CHARGERS (11-5) at BRONCOS (13-3)
When: 1:25 p.m. PT Sunday
Where: Mile High Stadium, Denver
TV/Radio: KCBS (Ch. 2)/640 AM, 94.3 FM (Spanish)
Line: Broncos by 13.5
Notable injury designations
Chargers: OUT: RB Omarion Hampton (ankle), CB Nikko Reed (hamstring); DOUBTFUL: S Elijah Molden (hamstring), LT Jamaree Salyer (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: C Bradley Bozeman (concussion), RB Hassan Haskins (concussion), S RJ Mickens (shoulder), CB Benjamin St-Juste (shoulder), RB Kimani Vidal (neck).
Broncos: OUT: LB Dre Greenlaw (hamstring), LB Karene Reid (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: DL John Franklin-Myers (hip).
What’s at stake: The playoff-bound Chargers can finish anywhere from fifth to seventh in the AFC seedings. They’re currently seeded sixth and would need a victory to maintain their position. They also would need a victory plus a loss or a tie by the Houston Texans to the Indianapolis Colts in order to climb into fifth. There are additional scenarios for the Chargers to move up a spot in the seedings, but let’s keep it simple for simplicity’s sake. A loss would drop them to seventh. A victory by the Broncos would clinch the No. 1 seed for Denver.
Who’s better: No question, the Broncos are the better team if they play their starters and the Chargers rest theirs for the playoffs, including quarterback Justin Herbert. Denver won its first AFC West title in a decade by ending the Kansas City Chiefs’ nine-year reign atop the division. The Chargers will finish in second place for the second consecutive season whether they win, lose or tie. The Chargers have won three consecutive games over the Broncos, including a Herbert-engineered come-from-behind 23-20 victory in Week 3.
Matchup to watch: Trey Lance gets the start in favor of Herbert, who will sit out to rest and protect his fractured left, non-throwing hand for the playoffs. The big question is whether the Chargers’ offensive line can protect Lance adequately against a strong defensive front in what looms as a huge opportunity for him personally and professionally. This will be only his sixth career start after he was drafted third overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. He has made three relief appearances this season, but he took first-team reps during a week of practice after Herbert was hurt Nov. 30 and also this past week.
Chargers win if: Defeating the Broncos looks like a tall task if Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh sticks to his plan to rest some of his starters or use them as backups, saving their top players for next week’s wild-card playoff game. The oddsmakers certainly believed him, installing the Broncos as double-digit favorites. The spread wouldn’t be nearly as wide under normal circumstances.
Fantasy sleeper: Lance will get his first regular-season start since he started the final game of the 2024 season while with the Dallas Cowboys. He’s played so little because of injuries and playing behind standouts like Herbert and the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott that it’s difficult to get a handle on his ability. His promise has always outweighed his production. Overall, he has completed 56.4% of his passes for 1,153 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions in 15 games over four seasons with the 49ers, Cowboys and Chargers. An upset victory or even a strong showing would give Lance a chance to pad his rather thin résumé.
Prediction: There would seem little reason to believe the Chargers can win and either move up in the AFC playoff seedings or maintain their position, and maybe that is the point as so many have surmised during the past week. Maybe losing to the Broncos, dropping to seventh and facing the second-seeded New England Patriots is the smart play for the Chargers. Too conspiratorial? Maybe. Broncos 24, Chargers 10.