The Denver Broncos are coming off one of the best wins in a long time.

The Broncos (3-2) are on a three-game winning streak and can improve to 2-0 in the AFC West. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) are coming off their bye and head to Denver with a new head coach Jim Harbaugh and a new culture.

We go “behind enemy lines” to get a feel for the Chargers heading Sunday’s game with Michael Peterson from Bolts from the Blue to preview Sunday’s game.

MHR: How is the Jim Harbaugh tenure fairing through the four games? What has he done to put the franchise on the right track? And what more can he do?

Michael: I believe the biggest thing Jim Harbaugh has done since taking the helm of the Chargers is changing the culture throughout the team. It’s something you can legitimately feel when listening or watching anything involving the team. Everyone truly seems to be on the same page from top to bottom. The way the team won their first two games was exactly the vision we all expected to see. Unfortunately, injuries hit the team at important positions and they dropped the past two games by close decisions. But that plays into the thing I wish he could fix and/or do more for.

The Chargers have always been a very injured team, but that’s not just it. The guys who get injured are always at positions that drastically affect the performance of the entire team. Whether it be the team’s top receivers, their edge rushers, or their best offensive linemen, it’s always at a position that usually makes the difference between a bad team and a successful one. Harbaugh brought strength coach Ben Herbert with him from Michigan, and the dream was that he would finally make the injury bug go away. Unfortunately, that just hasn’t been the case thus far in 2024.

MHR: What is the Chargers defense doing to be so tough? And is this early success sustainable?

Michael: Honestly, similar to what I touched on above, it really is that they’re all playing together and on the same page. Those defenses under Brandon Staley seemed to be so disconnected. Broken plays and numerous missed tackles told the tale of those units. Now? This group is playing some really, really good team-oriented defense. The pass rush may not be getting home as much as the Broncos, but it’s causing enough havoc that opposing quarterbacks are throwing picks.

At the second level, second-year linebacker Daiyan Henley is breaking out before our eyes as a sideline-to-sideline defender who has been tight in coverage. In the secondary, free agent-signing Kristian Fulton has not only been one of the best cornerbacks in football this year but also one of the most improved players overall.

As far as how sustainable it is? Yeah, I’d say it’s been pretty sustainable. The Chargers have been doing this without Joey Bosa for most of three games and without Derwin James and Alohi Gilman for one game apiece. I would honestly say that this unit is playing so synergistically that their results have been better than the sum of their parts if that makes sense.

MHR: How has Justin Herbert looked in his first four games? What he is doing well? Where does he need to improve?

Michael: Justin Herbert has been fairly solid this year so far. Outside of one bad interception he threw against the Panthers, he’s been about as good as expected, given his circumstances. I’ve always believed that Herbert is at his best when he’s allowed to sling it all over the yard. It’s almost as if he gets better after building momentum with each new throw. However, Herbert’s basically been bottled up this year by his team’s own offensive philosophy. They want to run, run, and run the ball some more while mixing in the pass here and there to keep drives extended. But at the end of the day, this is a running team. The Chargers’ receivers are not talented enough to let the passing game do much carrying right now and the way Greg Roman calls games makes that even more apparent.

Herbert’s currently on pace to set a career-low in interceptions. He’s always been safe with the football and has one of the lowest turnover-worthy throw rates in the NFL since he was drafted. He’s also doing one hell of a job at avoiding sacks in the pocket. He’s so dang big that defenders have to work overtime to stop him from trying to attempt a pass before being brought down.

As far as where he needs to improve, that’s a tough one. Honestly, I guess I have to say just simply being better at protecting yourself. Ending last year with an injury and then starting this year with another one is a rough situation for a team that’s trying to compete in a year where many don’t have high expectations for them.

MHR: What is your best bet for Sunday’s game? And what do you think of the current spread?

Michael: I’m actually quite surprised the Chargers three-point favorites on the road. The Chargers offense hasn’t faired well at all into other elite defenses, and I don’t see them looking great this week, even with both starting tackles back. If I was a betting man, I’d probably slam Herbert for under 181 passing yards. He has yet to cross that mark in four games this season, and I doubt he does it against one of the best pass defenses in the NFL.

MHR: What are your expectations and predictions for Sunday’s game?

Michael: My prediction is that the Chargers will keep this game close and competitive similar to their past two against the Steelers and Chiefs. However, I just can’t see the offense consistently moving the ball enough to give the defense the breaks they deserve. In each loss, that unit becomes far too gassed, and it shows in the fourth quarter when they can’t finish as strong as you normally would want to see from your team. The Chargers also have been horrendous at scoring points in the fourth quarter, so that stark contrast in time spent on the field between the two is felt even more.

In the end, I believe the Broncos win a close one 16-13.

DENVER — A man was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with a deadly shooting in Denver on Christmas Day 2022.

Officers were dispatched to the 4800 block of North Crown Boulevard around 5:50 p.m. on Dec. 25, 2022, for reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found Torrese Gill, 25, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Gill was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Following an investigation, authorities arrested Dydrick Martin, 26, in connection with the shooting.

According to Martin’s arrest affidavit, he and Gill “began to argue and a physical confrontation ensued.” Martin allegedly displayed a handgun from his jacket, and the two men began fighting over the weapon.

The two were “rolling around on the floor” when the handgun was fired, the affidavit states. Gill was fatally struck in the neck, and Martin ran off.

Martin was convicted Friday of first-degree murder, the Denver District Attorney’s Office announced. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the DA’s office.

Martin is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17.

The Denver Broncos face another divisional opponent on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers. Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans on Thursday will follow.

Historically, the teams that play Thursday night struggle the Sunday prior, so that doesn’t bode well for a Payton-led squad that has had issues on offense. However, there are ways the Broncos can attack the Chargers to help them walk out with their fourth straight win. 

The Chargers defense has had a solid start to the season, though that is boosted by some of the quarterbacks they have played. The Chargers had an excellent game against the Bryce Young-led Carolina Panthers, which increased their numbers overall.

In their other three games, the Chargers defense allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers offense to have its best game, the Garnder Minshew-led Las Vegas Raiders offense to have its second-best game, and the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs to have their second-worst game this season. 

The Chargers have been up and down this season, but there is one area where they haven’t been tested enough and have struggled. There have only been 25 passing attempts of 10-plus air yards against the Chargers, with five being 20-plus air yards.

This defense has the 11th-highest percentage of passing plays against them. It makes sense that teams haven’t been able to attack the Chargers on 10-plus air yards with the pass rushers that they have. 

The Broncos offense emphasizes attacking the Chargers in the intermediate and deep parts of the field. On the 20 attempts of 10-19 air yards, the Chargers have generated four pressures and allowed the 11th-highest EPA/Pass in that field area.

Then, on the 20-plus air yards, the Chargers are one of four teams with under 10 passing attempts of this distance. They allowed one touchdown with two pressures on these five passes. The key for the Broncos here is to keep the pass rush at bay. 

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On the flip side, the Broncos defense needs to shut down the Chargers’ quicker passing game and force Justin Herbert to hold the ball and try to make plays happen. Herbert has been dealing with an ankle injury, leading to a limited and struggling passing offense, especially on plays over 2.5 seconds. 

Now, the Chargers have called 102 passing plays in four games, 42 of which have been under 2.5 seconds. They have the second-highest EPA/pass on those plays and the eighth-highest yards after catch over expected with +54, meaning they are picking up 54 extra yards after the catch beyond what was expected.

However, the Chargers also give up the sixth-highest pressure rate on these passes. The Broncos still want to force them to take longer. 

On passing plays over 2.5 seconds, the Chargers have the third-lowest passing yards per play at 3.3. They aren’t pushing the ball and end up dumping it off, and also have the sixth-lowest yards after catch over expected at -6, meaning they aren’t meeting the expectation.

The Chargers are facing the third-highest pressure rate and 11th-highest sack rate, allowing the third-fastest time to pressure at 2.55 seconds. So, you force Herbert to hold onto the ball, and the offensive efficiency of the passing game goes out the window. 

The Chargers will check it down, which the Broncos are okay with, as the defense does a good job coming downhill to make the play. However, the Broncos excel when forcing teams to hold onto the ball, as they have the best defensive EPA/Pass in these situations. Denver also boasts the fifth-best pressure rate and second-best sack rate. 

So, the Broncos offense wants to hold the Chargers’ pass rush at bay to attack the intermediate and deep parts of the field. Meanwhile, the Broncos defense wants to force Herbert to hold onto the ball.

If the Broncos can do this, it will go a long way toward getting to 4-2 and putting them in an exceptional position for the rest of the season. 

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