Broncos at Chargers Monday Night Football Preview & Prediction

Denver Broncos (44) at San Diego Chargers (-3.5)

It’s a critical AFC West matchup on Monday night in San Diego. If the Chargers are going to win a division title in 2009, for the fifth time in the last six years, they can’t afford a home loss to the upstart Broncos.

McDaniels magic in Denver

The 2009 Denver Broncos (5-0 SU, 5-0 ATS) were projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season after trading star quarterback Jay Cutler during the offseason. Instead, Denver is one of the NFL’s best squads after five weeks of action under new head coach Josh McDaniels.

Denver has been able to overcome Cutler’s departure to rank sixth in the NFL in total offense. Former Bears QB Kyle Orton has been efficient in his first season in Denver with seven TD passes and only a single interception. After a slow start, standout receiver Brandon Marshall has come to life with three touchdown receptions in the last two games. The running back duo of Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter have formed a potent tandem in the Denver backfield. However, an ankle injury will likely keep Buckhalter from playing on Monday.

The defense has been the biggest surprise for Denver this season. The Broncos lead the NFL in scoring defense and are second in total defense under new coordinator Mike Nolan. Elvis Dumervil is tied for the NFL lead in sacks with eight. Denver also leads the AFC in turnover ratio at plus six.

Chargers looking for consistency

San Diego (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) is looking for a little more balance on offense on Monday. The Chargers do have the NFL’s second-ranked passing offense under the direction of QB Phillip Rivers. He led the NFL in quarterback rating a year ago and has fired six TD strikes this season. With a team-best 24 receptions, Antonio Gates continues to be one of the best tight ends in the league. San Diego’s running game is the worst in the league and is averaging a woeful 2.7 yards per carry as a team. LaDainian Tomlinson has been limited to just 20 carries this season due to injuries and is looking for a breakout effort on Monday.

The Chargers defense has also lacked consistency in 2009. San Diego is 26th in the NFL in total defense. The Chargers have struggled to stop the run while only three teams have recorded fewer sacks than the six that San Diego has registered this season.

Prediction

Denver has been on a major roll but the club could be a little emotionally drained. The Broncos have engineered a pair of dramatic comeback wins at home in the last two weeks. Now, the Broncos must go on the road for a Monday night game against a team that is rested and desperate. The Chargers had a bye last week to regain their focus after falling to the Steelers in week 4. The arrival of a hot Denver team should provide the ideal motivation for the San Diego players to deliver a big effort against their division rival. We expect the Chargers to jump back into the thick of the AFC West on Monday.

Final score: San Diego 24, Denver 17

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