3 Keys to a Broncos Victory Over Chargers at SoFi Stadium

Over the first four weeks of the season, the Denver Broncos have faced four teams that are among the favorites to reach the Super Bowl this year. The advanced metrics say Denver's first four opponents are the NFL's four best teams currently.

The theme has been that the Broncos have had sluggish starts, particularly on offense, but find a way to get it together in the second half and, at least twice, produce comeback victories.

While one may not have expected the Broncos to go 4-0 to open the season, fans at least expected them to play well through four quarters, win or lose, given how deep into the playoffs this team got last year. That hasn't happened yet, and the Broncos' first-half struggles on offense are particularly frustrating.

Sean Payton seems frustrated, announcing on Thursday that he's taking back the offensive play-calling from first-year coordinator Davis Webb.

For the first time this season, the Broncos are facing an opponent that is not only struggling, but also a team few, if anyone, expected to be 0-4 to start the season. The Los Angeles Chargers were considered a playoff contender entering 2026, but they haven't looked the part.

It goes without saying that the Broncos can't take anything for granted this week, as they need to come away with a win in this AFC West matchup, especially given that, after the Chargers, they'll face a short-week turnaround with the Seattle Seahawks coming to Mile High on Thursday Night Football.

What will it take to win at SoFi Stadium on Sunday? Let's look at three keys to Denver beating the Chargers and improving to 3-2.

Respect Justin Herbert, Regardless of His Current Numbers

It's no secret that Herbert is off to the worst start of his NFL career. Through the first four games of the season, he's completed 59.7% of his passes with four touchdowns and six interceptions.

Herbert has never had a completion percentage under 65% in his career, so those numbers will likely surprise some people. While he does have weaknesses as a passer, not everything is his fault.

The Chargers face questions about whether Mike McDaniel was the right offensive coordinator for Herbert. Their offensive line is banged up, with both offensive tackles, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, expected to miss Sunday's game.

And then there are the receivers. Ladd McConkey is dealing with a foot injury, and Quentin Johnston, who seemed to be coming around last season, has regressed. On the other hand, Tre Harris has been solid with 13 catches for 209 yards, though he has yet to score a touchdown.

The Chargers do have a solid tight end in Oronde Gadsden II, who has nine catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. If McConkey doesn't play — and if the same applies to Johnston, who is dealing with an injury of his own — one might expect Gadsden to see more targets.

As for the running game, Omarion Hampton has averaged 4.0 yards per carry and has scored three touchdowns. However, he's fumbled twice, so ball security has been an issue for him.

But regardless of Herbert's play, the Chargers' play-calling, and the injuries on offense, the fact remains that Sean Payton, as Broncos head coach, has yet to beat this opponent when Herbert is in the lineup. Payton is 1-5 against the Chargers since he took over in Denver back in 2023, and the one win came last year to close the 2026 season when Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh opted to rest his starters.

Simply put, the Broncos cannot assume they're going to have their way with Herbert. They need to get it together on defense, even if they won't have Patrick Surtain II this week and may not have Riley Moss, either. The Broncos need to find a way to take advantage of the weaknesses on the Chargers' offense, get a pass rush going, and create turnovers.

The Chargers have 10 turnovers in four games, while their opponents have seven, with the Bills accounting for five of them — and that Buffalo game is the only instance thus far of L.A. winning the turnover battle.

It all adds up to this: The Broncos' defense needs to do its job well and not assume that this will be an easy task. They need to treat Herbert with respect and approach the game as if he's a top quarterback, even if he's not always playing like it right now.

A Good First-Half Offense

Bo Nix. — Bo Nix uncorks a pass. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As much as the Chargers have been struggling on offense this season, the Broncos have had their own share of woes. The Broncos have scored just 13 points in the first half through four games. That's not a recipe for success.

It's true that the Broncos have faced a string of quality defenses, as all four opponents they have faced are ranked in the top 10. However, the Broncos have made enough mistakes on offense in the first half that haven't helped matters, from dropped passes to missed reads to poor blocking.

If the Broncos are going to get it together in the first half and put more points on the board, though, this is the game where they need to do it. They are not going against a top defense here — the Chargers rank 20th in defensive DVOA, so while they aren't bad, they're nowhere near as good as the four defenses the Broncos have faced thus far.

Khalil Mack is 35 years old, but he's still getting it done on the field. He has 10 QB pressures and three sacks through four games, so he's still somebody the Broncos must contain, while Tuli Tuipulotu is coming off a strong 2025 season and is off to a good start this season, with eight pressures and two sacks.

It's the secondary that may be the Chargers' defensive weakness, particularly with two players entering Week 5 with injuries. Safety Derwin James and cornerback Donte Jackson are both dealing with hamstring injuries and might not see the field on Sunday.

The Chargers have held opposing running backs to 3.8 yards per carry, so the Broncos will need the passing game to have a good start to take pressure off the running backs. That means Bo Nix and his receivers need to be in sync early and often.

It's a golden opportunity for Payton to have his first game back as the offensive play-caller.

The dropped passes and missed reads have to be cleaned up, and the Broncos need to show they can attack downfield on offense, rather than relying on the screen game and checkdowns too much. The Chargers can bring pressure on defense, but with a defensive backfield that may be depleted, the Broncos must capitalize.

Take Advantage of Field Position

Marvin Mims Jr. returns a punt. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One issue the Chargers have had this season is giving up unfavorable field position to opponents. There have been multiple instances of the Chargers allowing the opponent to get the ball at midfield or in their territory, whether it's through special teams or a turnover.

Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, the Chargers had a punt blocked early in the fourth quarter that led to a touchdown. They also had a drive stall late in the fourth quarter, which led to a Cardinals field goal that put the game away.

In Week 2, the Las Vegas Raiders had two drives start at midfield in the first half, one after a missed field goal and the other after they got favorable field position when the Chargers had to punt deep in their own territory, the latter of which led to a touchdown. Late in the game, the Chargers fumbled the ball, and the Raiders recovered at the L.A. 16-yard line, scoring a touchdown after that.

The Bills had a lot of mistakes on offense in the first half of the Week 3 matchup, but they still started the game with the ball on their own 43-yard line after the Chargers gave up a 39-yard kickoff return to Greg Dortch. And early in the fourth quarter, Herbert threw an interception that C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned 41 yards to midfield, setting up a Bills touchdown.

The Seahawks started with the ball on the Chargers' 45-yard line on the first drive of their Week 4 matchup after a Drake Thomas interception. While Sam Darnold threw an interception after that, the Seahawks later got the ball on the Chargers' 31-yard line, after L.A. kicked a field goal, but Derius Davis returned the kickoff 30 yards. Herbert also threw an interception late in the second quarter that Ernest Jones returned to the Chargers' 20-yard line, leading to a Seahawks touchdown.

The Chargers special teams has been bad for one reason or another. This year, the unit defending kickoff returns seems to be the biggest problem.

This might be the week that either RJ Harvey or Tyler Badie takes advantage, because when either player hits the hole, they can turn it into a long gain.

And when it comes to turnovers, if the Broncos are fortunate enough to get them at midfield or deep in Chargers territory, they have to capitalize. They can't afford to go three-and-out at midfield or settle for field goals if they get the ball in the red zone.

This goes back to the offense again — if the Broncos get favorable field position, they must come away with points, especially early in the game.

The Takeaway

On paper, this is a winnable game for the Broncos, as the Chargers have not played well overall through the first four games. However, the Chargers have found a way to beat the Broncos in five of the last six matchups, so Denver can't assume anything here.

The Broncos have to show they can build an early lead against a team that was expected to be a playoff contender but is now desperate for a win. If the Broncos' offense can execute in the first half, it should allow the defense to do its job in the pass rush in the second half.

The Broncos don't necessarily need a blowout win. They just need to show they can come away with a road win against a team that may be struggling right now but has had its way with them in the recent past. The Broncos also need to show they can start well on offense and not wait until the second half to get things going.

Despite the Broncos' issues, they are 2-2 after facing the toughest NFL schedule through the first four weeks. But now they need to show they can take care of business against an AFC West rival that has oddly had their number over the past three years.

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