:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/1430223/gyi0062586289.0.jpg)
Points
The Denver Broncos have lost every game in which their defense has allowed more than 19 points. The San Diego Chargers are averaging 24.8 points per game. Scoreboard.
Peyton Manning's Deep, Dark Secret
Do me a favor. Click on this link and scroll down to see Peyton Manning's career statistics against every team in the NFL. Now tell me which teams Peyton has worse numbers against than the Chargers. Go ahead, I'll wait.
What's that? What do you mean that he has worse numbers against the Chargers than any other team in the NFL? Since 1998, when he was drafted, the team has had 30 or 40 different Defensive Coordinators. They couldn't all be good at gameplanning for a guy who might just be the best QB in the history of the NFL....could they? No, they couldn't. However, I believe that Sapnos may be blackmailing Manning with some deep, dark horrible secret that Peyton thought he buried in that corn-field back in Tennessee but the farmer is talking and he wants money before he'll shut up!
I don't know what the secret is and I don't know Either way, the Chargers are usually pretty good against Peyton. Let's keep that going. WINK
Division Games
The Chargers may be 3-2 overall, but they currently sit at 2-0 against the division and have yet to play a division game in San Diego. A win tonight would give San Diego a 2 game lead over the Broncos (the only other threat to win the division) and put the Chargers on pace to finish 5-1 or 6-0 against the division. This is one of those "Your destiny is right in front of you, all you have to do is grab it" moments.
The good news is that if the Chargers win, they've proven that they're the type of team that can understand the importance of a game and take control. The other good news is that if they lose, this team wasn't going anywhere anyway and we can all start talking about Head Coaching candidates for 2013. Fun, right?
Bonus: Ryan Mathews
Let's do the math.
The Broncos gave up 251 rushing yards to the Patriots last Sunday. The Pats, not really known as a running team, have been one of the league's lesser running teams this year except in that game and a game the previous week against the Bills. The Bills have the second worst rush defense in the league this season, trailing only the New Orleans Saints (who Ryan Mathews looked spectacular against).
As long as Norv Turner has done his duty and read Bolts from the Blue this week, he knows that Ryan Mathews should be getting a lot of touches against a run defense that looks like one of the worst in the league.