2008 Week 2 - vs. San Diego Chargers

Out of the three other teams in the AFC West, the Broncos have now beaten two and lost to none. Last week was the Raiders, this week with the Chargers. My dad and I watched the game together. LaDainian Tomlinson wasn’t doing as well as we expected because of a toe injury. Darren Sproles helped fill in running back along as a kick returner. The Chargers quarterback, Philliip Rivers also made quite a few short passes to get first downs. Early on, he threw an “interception” to Bronco Champ Bailey and because the cameras weren’t working, they had to let it go as an interception. Nate Kaeding, their kicker, also did a part in scoring for the Chargers, adding 3 to his unbroken streak of 15 field goals and PATs against the Broncos.

The Broncos, on the other hand, were also doing well in the 1st half. A lot of passes went to Tony Scheffler, Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall, who beat Rod Smith’s record (14) by receiving 18 passes in one game. The Broncos mostly did 10-yard passes, and when we ran the football, we got usually between 8 and 15 yards with Selvin Young and Andre Hall.

Why Did the Broncos Win?
Because they were able to complete short passes to get the first down. They were able to run the clock down in the 4th quarter and still be able to get first downs. The Chargers were trying to run the football but since LaDanian Tomlinson wasn’t able to do much because of his injury, they had to do passes a lot of the time, and they didn’t pay attention to the clock.

The reason the Chargers were able to score was because when a hole opened up at the line of scrimmage, Darren Sproles was able to run it in for at touchdown along with the team’s kick return for a touchdown.

Who Was Better?
Better offense? Broncos
Better defense? Chargers
Better Special teams? Chargers

What about Shannahan’s Call?
I was surprised to hear him go for two because it was so risky. If they had gone for a PAT they would have tied at 37-37 and gone in for overtime.

The Broncos won, 38-37.