The AFC West is probably the toughest division in the NFL, just ask the Los Angeles Chargers. They snapped a 10-game losing streak to division foes last season by knocking off the Denver Broncos, then went on to lose three more games. Those came when the club was based in San Diego, so in their new home the Chargers have yet to lose to a rival. The Chargers have talent to compete but they’ve been ravaged by injuries more than any other club over the last few seasons. If they can stay relatively healthy, who knows?
Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Monday, September 11, 2017 at 10:20 p.m. ET. This duel from Sports Authority Field at Mile High will be televised on ESPN.
NFL Week 1 Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Los Angeles Chargers +5
Denver Broncos -5
Over/Under 44
Anthony Lynn vs. Vance Joseph
Two of the five new head coaches in the NFL will square off in the opener and each has a distinctive background. Lynn has coached on the offensive side for the majority of his career, most recently with Buffalo for the last two seasons being elevated to coordinator early in 2016. He helped lead the Bills to the NFL’s best running game those two seasons as part of his “ground and pound” philosophy. There is plenty of talent on the Chargers offense if they can stay healthy.
Joseph has worked on the defensive side of the ball throughout his career and was plucked from his coordinator job with the Miami Dolphins. He also spent several years as a defensive backs coach with various teams and steps into what appears to be an ideal situation. The Broncos are stacked on defense with one of the best secondaries in the game.
To help out on the other side of the ball, both coaches hired some impressive names to their coaching staff. Lynn brought in former Seattle coordinator and Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley to run the defense while Joseph tabbed former Chargers head man Mike McCoy to orchestrate the Broncos offense.
Philip Rivers vs. The No Fly Zone
Lynn believes in establishing the run game to set up the pass, but he changed his mind after seeing Rivers and the collection of pass catchers on his new team. Rivers tried to hold the offense together last season following the loss of Keenan Allen in the opener and with a line that was banged up and at other times just didn’t play well.
The veteran quarterback threw for over 4,000 yards for the fourth straight season and tossed 33 touchdowns passes, his most since 2008. The Chargers had the eighth-best passing offense in the league, but Rivers tossed a NFL-high 21 interceptions, which certainly hurt the production. Allen is back and so are Tyrell Williams, Dontrelle Inman and Travis Benjamin, the three leading receivers from a year ago. Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry are two of the best tight ends in the passing game and top pick Mike Williams is expected back soon.
Those weapons as well as a tidy pocket will be needed to penetrate the Broncos defense. The secondary returns intact after leading the NFL in pass defense the last two seasons. Last year the Broncos allowed opposing QBs to complete 55.4 percent of their passes, compile a measly 69.7 rating and average just 5.8 yards per attempt. All were tops in the league by a wide margin.
Garrett Bolles vs. Joey Bosa
Bradley installed a new 4-3 defensive alignment and he has a beast in end Bosa to make the scheme work. Once he joined the team after a holdout and hamstring injury, Bosa proved to be worth the wait. He collected 10.5 sacks in just 10 games and drew plenty of attention from the offensive line. He was the disruptive force the Chargers needed.
With a partial year of seasoning and working with the man who helped create the Legion of Boom in Seattle, even bigger things are expected from the 2016 first round pick.
The Broncos used a first round pick this year on Bolles to solidify the line and protect Trevor Siemian from the onslaught of edge rushers in the division. This week its Bosa and Melvin Ingram, there are also two games against Khalil Mack and the Raiders and a pair with Kansas City’s Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. Bolles will certainly earn his paycheck every week.
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