The Denver Broncos are set to face off against the Los Angeles Chargers, led by quarterback Justin Herbert, in a primetime matchup. Herbert's impressive performance, particularly his ability to avoid turnovers and convert on third downs, poses a significant challenge for the Broncos defense. To secure a victory, Denver will need to play a clean game offensively and effectively defend against Herbert's passing attack.
Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers checks his wrist during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)Denver is 72-56-1 in 129 regular-season games dating back to 1960; the Broncos lost 23-16 in the last meeting, on Oct. 13, 2024, at home, and have won three of the last four games against Los Angeles. In the spotlight: Chargers QB Herbert doesn’t make too many mistakes.
That could be challenging for the Broncos in primetime. After Denver’s 23-16 loss to the Chargers in Week 6, head coach Sean Payton understands the challenge before him on Thursday at SoFi Stadium. Quarterback Justin Herbert doesn’t turn the ball over, and he’s hard to get off the field on third down. The latter issue was particularly glaring during the teams’ first meeting of the season at Empower Field in October when Herbert completed 9 of 9 passes for 127 yards and a 118.8 passer rating on third down. Those traits mean two things for Denver, which is seeking to clinch its first playoff berth since the 2015 season. The Broncos will have to play clean on offense in order to maximize possessions. And defensively, they won’t be able to lean on generating turnovers as a means of stopping the Chargers. It’ll take solid third-down defense. “There are certain formulas to winning and they’ve been outstanding,” Payton said. “A quarterback who hasn’t thrown an interception until last week. Part of this game is understanding how to win and how not to beat yourself or how to keep yourself from winning.” While the Chargers have had their fair share of issues in the passing game (25th in yards per game), Herbert has been elite at keeping the ball out of harm’s way. He has two interceptions and 12 turnover-worthy plays (a pass that has a high percentage chance of being intercepted or a poor job of taking care of the ball and fumbling), according to Pro Football Focu
NFL Chargers Broncos Justin Herbert Sean Payton Turnovers Third Down Defense
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