When: 8:25 PM ET, Thursday, October 13, 2016
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Thursday's nationally televised contest pitting the reigning Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos against the San Diego Chargers would hold even more water had the latter followed up the first 58 minutes of their games by avoiding being doused over the final two. After seeing three leads evaporate after the two-minute warning, the snake-bitten Chargers look to snap a 10-game skid versus AFC West rivals on Thursday when they host the Broncos.
"You can't make this stuff up," quarterback Philip Rivers said after San Diego was felled by a botch hold on a game-tying attempted field goal in a 34-31 setback to Oakland on Sunday. "You think, 'Is there any other way we can find a way to do this?' " The path to right the ship will be tough versus Denver, which has won nine of the last 10 encounters between the clubs and is seething after absorbing its first loss of the season with a 23-16 setback to Atlanta. Quarterback Trevor Siemian (shoulder) is expected to be at the helm Thursday after sitting out versus the Falcons, but special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis will serve as interim coach with Gary Kubiak being diagnosed with a complex migraine condition.
TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network. LINE: Broncos -3. O/U: 44.5
ABOUT THE BRONCOS (4-1): Although the quarterback situation has been answered for Thursday, Denver still has many questions regarding its running game after it failed to exploit the Falcons' 30th-ranked defense. C.J. Anderson has been unable to top 50 yards rushing in any of the last three games and mustered just three carries longer than four yards last week heading into a clash with the league's eighth-best rushing defense (83.4 yards per contest). Demaryius Thomas has found the end zone in each of his last three games overall and had a touchdown reception in each of his last three meetings with San Diego.
ABOUT THE CHARGERS (1-4): Rivers (NFL fourth-best 1,469 yards) is at the controls of the league's second-ranked offense (30.4 points) and recorded his second four-touchdown performance of the season on Sunday, but four turnovers proved too much to overcome. Former first-round selection Melvin Gordon has struggled to find the handle on the ball, fumbling for the second time in as many weeks on Sunday and eighth time in 19 career games. "(Gordon) can't put the ball on the ground," coach Mike McCoy said via the San Diego Union-Tribune. "(His) fumbles won't affect his usage now. He's our back, and he's going to get going." The 23-year-old Gordon had trouble getting going in his previous encounter with Denver, fumbling twice while being held to 55 yards in a 17-3 setback on Dec. 6.
EXTRA POINTS
1. San Diego rookie DE Joey Bosa collected two sacks and five tackles (including three for a loss) while playing on 22 defensive snaps in his NFL debut on Sunday.
2. Broncos LB Von Miller (NFL second-best 6.5 sacks) recorded three in two games versus the Chargers last season.
3. San Diego's 11 turnovers trail only Carolina (14) and the New York Jets (13) for most in the NFL.
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Thursday's nationally televised contest pitting the reigning Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos against the San Diego Chargers would hold even more water had the latter followed up the first 58 minutes of their games by avoiding being doused over the final two. After seeing three leads evaporate after the two-minute warning, the snake-bitten Chargers look to snap a 10-game skid versus AFC West rivals on Thursday when they host the Broncos.
"You can't make this stuff up," quarterback Philip Rivers said after San Diego was felled by a botch hold on a game-tying attempted field goal in a 34-31 setback to Oakland on Sunday. "You think, 'Is there any other way we can find a way to do this?' " The path to right the ship will be tough versus Denver, which has won nine of the last 10 encounters between the clubs and is seething after absorbing its first loss of the season with a 23-16 setback to Atlanta. Quarterback Trevor Siemian (shoulder) is expected to be at the helm Thursday after sitting out versus the Falcons, but special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis will serve as interim coach with Gary Kubiak being diagnosed with a complex migraine condition.
TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network. LINE: Broncos -3. O/U: 44.5
ABOUT THE BRONCOS (4-1): Although the quarterback situation has been answered for Thursday, Denver still has many questions regarding its running game after it failed to exploit the Falcons' 30th-ranked defense. C.J. Anderson has been unable to top 50 yards rushing in any of the last three games and mustered just three carries longer than four yards last week heading into a clash with the league's eighth-best rushing defense (83.4 yards per contest). Demaryius Thomas has found the end zone in each of his last three games overall and had a touchdown reception in each of his last three meetings with San Diego.
ABOUT THE CHARGERS (1-4): Rivers (NFL fourth-best 1,469 yards) is at the controls of the league's second-ranked offense (30.4 points) and recorded his second four-touchdown performance of the season on Sunday, but four turnovers proved too much to overcome. Former first-round selection Melvin Gordon has struggled to find the handle on the ball, fumbling for the second time in as many weeks on Sunday and eighth time in 19 career games. "(Gordon) can't put the ball on the ground," coach Mike McCoy said via the San Diego Union-Tribune. "(His) fumbles won't affect his usage now. He's our back, and he's going to get going." The 23-year-old Gordon had trouble getting going in his previous encounter with Denver, fumbling twice while being held to 55 yards in a 17-3 setback on Dec. 6.
EXTRA POINTS
1. San Diego rookie DE Joey Bosa collected two sacks and five tackles (including three for a loss) while playing on 22 defensive snaps in his NFL debut on Sunday.
2. Broncos LB Von Miller (NFL second-best 6.5 sacks) recorded three in two games versus the Chargers last season.
3. San Diego's 11 turnovers trail only Carolina (14) and the New York Jets (13) for most in the NFL.
