Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
We nearly got some free football courtesy of a game-tying FG from Mike “Money Badger” Badgley with 14 seconds left. Denver elected to throw a deep pass with just 8 seconds remaining and a boneheaded pass interference penalty on Charger CB Casey Heyward allowed Brandon McManus to knock through a 52-yard FG to secure the 23-20 victory. The Chargers controlled the game on paper, outgaining Denver 359 yards to 218 and gaining 5.9 yards per play compared to 4.1 for Denver. Los Angeles also won the time of possession battle 32:09 to 27:51 but surrendered two turnovers to just one for Denver. Here’s what I saw.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
- Philip Rivers: 20/29, 265 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 21 yards lost
Heading into this game, rumors were circulating that the Chargers would not hesitate to insert Tyrod Taylor at QB if Philip Rivers continued to struggle with poor play. Those rumors appeared to be coming to fruition following Rivers’ early INT as he attempted a screen pass to Austin Ekeler in which he never looked into the throwing lane and just tossed the pass where he knew Ekeler would be. Before the Chargers’ next offensive snap, Taylor was shown in his helmet and throwing passes on the sideline. Rivers settled down following the inauspicious start to put together a respectable fantasy outing.
It took Rivers nearly a half of football before eclipsing 50 passing yards, but he found a wide-open Mike Williams for a 52 yard gain in the last minute of the first half followed by a 30-yard TD to Ekeler on the next play. Rivers also found Keenan Allen wide open early in the fourth quarter on a 36-yard TD strike over the middle of the field (more on that later). Rivers hit one more big play on the drive leading up to Badgley’s game-tying FG, hitting Williams on a 38-yard, 50/50 jump ball on fourth-and-11.
Rivers has been in a bit of a slump over the past few weeks, tossing nine INTs in his last five games. Over that same span, Rivers has thrown six TD passes and has eclipsed 300 passing yards just once. As a result, it’s hard to justify trusting Rivers as anything more than a low-end QB2 going forward.
Running Backs
- Melvin Gordon: 20 carries, 99 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 11 yards
- Austin Ekeler: 9 carries, 16 yards | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD
Melvin Gordon seems to have settled into a role in which he sees 15-20 carries and 3-5 targets each game and Gordon has averaged nearly five yards per carry over his last three games. Gordon has been held out of the end zone each of the last two games but did garner four TDs in the three games prior so the TD-upside is there. Gordon ran with power and determination in this game, frequently carrying defenders for extra yardage at the ends of runs. His slight uptick in volume the last few weeks gives Gordon low-end RB1 upside but is better served as your RB2 as we head into the fantasy playoffs.
Austin Ekeler has found running room hard to come by recently, garnering just 139 rushing yards in his last six games and being held without a rushing TD since week four. However, Ekeler’s fantasy relevance comes from his role in the passing game; a role in which he has excelled over that same time. Ekeler has compiled 348 receiving yards and four receiving TDs in those same six games and is a matchup nightmare for LBs. Against the Broncos, Ekeler ran a route in which LB Todd Davis had to decide whether to attack upfield or wait on the speedy Ekeler. Davis took one step toward the line of scrimmage and Ekeler exploded past him for the easy reception and TD. Like Gordon, Ekeler has RB1 upside but is also better served as a solid RB2.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
- Keenan Allen: 6 targets, 6 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD
- Mike Williams: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 117 yards
- Hunter Henry: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 10 yards
- Andre Patton: 2 targets, 1 reception, 8 yards
Keenan Allen continues to provide fantasy owners with solid WR2 production as he is a trusted target for Rivers. Allen provided what has been a rare feat for him this year, a TD, his fourth of the season. On the play, Allen motioned from the outside behind Hunter Henry and then ran a crossing route down the field. Denver was in man-to-man coverage on the play and Denver CB Chris Harris was tasked with covering Allen. After Allen’s motion, Harris released Allen and dropped into a deep zone, allowing Allen to run wide open across the field. Allen finished the play in the end zone as he was upended diving for the TD. Allen should continue to provide WR2 production with TD-upside for fantasy owners.
Mike Williams continues to be a valuable part of the Chargers’ passing attack despite being unable to find the end zone once again. Williams was the most-targeted option for Rivers and hauled in a couple of long passes to surpass the century mark in receiving yards. Williams’ first big play was a result of a defensive mishap as two Broncos defenders collided and fell, allowing Williams to stand wide open and pick up 52 yards. Williams then caught the pass detailed above to extend Los Angeles’ final drive on fourth down. Williams’ TD drought is surprising given the receiver’s size and the 10 TDs he accumulated in 2018 on just 43 receptions. As a result, Williams is no more than a low-end WR3 with upside going forward.
Hunter Henry was mostly an afterthought in this game, much to the chagrin of CBS broadcaster, and NFL Hall of Famer, James Lofton. Lofton frequently called out situations in which Henry would normally be the primary weapon, but Rivers just didn’t look his way. Henry is still a big part of the passing offense and maintains low-end TE1 value despite his disappointing game this week.
Andre Patton had a notable reception in this game as it was the first by a WR not named Allen or Williams since week six against Pittsburgh. That just means don’t count on any WRs from Los Angeles other than the two above.
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
- Drew Lock: 18/28, 134 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT | 3 carries, 15 yards
Drew Lock was tabbed the starter by HC Vic Fangio and started the game looking like a seasoned veteran. After a quick three-and-out, Lock guided Denver to two TDs courtesy of receptions by Courtland Sutton. On the first, Lock lobbed a 26-yard TD pass to Sutton in which Sutton made a tremendous catch to secure the score. The second was a much more traditional five-yard strike in the back of the end zone. Lock showed no fear in trying to fit passes into tight windows early and took some deep shots as well. As the game progressed, Lock gravitated toward shorter, safer passes to his RBs and TEs.
Despite the low yardage total, Lock looked like he could develop into a solid starter in the future. He showed good arm strength and some mobility when under duress, extending plays to open up passing lanes or running for yards when given the opportunity. Lock’s INT was a bad read by the young QB as he didn’t appear to see LB Denzel Perryman drop into coverage after Perryman took a step toward the flat. Lock should remain in the starting lineup for the Broncos as the season comes to a close, but I can’t recommend the same for fantasy lineups. Lock is worth stashing in keeper and dynasty leagues but doesn’t carry enough value this late in the season to recommend for traditional redraft leagues.
Running Backs
- Phillip Lindsay: 17 carries, 58 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 4 yards
- Royce Freeman: 5 carries, 11 yards | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 13 yards
Phillip Lindsay has officially assumed the primary RB role over the past four weeks after ceding double-digit carries each game to Royce Freeman during the first half of the season. Much like recent weeks, Lindsay found little running room and failed to find the end zone for the third consecutive game. With the struggles at the QB position, defenses have been content to focus on the run and have held Lindsay mostly in check. Unless Lock proves he can continue to beat defenses, Lindsay is an RB2 with upside due to his volume.
Freeman has taken a back seat to Lindsay in Denver and has become nearly useless for fantasy owners. Freeman is no better than an RB4 right now and I don’t see that value changing as long as Lindsay is in the lineup for Denver.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
- Courtland Sutton: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 74 yards, 2 TDs
- Noah Fant: 3 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards
- DaeSean Hamilton: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards
- Jeff Heuerman: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 15 yards
Courtland Sutton was Lock’s favorite target early in the game as Sutton saw all his official targets before halftime. Sutton’s first catch was a thing of beauty as Lock lobbed a pass into the end zone and Sutton laid out to make a tremendous one-handed catch despite CB Casey Heyward being draped all over Sutton (and potentially interfering with Sutton although it wasn’t called). Sutton followed up his first TD with a second on his next catch. Sutton ran a simple out route in the back of the end zone and Lock threw a strike for the easy TD. Sutton’s final target was the Heyward pass interference alluded to in the opening paragraph, leading to the game-winning FG. Sutton has been playing at a near-WR1 level recently and showed just how much weekly upside he has against the Chargers. I have Sutton pegged as a solid WR2 option with WR1 upside.
Denver’s TE duo of Jeff Heuerman and Noah Fant were the next most popular targets for Lock with Heuerman providing shorter, safer options and Fant being the down-the-field weapon. Lock showed he would be willing to challenge the defense down the field early, but transitioned to shorter passes as the game progressed. It’s hard to trust either of these two as viable TE alternatives because they tend to cannibalize each other’s numbers. If Lock starts to favor one over the other, perhaps that option will have TE2 value, but neither is at that level right now. Fant does have more upside week-to-week and is the better long-term option for those in keeper or dynasty leagues.
DaeSean Hamilton was the only other WR to impact the box score and his numbers should have been even better. With the score tied at 17, just more than 4:30 left in the game, and Denver facing a third-and-12 on the Chargers’ 34-yard line, Hamilton came wide open across the middle of the field and Lock hit him perfectly in stride. There were no visible defenders on the screen as the ball struck Hamilton in the hands…and dropped harmlessly to the ground. I don’t know if Hamilton would have scored had he caught it, but he would have easily gotten a first down and extended the drive. Hamilton is simply bench depth right now given the low-volume passing game in Denver.
–Bryan Sweet