Star cornerback Pat Surtain II is out with an ankle injury, and that’s just the start of the headache for the Denver Broncos as they prep for their Week 5 game against the Chargers this Sunday, October 11. Denver is sitting at a rough 2-2 record, and frankly, things are looking grim for their chances to turn it around against a Chargers team that’s had their number.
Broncos Bleeding Out Early
The Broncos are stumbling after a 24-14 loss to the 49ers in Week 4. It’s not just the 2-2 record that’s a problem, either. Head Coach Sean Payton is still winless at SoFi Stadium, and his Broncos hold a dismal 1-3 record against Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers. On top of Surtain’s ankle injury, wide receiver Pat Bryant is also dealing with an ankle sprain and is expected to miss multiple weeks, both of them potential candidates for injured reserve. And if that wasn’t enough, their other starting outside corner, Riley Moss, left this past Sunday’s game with a rib injury right after Surtain went down. Talk about bad luck compounding itself.
Offense Can’t Get It Going
Denver’s offense has been an absolute grind under new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. They are averaging a dismal 18.5 points per game, which puts them at 27th in the NFL. Quarterback Bo Nix isn’t efficient, averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt, and most of his passing production has been short throws to running backs. Why? Because of pass-protection issues and a complete lack of vertical separation from his wide receivers. The ground game is just as bad, averaging only 3.6 yards per carry and 81.3 yards per game, ranking 29th in the league. You can’t win like that.
Defense Is a Rollercoaster
Last season, this Broncos defense was top-tier. This year? Not so much. They’ve regressed significantly, currently ranked 28th in total defense and giving up 375.0 total yards per game. Their biggest weakness is a historically bad run defense, ranking 29th in the NFL and allowing a whopping 142.8 rushing yards per game. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. They’re surprisingly 10th in pass-defense EPA and tied for 7th-best in red-zone efficiency. They play an aggressive style, with high rates of man coverage and a heavy blitz scheme, which they will definitely be leaning on to try and disrupt quarterback Justin Herbert.
This Sunday at 1:05 pm PT, the Broncos face a huge test against the Chargers. While the Broncos lead the all-time regular season series 74-58-1, the Chargers have won three of the previous four matchups before 2026. Denver did win their last meeting on January 4, 2026, with a 19-3 victory. But with their current struggles and injuries, can they pull off another win or will the Chargers widen that recent gap even more? We’ll find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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