DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › Chargers at Broncos
Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 18 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Empower Field at Mile High

DENvsLAC

Broncos offensevsChargers defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Broncos, 7 for Chargers. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

LAC offenseDEN offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Clean pockets

Broncos take a sack on 4% of dropbacks (6th). Chargers get home on 6% (23rd). League average is 7%.

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Chargers are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.21 EPA per attempt. Broncos send 7% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Third downs favor Chargers

Broncos convert 31% of third downs (32nd). Chargers allow 31% (3rd).

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Broncos gain 4.9 yards per play (26th). Chargers give up 5.6 (20th), with the league at 5.4.

Players to watch

LAC Chargers

10Justin HerbertQB · 131/212 · 1398 yds · 5 TD · 10 INTEPA per dropback -0.268Omarion HamptonRB · 89 car · 309 yds · 3 TD · 11 recEPA per touch -0.239Tre HarrisWR · 18 rec · 256 yds · 0 TD · 28 tgtEPA per target +0.301Quentin JohnstonWR · 12 rec · 202 yds · 0 TD · 26 tgtEPA per target +0.2445Tuli TuipulotuWeakside Linebacker · 29 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 3 PD3 sacks20Cam HartLeft Cornerback · 28 tackles · 2 INT · 6 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL

DEN Broncos

10Bo NixQB · 149/250 · 1493 yds · 9 TD · 3 INTEPA per dropback -0.01 · 23rd20Jonah ColemanRB · 30 car · 134 yds · 2 TD · 9 recEPA per touch +0.17 · 2nd17Jaylen WaddleWR · 29 rec · 315 yds · 2 TD · 51 tgtEPA per target +0.0814Courtland SuttonWR · 20 rec · 221 yds · 1 TD · 37 tgtEPA per target -0.1529Ja'Quan McMillianNickel Back · 25 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 INT · 7 PD1 INT99Zach AllenLeft Defensive End · 25 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 3 PD4.5 sacks · T-17th in the NFL
The series · Chargers and Broncos since 1999, and this season's records56 meetings

The Broncos lead the series 33–23 since 1999. They have won the last 2. Oct 11, 2026, at SoFi Stadium: the Broncos won 23–17. Justin Herbert started at quarterback for the Chargers and Bo Nix for the Broncos; Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton coached.

Chargers at home14–14the Chargers' record
In Denver9–19the Chargers' record
Most pointsChargers 52 · Broncos 392008 · 2008
Biggest winChargers by 38 · Broncos by 292007 · 2003
Playoffs0–1the Chargers' record

The last 5

2026 · Wk 5DEN 23 at LAC 17
2025 · Wk 18LAC 3 at DEN 19
2025 · Wk 3DEN 20 at LAC 23
2024 · Wk 16DEN 27 at LAC 34
2024 · Wk 6LAC 23 at DEN 16

2026 records

ChargersBroncos
Overall0–76–2
Division0–32–1
Conference0–43–1
Other conference0–33–1
Home0–34–0
Away0–42–2
Last 5LLLLLLWWWW
StreakLost 7Won 4
Points a game14.1 – 25.021.5 – 20.6

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Chargers' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Broncos offense against the Chargers defenseDepth charts
Chargers defense · 3-4 DBroncos offense · 3WR 1TE72Bolles74Powers60Wattenberg77Meinerz69McGlinchey1Engram10Nix20Coleman17Waddle11Franklin14Sutton92Eboigbe99Caldwell93Tart45Tuipulotu52Mack53Phillips0Henley26Jackson20Hart4Still23Jefferson2Molden

Broncos offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBBo Nix#10 · 149/250 · 1493 yds · 9 TD · 3 INT
  • RBJonah Coleman#20 · 30 car · 134 yds · 2 TD · 9 rec
  • WRJaylen Waddle#17 · 29 rec · 315 yds · 2 TD · 51 tgt
  • WRCourtland Sutton#14 · 20 rec · 221 yds · 1 TD · 37 tgt
  • WRTroy Franklin#11 · 6 rec · 69 yds · 0 TD · 11 tgt
  • TEEvan Engram#1 · 13 rec · 136 yds · 1 TD · 25 tgt
  • LTGarett Bolles#72
  • LGBen Powers#74
  • CLuke Wattenberg#60
  • RGQuinn Meinerz#77
  • RTMike McGlinchey#69

Chargers defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEJustin Eboigbe#92 · 24 tackles · 0.5 sacks
  • NTJamaree Caldwell#99 · 13 tackles
  • LDETeair Tart#93 · 15 tackles
  • WLBTuli Tuipulotu#45 · 29 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 3 PD
  • SLBKhalil Mack#52 · 21 tackles · 3 sacks
  • RILBDel'Shawn Phillips#53 · 36 tackles
  • LILBDaiyan Henley#0 · 39 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • RCBDonte Jackson#26 · 7 tackles · 2 PD
  • LCBCam Hart#20 · 28 tackles · 2 INT · 6 PD
  • NBTarheeb Still#4 · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • SSTony Jefferson#23 · 31 tackles · 2 PD
  • FSElijah Molden#2 · 24 tackles

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · DEN offense against LAC defense
StatDEN DEN offFavors DEN · Favors LACLAC LAC def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.03#21
-0.04#9+0.00
Success rate
38%#29
44%#1944%
Yards per play
4.9#26
5.6#205.4
Explosive play rate
7%#27
10%#179%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.02#22
-0.02#11+0.03
Sack rate
4%#6
6%#237%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.06#15
-0.06#23-0.08
Yards per carry
3.7#25
4.3#214.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
31%#32
31%#341%
Red zone TD rate
68%#8
52%#1061%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
107#29
133#12147
TE yards per game
28#31
52#1655
TE targets per game
4.9#31
6.0#37.6
RB receiving yards per game
53#3
22#732
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Broncos: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.037% of throws
4too few
+0.026% of throws
Short
+0.0435% of throws
-0.209% of throws
+0.0442% of throws

Chargers: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.2111 throws
3too few
+1.197 throws
Short
+0.1060 throws
-0.0942 throws
+0.0073 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.