by Asaf Winer

San Diego is coming off a bye week to host their division rivals, the Denver Broncos, on Monday Night Football. San Diego looks to make a statement at home by stealing Denver’s thunder and putting to rest any questions about their toughness. Let ’s look at the matchup.

Broncos on Offense

After come-from-behind wins against the Cowboys and then the Patriots, the Broncos have finally convinced people that they are for real. Kyle Orton is molding into a team leader- he’s not just managing games, he’s actively winning them. And no one is making him look better than Brandon Marshall has recently, especially in clutch situations. Look for this duo to connect against Charger cornerbacks Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie, who are tough but ill-equipped against a physical 6-4 Marshall. But Denver’s running game has to be its bread and butter against a Charger rush defense that’s been mediocre at best. Rookie Knowshon Moreno has been solid carrying the load, and this week he’ll get help from veteran Correll Buckhalter, who is back from an ankle injury. So the Chargers D definitely has its hands full. Shawne Merriman needs to live up to his nickname and play “Lights Out” against the Broncos. He’ll have to figure out a way to focus his anger on Kyle Orton and the rest of the Broncos instead of GM A.J. Smith (or Tila Tequila for that matter).

Chargers on Offense

San Diego’s offense has been one-dimensional so far. LT – once viewed as the league’s best rusher – has been injury-plagued and unproductive, causing the running game to suffer tremendously (just 53.8 yards per game). This makes it much easier for teams to defend them. So naturally, the weight falls on Philip Rivers’ shoulders. Rivers is feisty, tough, and his effort is never questioned. His numbers have not been spectacular, but he has been effective when he spreads the ball to different receivers. He should target the mismatches in the Denver coverage by hitting Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson, his 2 biggest and most reliable options. RB Darren Sproles can help Rivers out by catching screens, which can turn into big plays for the Chargers. But San Diego has to step it up on all fronts in order to score some points against a Denver D that has allowed just 8.6 points per game. Look for the Broncos to come out blitzing hard and getting in Rivers’ face. Rivers has to be smart and protect the football- the last thing he wants is to cough the ball up to a hot Denver offense early in the game.

The Chargers may prove to their GM that they’re not, in fact, “soft”, but they still don’t have enough weapons to match up with Denver. The Broncos will grind into San Diego’s defense and win the turnover battle, which should keep their winning streak alive.

Predicton

Denver  26

San Diego  20