NFL Thursday Night Football Schedule & Predictions: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers will face one another on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 8:25 p.m. EST
The NFL's first game of Week 8 should be a good one. The Broncos and Chargers are both fighting for AFC West supremacy, and they will face each other on NFL Thursday Night Football.
Latin Post.com previews the game, predicts a winner and let you vote on who you think will win:
The Denver Broncos
The Broncos are 5-1 after a recent dominant performance of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Quarterback Peyton Manning continues to defy logic, getting better as he gets older. The 38-year-old veteran has 19 touchdowns to just three interceptions this season and a 118.2 passer rating.
Losing Knowshon Moreno didn't help, but running back Ronnie Hillman has stepped up. Hillman is averaging 4.3 yards per carry and leads the team in rushing touchdowns.
Manning is playing great, but his receiving corps are among the best in the league. Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders have a combined 16 touchdowns. We also can't forget about Wes Welker, who is a huge threat in the slot area.
The biggest difference with this team is the defense. Jon Elway added a lot of big pieces during the offseason. Notable players such as DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward were all high-profile offseason additions. With defensive end Von Miller healthy, the Broncos now have the No. 6-ranked defense in the league.
The only loss for the Broncos this season came in Week 3 to the Seattle Seahawks on the road in overtime. This team has yet to lose in regulation.
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are currently 5-2 coming off a loss in Week 7 to the Kansas City Chiefs. This team knows they have the capability of beating the Broncos in Denver, as they did last season in Week 15. The Broncos have dominated this division lately, but this could be the Chargers' best chance to win the division.
Quarterback Philip Rivers leads the offense, and has been in the MVP race. So far this season, Rivers has 17 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 113 passer rating. He's not exactly Manning, but he's certainly good enough to win in this league. Rivers' favorite targets this season have been Malcom Floyd and tight end Antonio Gates.
The biggest issue for the Chargers this season has been the running game. It's been a difficult task replacing the great LaDainian Tomlinson. Danny Woodhead is out for the season and Ryan Matthews is till resting an MCL injury. Rookie running back Branden Oliver is expected to get most of the carries Thursday night.
Similar to the Broncos, the Chargers' defense has been overlooked by many. The Chargers defense is ranked one spot ahead of the Broncos in team defense this season, allowing just 316.4 yards per game.
Schedule, Where to Watch
The Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers will face one another at 8:25 p.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 23, at Mile High stadium in Denver, Colorado. The game will be shown on both CBS and the NFL Network. To view a live stream watch here.
Predictions
Both the Chargers and Broncos have great quarterbacks and great offensive lines. Although the Chargers did defeat the Broncos last season, they also lost to them twice last season, as well. Right now, Manning is just on another level and his team is playing great. When the Broncos defense plays great, they're unbeatable.
Broncos win 31-24
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