Mile High Roundtable Delivers Predictions & Picks for Broncos-Chargers

Absent one, the Denver Broncos' head coach is bent on striking the match himself.

In a not-too-distant alternate universe, the Broncos could be in the same boat as the Los Angeles Chargers, sitting at 0-4. The Broncos' offense has been that bad, but fortunately, Bo Nix pulled off Bo Nix things, storming back in two of those games to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

But as Payton himself said earlier this week, the Broncos have not been playing a "championship" brand of football. They've had to face, literally, the NFL's four best teams in consecutive weeks to open this season, but outside two fourth quarters, the Broncos haven't looked like a team at that level.

Meanwhile, the Chargers are winless and desperate. They're not only a division rival, but they're also a cornered animal likely to bite and scratch without warning and in ways unexpected.

The Broncos can't afford to look past the Chargers, even though tougher games are ahead. Payton has never won at SoFi Stadium as Broncos head coach, and he's 1-5 against the Chargers.

How will this Broncos-Chargers throwdown shake out? We're going around the table to see how the Denver Broncos On SI/Mile High Huddle staff envisions this one unfolding. Connect with each writer on X (their handles are linked next to their names).

Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 3-1: It’s easy to pick against the Broncos at the moment, given how they played last week. But after Payton took back play-calling and with the chance to drive a stake in the Chargers’ season, I think Denver finds a spark and doesn’t just eke out a victory. It’ll get downplayed due to the level of competition, and some questions might still persist, but they’ll do what they gotta do.

Pick: Broncos 26, Chargers 19

Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 3-1: If there's going to be a week for the Broncos to have a good start on offense, this is it. The Chargers aren't bad on defense, but they're nowhere near as good as the other teams the Broncos have faced. And with the injury issues the Chargers are dealing with, the Broncos have to capitalize on defense. While it's a legitimate question to ask whether the Broncos can get it done here, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here. They find a way.

Pick: Broncos 23, Chargers 17

Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 2-2: Struggles on offense led to Payton taking back the play-calling from first-year coordinator Davis Webb. Something needs to click for the Broncos' offense, regardless of who's calling the plays. A narrow win on the West Coast turns Denver's focus to Sam Darnold's Seattle Seahawks on a short week.

Pick: Broncos 21, Chargers 17

Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 2-2: This has been a dysfunctional week for the Broncos after an abysmal showing against San Francisco. Thankfully, the Broncos are blessed with a struggling and beat-up Chargers team starting four new guys on the offensive line. The Broncos try to stay more balanced on offense, knowing the defense will handle its business. Less pressure on Nix leads to a couple of explosive throws and a good win on the road.

Pick: Broncos 21, Chargers 10

Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 2-2: In Payton I trust. He may have egg on his face from pulling the plug on the Webb experiment four games into the season, but he's got bigger fish to fry. Nix has looked worse than he did in his first four games as a rookie, the Broncos haven't been able to run the ball, and the slow offensive starts have consistently put Payton's defense in a bind. Payton has struggled against the Chargers, so we'd be remiss to expect the Broncos' offense to suddenly look night-and-day different, but I expect to see a plausible run game and a more composed Nix. J.K. Dobbins reminds Broncos Country why this team re-signed him with a 4x raise as Denver wins ugly at SoFi.

Pick: Broncos 17, Chargers 13

Bo Nix. — Bo Nix runs against the Chargers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 2-2: Payton taking back play-calling adds to the ever-growing circus surrounding this Broncos team. A win vs. the hapless Chargers could get things back on track, but a loss and the season starts to spiral fast

Pick: Broncos 23, Chargers 16

James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 1-3: For Payton to remove play-calling duties from a talented first-year coordinator after one month means that the onus is on him to call an excellent game. The issue is that Jekyll-and-Hyde Broncos have failed to execute to their full potential for far too long and everyone on the team has played a part, but it's especially true on offense. That being said, the Chargers are pretty banged up. This is a game the Broncos have to win. Some concerns are eased when the Broncos do just enough to squeak a win, but I doubt it's pretty.

Pick: Broncos 24, Chargers 21

Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) 1-3: The Broncos' offense desperately needs a break to try to get things going, and they're getting one against a bad defense that has a plethora of injury issues. Webb has been scapegoated as a play-caller, so Payton better have the right answers. I'm hoping the issues don't continue, so I'll reluctantly take the Broncos here. If it's still bad, there's nobody else to blame anymore.

Pick: Broncos 20, Chargers 13

Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 1-3: On paper, the Broncos should be able to handle the Chargers fairly easily, even with their own issues. The Chargers are beat up, and their star players aren't playing up to par. There may not be a more impactful coach departure than Jesse Minter leaving the Chargers. Meanwhile, Mike McDaniel has not lived up to the expectations or hype as L.A.'s offensive coordinator. That said, Denver has a terrible habit of playing down to opponents, and traditionally struggles against the Chargers. However, the Broncos walk away with a win, but not as big of a margin as it should be on paper. That's why games are played.

Pick: Broncos18, Chargers 10

Dylan Von Arx (@DylanVonArxMHH) 1-3: The Broncos are in need of a huge bounce-back game after their awful offensive performance against the 49ers. Luckily, the winless Chargers look completely disjointed on offense and are injured across their offensive line, which means the Denver defense should be able to handle its business. The only way this implodes on Sunday is if Nix keeps playing scared football, but ultimately, the Chargers are just too banged up and poorly coached to pull out a win.

Pick: Broncos 20, Chargers 13

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