manning has been sacked just one time. He's been allowed to sit back in the pocket and pick apart the opposing defense, and as history has taught us with him, that's a recipe for disaster for any team he is facing.

In those four games, Manning has passed for 1,206 yards while completing 75.1 percent of his passes. It's no coincidence that Denver has won all of those games.

Contain Ronnie Brown

It's Ronnie Brown and not Ryan Mathews that the Broncos may need to be most worried about coming out of the San Diego backfield.

On the season, Brown has caught 35 passes and has at least three catches in every game.

Part of the Chargers' game plan may be to try and negate the Broncos' fierce pass rush by hitting Brown on some screen plays.

Get the Running Game Going

With the play of Manning, the running game hasn't needed to be terrific this year, but at some point, they need to create more offensive balance.

The Broncos rank 22nd against the run on the year and while they are still averaging over 100 yards per game on the ground, Willis McGahee has eclipsed 66 yards on the ground just once in the last five games.

San Diego comes into the game giving up the second fewest rushing yards in the league, just 82.9 yards per game. While it will be a challenge to gain yards on the ground, Denver needs to stay committed to it.

Robert Ayers

While the MRI on Elvis Dumervil came back negative, it's still unclear if, or how much, he'll play on Sunday.

Whether he does, Robert Ayers should be given more playing time. The former first-round pick had his best game of the season, and maybe his entire career, on Sunday against Carolina.

Filling in for Dumervil, Ayers had five tackles and his first sack of the season. Dumervil probably won't be 100 percent for the game, so there's no harm in giving him some extra plays off in favor of Ayers.

Ease DJ in

With his nine-game suspension now lifted, DJ Williams is finally ready to play football this season and help the Broncos wherever he can. But that needs to be done in moderation.

Wesley Woodyard and Keith Brooking have filled in admirably in his absence and have done nothing to show that they should be taken off the field.

It remains to be seen if Williams can ever regain his starting role on the team, but the Broncos don't owe him anything and he'll have to earn it, starting with accepting a much smaller role.

Thomas and Decker vs. San Diego Secondary

Manning had his way with the Chargers defense in the second half of their first game, throwing three touchdown passes. Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas each caught one and finished with a combined eight receptions for 135 yards.

The Chargers secondary is sure to have its hands full with them, especially if it gets no pass rush. Manning should be able to make it a very long night for Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason.

Force Rivers into Mistakes

The Denver Broncos' pass rush may be the scariest thing about this team right now for opponents that face them.

During their four-game winning streak, Denver has compiled 17 sacks and Von Miller has a total of 10 on the season, placing himself at the forefront of the defensive player of the year race.

That's not a good sign for Rivers, who is not the most mobile quarterback and needs a clean pocket to throw out of. On that fateful Monday night, Rivers was forced into numerous mistakes as he was sacked four times and he threw four interceptions, largely contributing to the Broncos' win.

It could be an equally frustrating day for Rivers this Sunday.

Don't Overlook San Diego

Denver has things clicking on all cylinders, but it faces a Chargers team that knows the AFC West race will be all but over with a loss.

Denver needs to stay focused on not get complacent, playing this game out until the final whistle. That's not just a key for this game, but it needs to keep the momentum going as it heads into the final stretch of the season.

A win for the Broncos on Sunday would put them at 7-3 and would drop the Chargers to 4-6. This would put the Broncos in an excellent position, one in which they could start to position themselves for a first-round playoff bye.