The San Diego Chargers will lose to the Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning

I know, I know. The San Diego Chargers have Peyton Manning's number, right? Well, half-right:

Peyton's career against SDG (6 reg. season games): 62.2% comp., 2707 pass yds, 19 TDs, 18 INTs, 15 sacks

Peyton's 2012 against SDG (2 reg. season games): 68.1% comp., 579 pass yds, 6 TDs, 2 INTs, 3 sacks

So, with the Colts he had some issues. However, all it took was about two quarters to figure out the Chargers as a Bronco.

Yeah, I said it. We all remember that Monday Night Football game. Here was how the first half went for Peyton's offense:

• Punt (3 & Out)
• Punt
• Punt
• Interception (returned 80 yds for a TD by Quentin Jammer)
• Punt (3 & Out)

The Chargers went into halftime up 24-0. Norv Turner was having one of his "good" games. To understand what happened in the second half is to understand the player Philip Rivers was for the past two seasons. Here's how the Chargers offense performed in the second half, drive-by-drive:

• Fumble (returned 65 yds for a TD by Tony Carter)
• Punt (3 & Out)
• Interception
• Interception (returned 46 yds for a TD by Chris Harris)
• Interception
• Fumble

That is how you lose 24-0 halftime leads. Meanwhile, Manning threw for 3 touchdowns in 4 possessions (all on drives that started in Broncos territory) in the second half.

It was a catastrophic failure. It was a nightmare. For all the talk about the Chargers being the one team Manning couldn't beat, and couldn't figure out, that game turned the tide around. Here is how Rivers responded in the first half of the second matchup of 2012 between these two teams:

• Punt
• Punt (3 & Out)
• Punt (3 & Out)
• Punt (3 & Out)
• Interception
• Punt (3 & Out)
• Punt (3 & Out)
• Blocked Punt
• Punt (3 & Out)

Pretty hard to win a game that way. The Chargers went into halftime down 17-7, thanks to an Eric Weddle interception returned for a TD, and never caught up.

I don't think Peyton Manning is afraid of the Chargers anymore, nor should he be. He has, arguably, the best offense in the league and is having the second best season of his career and he's about to face the worst defense in the league. If I were him, I'd be fairly excited.

John Fox

John Fox will miss this game after going immediate heart surgery during the Broncos' bye week. If Fox were Bill Belichick, I'd mark this as a reason to pick against the Broncos, but his job is more as a general motivator and leader. Jack Del Rio is in charge of the defense and Peyton Manning is in charge of the offense.

As we saw last season with Chuck Pagano, there is almost nothing that matches motivational power more than healthy-related absences. In front of a national TV audience, the Broncos will be playing to make their coach proud.

Von Miller

Von Miller may be a criminal, a cheater and a liar, but none of that will matter on Sunday. He's a dominating football player and one of the best pass rushers in the league.

In just two games since coming back from his suspension, he's racked up 7 tackles, 1 sack, 5 QB hits and 8 QB hurries in 132 defensive snaps. In addition to that, he's now had a bye week to practice with the team and get back into even better shape than he was for those two games.

In two games against the Chargers last season, Miller had 4 sacks, 9 tackles (8 solo) and 2 forced fumbles. Mike McCoy and Ken Whisenhunt should be terrified of Von heading into Sunday's game. He's far and away the best pass rusher they've faced this season.