A Chargers upset in Foxborough ignites a dangerous playoff rematch, magnifying Broncos' scoring woes against a formidable defense.
The Los Angeles Chargers trotted out mostly backups against the Denver Broncos this past Sunday. The final result was a 19-3 loss, locking Denver in as the number one seed and dropping the Bolts to the seventh seed, setting up a playoff matchup with the New England Patriots following Buffalo’s drubbing of the New York Jets.
While the Chargers did not necessarily learn much about themselves given who actually took the field, they may have sent a message to both the Broncos and the rest of the AFC. Los Angeles held Denver to just 12 offensive points while playing without nearly all of their defensive stars and losing their top corner early in the game. A Keandre Lambert-Smith drop that turned into a defensive touchdown inflated the final score, but the tape tells a different story.
Denver should walk away from this game knowing one thing for certain: they better hope Los Angeles does not go into Foxborough and knock off the Patriots. If the Chargers pull that upset, it would set up a divisional round rematch at Mile High with Justin Herbert and a fully loaded roster back on the field.
If the Chargers beat New England, fans should feel very good about a second matchup with Denver. That win would likely put the Justin Herbert playoff narrative to rest, at least for now, and send momentum through the roof for Jim Harbaugh’s group. The Broncos would feel the weight of the moment knowing Bo Nix’s history against Herbert-led teams, and the league would be forced to acknowledge just how real this Chargers defense is. Denver has struggled to score against far lesser opponents this season, and that weakness would be magnified against a healthy Jesse Minter defense.
Minter would enter that game knowing exactly which buttons to press against Nix and the Broncos offense. The Chargers would come in battle-tested after knocking off rust in a playoff win, while Denver could be dealing with early-game cobwebs after a first-round bye. The bye helps health, but it can be brutal for momentum.
None of this guarantees Denver would struggle in the divisional round, but a slow start would not be surprising. The Harbaugh-era Chargers and Broncos have already developed a real edge to their matchups. If Los Angeles handles business in Foxborough and earns a trip back to Denver, the storm coming behind those powder blues would be very real.
First things first, though. The Chargers have to take care of business on primetime. Let’s see if they can get it done.