Broncos' Chris Harris Jr. vs. Chargers' Philip Rivers - Horse Tracks

The Denver Broncos continued their preparation for the San Diego Chargers on a short week in a unique way Tuesday.

No pads. Not even shells. And no helmets.

Head coach John Fox wouldn't go into details why the Broncos had a light workout, but ostensibly, it was still less than 48 hours after the Broncos put a drubbing on the San Francisco 49ers at home. Denver was still resting, using Tuesday's practice to prepare mentally for San Diego, if not physically.

"I don’t like getting into too much about our preparation, but we had a good practice today," said Fox.

The Broncos' foe is a familiar one - Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers have been Denver's biggest threat to a division title each of the last three years they've won it. San Diego was one of three teams to beat the Broncos in 2013, and the only team to do so at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. says he is ready for the challenge.

"I know he (Rivers) is going to come after me, just the history we’ve had, just playing against him," Harris said. "He doesn’t care who he throws at. He trusts his receivers, so we all need to be ready."

In their first matchup last year, Harris allowed three receptions for 79 yards against Rivers and company on five targets, but his other two targets were successfully pass defensed. In their second matchup, the Chargers' Thursday night win in Denver, Harris did not allow a reception. He had similar success in 2012, intercepting Rivers twice in Week 6.

With Harris having a remarkable 2014 year, I invite Rivers to bring it on. Harris will be ready.

Vote for Manning

Manning has been nominated for the Air Player of the Week award. Help make the vote unanimous: http://t.co/ylbjLaVyWB pic.twitter.com/YcYbyRoVWk

— Jon Heath (@JonHeathNFL) October 22, 2014

Horse Tracks

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"We got to play better this year than we did last year," Manning said. "When you watch that film, we just didn't play well. ... It's a reminder that there aren't many secrets — if you go out and don't execute and make mistakes and have self-inflicted wounds, it's going to be tough to beat any team, let alone a good football team like the Chargers."

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Kansas City flipped the script on San Diego, running 70 plays to the the Chargers' 49. If the blueprint sounds familiar, it's because it is. San Diego became the only opponent to win in Denver last season, using a clock-crunching, gear-grinding approach to keep Peyton Manning off the field.

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Only four days after Peyton Manning's record night against the 49ers, the Broncos (5-1) host the Chargers (5-2) in a Thursday night game at Sports Authority Field (6:26 p.m. MT). Here's what you need to know for the Week 8 matchup.

The Film Don't Lie: Broncos - Denver Broncos Blog - ESPN
The Broncos have struggled up front at times with stunts from opposing defensive linemen or rushers coming from off the ball, off the line of scrimmage and too often rushers have simply come free. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks tackled running back Ronnie Hillman for a 3-yard loss this past Sunday after Brooks was unblocked in a formation with the three tight ends and one extra tackle -- and that was after the Jets had sacked Manning twice with a three-man rush a week ago.

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With six sacks in the win over the 49ers Sunday night, the Broncos are now tied for third in the league with 21 sacks and they have played one fewer game than the other five teams with at least 21 sacks

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Plummer gets cookin' at Grill cook-off
"He does have cooking chops," Wiard said. "His knife skills are awesome. We had a great time together. He really has a lot of knowledge about food." The cook-off on Sunday was the fourth that has taken place at the Noble Energy Grill, which is powered by clean Colorado natural gas. Last month, the Broncos and Noble Energy unveiled the grill, which is 70-feet long and hosts the Celebrity Cook off each Sunday three hours before game time.

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The New York Jets have signed wide receiver Jeremy Kerley to a four-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.

#Jets deal for Kerley (4 yr, $16M) continues to make #Broncos deal for E Sanders (3 yr, $15M) look like a bargain.

— Jason Cole (@JasonPhilCole) October 21, 2014