Broncos vs. Chargers: Week 18 Bold Predictions & Picks
The Denver Broncos' brutal, painfully disappointing season is nearing its end. The last opponent on the docket is the Los Angeles Chargers, who travel to Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday to punctuate the 2022 season.
The Broncos eliminated themselves from playoff contention long ago, but this season finale still has a lot of meaning. If the Broncos don't defeat the Chargers, they're at risk of being swept in the AFC West for the first time in many decades.
The Broncos already lost one to the Chargers. Considering that this is the only divisional opponent the Broncos have defeated since 2020, what is the likelihood of the home team coming out on top?
Let's go around the Mile High Huddle table to see how our staff envisions the last game of this season unfolding for the Broncos.
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 9-7: Mercifully, the season of upheaval and disappointment is at an end, but a lot of the games seem inconsequential in the wake of the Damar Hamlin situation. For the Broncos, it may seem that the only thing they have to play for is as a spoiler against the Chargers, but the players are playing for jobs in Denver or elsewhere. This one will be close, but the Broncos just about do enough at home against the Chargers and get one divisional win this season.
Pick: Broncos 17, Chargers 14
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 8-8: Time to take a very deep inhale and let the pain out. Heading into the offseason of wild speculation will now come as a sweet relief. As for the last game, it would be nice to see interim boss Jerry Rosburg get a win. Russell Wilson saves his best for last and throws for a trio of scores in a close Broncos victory to end their failed campaign.
Pick: Broncos 24, Chargers 17
Mike Evans (@MHHEvans) 8-8: The Broncos will close this shockingly disappointing season with a victory. Look for Denver's defense to maintain its beacon of hope status by creating turnovers. Wilson will look to recapture his former luster by throwing a pair of touchdown passes.
Pick: Broncos 24, Chargers 20
Brennan Grose (@BrennanGrose1) 8-8: Rosburg has injected a new identity into the Broncos in a short amount of time. Denver fought to the end with a great Chiefs team, and with a healthy offensive line, could have won that game. The Chargers are already locked into the playoffs, and the Broncos need to give the home fans something to be excited about, with a new era looming just around the corner.
Pick: Broncos 23, Chargers 20
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 9-7: The Chargers may not be playing for anything by the time the game starts. L.A. may not use most of its starters, but the Broncos are so depleted due to injury it will be like they are holding out starters as well. Even with the change in attitude with Rosburg, the Broncos will struggle for that reason. It's a toss-up depending on the outcome of the earlier games, but I have to go for the tie for first place in the MHH round table!
Pick: Chargers 20, Broncos 17
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 8-8: This is a hope and a prayer, and maybe it's simply because my brain can't fathom the Wilson-led Broncos getting swept in the AFC, but I'm taking the home team and betting big on Russ. The beleaguered QB saves his best performance for last, giving Broncos Country a meaningful morsel to sink its teeth into in hope for the future. Wilson throws three touchdown passes and runs another one in as the Broncos win a shoot-out.
Pick: Broncos 31, Chargers 28
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 10-6: Mercifully, the season is coming to a close. And the Broncos, under Rosburg, will have a legitimate chance to avoid going 0-6 in the division and start the new year on a high note — against a Chargers team with nothing to play for. Heck, if anything, Denver should be motivated to hurt Seattle’s draft pick. Which they will.
Pick: Broncos 23, Chargers 16
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 9-7: It’s hard to predict this game. Will the Chargers have anything to play for? Will Denver still be riding a Rosburg interim head coach bump? Expect Denver to compete regardless, but I think the Broncos come out and play well enough. Eyeballs should fall on young players like Nik Bonitto and Damarri Mathis. Both can make impressions on the front office as to how aggressive they need to be in upgrading the edge and corner spots this offseason.
Pick: Broncos 20, Chargers 17
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 7-9: The Broncos showed some signs of improvement last week against the Chiefs but still have plenty of issues. The Chargers should have most of their players healthy, while the Broncos will be missing multiple starters. While I don't think the Broncos will have any issues with effort, but it's execution that decides games. Expect the Broncos to keep swinging, but fall short.
Pick: Chargers 20, Broncos 17
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 9-7: As much as fans have enjoyed Rosburg, this team has checked out. Especially holding ‘jersey swap day’ at practice this week, signaling that this final game vs. the Chargers is meaningless and insignificant. The Broncos lose their 13th football game for the first time in franchise history. But don’t worry, Broncos Country. Jim Harbaugh could be announced as head coach as early as Monday, with Michigan under investigation by NCAA.
Pick: Chargers 23, Broncos 17
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 4-12: Much like the last several weeks, this game feels very insignificant. Denver can only play spoilers here, and unless the Ravens somehow find a way to beat the Bengals, the Chargers may pack it in and rest their starters, as their playoff seeding cannot change regardless of the outcome of their game in Denver. One, two, three, Cancun!
Pick: Chargers 23, Broncos 19
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 4-12: The season has not gone the Broncos' way, but they finish it off with a win. The Chargers go into the game set as the AFC's No. 5 seed, thanks to the results of earlier games, and they can sit some starters. Denver takes advantage of that.
Pick: Broncos 17, Chargers 9
Dylan Von Arx (@arx_d) 7-9: Even in a loss the Broncos were a better-managed team under Rosburg, and that trend should continue for the final game of the season. No matter the record, Denver always seems to stay competitive with the Chargers. The Broncos have nothing to lose and will look to close out the season with momentum going into the next.
Pick: Broncos 23, Chargers 20
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