Denver Broncos Struggle To Find Their Pace Ahead of ‘Monday Night Football’

Posted on: October 17, 2022, 08:41h. 

Last updated on: October 17, 2022, 10:15h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

The L.A. Chargers host the Denver Broncos on Monday night in a traditional matchup of NFL rivals. This will be the first game the Chargers play on Monday Night this season, and they do so against a team from their own division.

Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos QBs Russell Wilson (4) and Brett Rypien try to figure out what they’re doing wrong with head coach Nathaniel Hackett. The Broncos travel to L.A. to meet the Chargers for Monday Night Football. (Image: Getty Images)

With a 3-2 record, the Chargers are looking for a victory and to tie for the division lead with the Kansas City Chiefs. Playing at home, they are 2-1.

There’s little reason to believe they won’t pick up another win here. The only question that remains is whether Broncos QB Russell Wilson will begin to earn his paycheck.

Broncos Underwhelm in 2022

The biggest question through the end of Week 6 of NFL action is whether the refs will start allowing teams to play ball, or if they’ll continue moving the game toward flag football. The second-biggest question is whether the Broncos made the right move in paying big bucks to recruit Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks.

  Denver Broncos LA Chargers
Moneyline +180 -210
Spread +4 (-105) -4 (-115)
Over/Under 45.5 (-110)  
  Courtesy of DraftKings  

Wilson hasn’t been living up to the hype, and certainly didn’t put on a show last Thursday in the team’s 12-9 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts. In that game, fans started making a run for the doors before time expired, missing the overtime finale. They didn’t miss much.

The Denver Broncos are in third place in the AFC West with a 2-3 record. Playing as visitors this season, they have yet to win a game.

On the other hand, against the Broncos, the Chargers are 36-26 at home. One of those was a victory against the Broncos when they met at SoFi Stadium last season. L.A. had no difficulty then, taking the game 34-13.

QB Justin Herbert has been earning his paycheck, and then some. He’s created an offense that now sits in second place in terms of passing, picking up an average of 291 yards per game. He could be interesting to watch in tonight’s matchup.

Broncos in a Transition Year

The Broncos rank 31st in the NFL in scoring, picking up just 15 points per game. They’ve found success in reaching the red zone, but can’t finish off drives once they’re there. They’re last in terms of red zone scoring, converting just 21% of their attempts into points. On the other side of tonight’s game, the Chargers have pushed into the end zone on 53.4% of their trips to the red zone.

Wilson has been struggling to find his place on the Broncos crew. Against the Colts last week, he completed just two of 15 passes over 10 yards. Another two throws ended up in the hands of the defense. It’s not all on him, though, as he’s dealing with a shoulder injury that might be hindering his performance.

Denver head coach Nathaniel Hackett is also receiving his share of the blame. He seems to be walking on eggshells, looking too timid to make the big plays or to protect Wilson.

The Broncos are 1-4 against the spread (ATS) this season, while the Chargers are a mirror reflection at 4-1. The Chargers have been banged up a bit this season, but they’re starting to get some of their injured players back into the rotation.

For sports bettors, the moneyline is probably a little thinner than it needs to be for this game. Although surprises happen, like the Chicago Bears beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, no miracle is expected today. The spread shouldn’t be a problem for the Chargers, either. With almost 60% of the games going to the under this season, the 45.5 total seems like it’s ready to keep the trend going.