Denver Broncos Week 6 - San Diego Chargers Game Notes

The (3-2) San Diego Chargers play host to the (2-3) Denver Broncos tonight for the top spot in the AFC West Division. The Chargers currently occupy first place, with the Broncos sitting one game back. Both teams are coming off a loss in Week 5.

A Chargers win would give the Bolts a 3-0 record within the division in addition to a two-game lead. A loss would knot the two teams at 3-3 while giving Denver the early tie-breaker. For the first time all year, the Chargers will don their popular powder blue jerseys.

The Chargers have won 4 of the last 5, five of the last eight and 9 of the last 12 against the Broncos. The Broncos have won 2 of past 3 at Qualcomm. Regardless, Denver leads the all-time series, 55-48-1.

The game will be Broadcast on ESPN at 6:30 PM MT. Mike Tirico is calling the play-by-play while Jon Gruden handles the color commentary. Lisa Salters will report from down on the field. SIRIUS: 88 (DGR), 92 (Den.), 93 (SD). XM: 88 (DGR), 225 (Den.), 226 (SD).

The Weather report calls for mostly clear skies and a temperature between 63 and 85 degrees.

In his career, Denver quarterback Peyton Manning has won 11 of his 15 Monday starts and has a 96.3 passer rating in those contests. Last week, he registered the 66th 300-yard passing game of his career, the most in NFL history. Manning has 36 career games with at least three Touchdown passes and zero Interceptions, including two such games in 2012. With at least three Touchdowns and no Interceptions tonight, Peyton will surpass Brett Favre (36) for the most such games in NFL history.

San Diego’s Philip Rivers is 7-3 on Monday nights and has 17 touchdowns and a 105.2 passer rating in those 10 games. Rivers is 40-8 (.833) in his career when he starts and posts a rating of at least 100. Rivers is 9-3 in his starts against the Broncos, completing 64.4 percent of his passes and throwing 20 touchdowns - his most versus any team.
Last week the Charger QB completed 27 of his 42 pass attempts for 354 yards and two Touchdowns. However, it wasn't enough to avoid a 31-24 loss to a previously winless New Orleans Saints team after the Chargers held a 10-point lead until late in the 3rd quarter.

BRONCOS

• In the last 3 weeks, QB Peyton Manning has 8 Touchdowns and 0 Interceptions with a 107.6 passer rating.
• RB Willis McGahee is averaging 121 rush yards per game.
• WR Demaryius Thomas is averaging 102.6 receiving yards per game in ’12, 4th-best in NFL.
• Thomas is looking for his 3rd straight 100+ yard game this season.
• With 513 yards, Demaryius needs 39 receiving yards to surpass his career-best of 551 last season.
• WR Eric Decker has 2 Touchdowns in the last 3 games against the Chargers.
• Decker is vying for his 3rd straight game with a Touchdown.
• TE Joel Dreesen is aiming for his 4th straight game with Touchdown catch.
• DE Elvis Dumervil had 2 Sacks the last time the Broncos played the Chargers.
• LB Von Miller has a Sack in each of his two career games vs. San Diego.
• Miller tied a career-high with 2 Sacks last week in New England.
• CB Champ Bailey has 4 career Interceptions against the Chargers.
• Denver is tied for 28th with a minus-6 turnover differential, and the defense played over 35 minutes last weekend.

CHARGERS

• QB Philip Rivers has a 13-5 record (.722) at home as a starter vs. the AFC West division.
• Rivers is one of nine Quarterbacks who have been sacked at least 14 times this season.
• RB Ryan Mathews has rushed for 100+ yards in each of 1st 3 career games against Broncos (120, 125, 137).
• Mathews had a career-high 3 rushing Touchdowns against Denver in January of 2011.
• Ryan had a season-best 139 total yards from scrimmage against New Orleans last week (80 rush, 59 rec.).
• Antonio Gates needs 55 receiving yards to pass Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome (7,980) for the 4th-most receiving yards by a Tight End in NFL history.
• Gates trails only Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (81) for most receiving Touchdowns in team history.
• WR Malcom Floyd needs 3 catches to reach 200 for his career.
• Floyd posted his 2nd 100-yard game of season last week (108).
• LB Shaun Phillips (64.5) has the 3rd-most career Sacks by Charger (Leslie O’Neal, 105.5; Lee Williams, 65.5).
• Since 2011, Safety Eric Weddle leads the NFL with 9 Interceptions.
• The Chargers have the NFL's 5th-ranked rush defense, allowing an average of 74.0 yards.
• Willis McGahee is the only opposing back to exceed 100 yards rushing in San Diego's last 12 games.

The Home team is favored by 1 point and as is typical between division rivals, should be an intense contest to raise the roof on the ratings.

Go Broncos!

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