Have Chargers passed Broncos?
The Chargers are alone atop the AFC West.
Does that mean first-place San Diego (3-1) is truly better than Denver (2-1)?
The view’s too murky from here.
Philip Rivers is where the Chargers’ case begins. At the season’s quarter mark, he looks like an MVP candidate. No disrespect to Peyton Manning, who alone almost guarantees the Broncos a playoff berth, but Rivers may be as good if not better right now. He is more consistent than he was in 2012, when Manning was driving Denver to a 13-3 record. Under Manning’s former Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, we’ve seen fewer ill-advised passes from Rivers. There’s more emotional discipline to his game.
One other pro-Rivers trend is time itself. With Manning now 38, the six-year age gap between the two is tilting toward Rivers. The younger quarterback is displaying consistent arm strength and improved mobility, yet also the wisdom that comes from 132 consecutive starts.
The Broncos, however, are the healthier team and it’s not close. Injuries are weakening the Chargers, even as they continue to win.
Adventure ahead?
With the Broncos in their bye weekend, the Chargers moved atop the West with Sunday’s win.
History says they should stay humble.
Last time they were here, 24-0 happened.
It was the Big Bang of the AFC West, that wacky game on an October night two years ago when the Chargers were up big, only to see the Broncos rally to victory in front of a Monday Night Football audience and a sellout crowd at Qualcomm Stadium.
As if a tremendous amount of energy catapulted them forward that night, the Broncos would run away to the AFC West title and then another in 2013 that led to their first Super Bowl appearance in 14 years.
For awhile the Chargers couldn’t keep up.
They finished six games behind in 2012.
They finished four games behind in 2013.
But they won at Denver last year in Week 14 (still the Broncos’ only intradivisional loss under Manning) before the Broncos won the rematch, also at home, in the Divisional Playoff.
Now, the Mile High gang is looking up at the Chargers. The last time that happened in the standings, on Oct. 15, 2012, McCoy was wearing a Broncos headset at Qualcomm, Rivers was losing three second-half turnovers, and Manning was making him pay for it to pull the Mules into a first-place tie.
As the Chargers try to make this AFC West race a lot more interesting than the last two, they have the respect of a former Broncos blocker.
“I thought they looked great on film,” said Jaguars newcomer Zane Beadles, following his team’s loss here Sunday. “You saw some big wins early in the season. I definitely see them as contenders. I think San Diego is right at the top and will be competing for that division title.”
