Denver Broncos host San Diego Chargers in a clash between AFC West heavyweights – NFL Week 11 Preview
Denver Broncos are ready to host their American Football Conference (AFC) West rivals San Diego Chargers in Week 11 game on Sunday, November 18, 2012, at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado.
It will be a do-or-die game for Chargers (4-5), who are coming off a crushing 24-34 defeat against Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A defeat at Denver would greatly decrease their playoff chances.
Meanwhile, Broncos are coming with a momentum of getting four wins in a row which started with stunning comeback victory against Chargers in Week 6.
It was a game that changed the course of the season for both the teams. After leading the first half by 24-0, Chargers went down and out in the second half as Broncos managed to put the fourth biggest comeback in the history of the league with a 35-24 victory.
It was a remarkable performance by quarterback Peyton Manning who looked like a real deal for the first time in Broncos jersey.
Since then, Broncos and Manning has never looked back. The quarterback is currently leading the league for passer rating with 108.0. Manning has scored 21 touchdowns this season with a quarterback rating of 84.8.
A win against Chargers is very important for Broncos as it will give the team its first season sweep over division rivals in seven seasons. According to the Associated Press, Broncos safety Jim Leonhard said:
“Obviously we realize this is a division game and it would put us in a great situation if we won this game. You don’t need a whole lot of extra things going into a rival game, a division game, but knowing that we could set ourselves up nicely with a win,
obviously, is a little extra motivation.”
As Broncos offence continues to thrive, Chargers offence is struggling to handle the ball. Quarterback Philip Rivers has been consistent in throwing touchdown passes, but his tendency to give away turnovers has diminished his good work.
This was evident last week when Rivers finished the game with 29 of 37 for 337 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Rivers fumbled on two occasions during that game, one of which was returned for touchdown. Talking about his turnover-prone offence, Chargers head coach Norv Turner said:
"The big negative plays, the turnovers are killing us. Our biggest thing is we need to go put four quarters together, play at a high level, take care of the ball and not give up. It's a challenge for us coming into Denver."
However, it will be a tough task to stop the Broncos defence from reaching Rivers. The defence is currently ranked sixth in the National Football League (NFL) and had 12 sacks in their last two contests.
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