The Broncos are sitting at 2-2 for the third straight season, and the margin for error is shrinking fast. With 13 regular-season games left, Denver may need to win 10 of them to stay in the AFC West race. That’s why Week 5 in Los Angeles suddenly looks like a game the Broncos can’t afford to let slip.
What once looked like a tougher spot has flipped. Four games into the 2026 season, the Chargers look like one of the league’s weakest teams, and Denver has no real excuse not to take advantage. The Broncos still haven’t beaten the Chargers in Los Angeles in the Jim Harbaugh era, but this matchup sets up very differently than it did before the season.
A huge part of that starts up front for the Chargers. Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are both out, and the projected line is a patchwork group that includes Branson Taylor at left tackle, Logan Taylor at left guard, Jake Slaughter at center, Cole Strange at right guard and Travis Burke at right tackle. Behind them, the depth options are Jacob Spomer, Alex Harkey and Daniel Brunskill.
Even if that group sounds unfamiliar, that’s the point. It’s a shaky unit on paper, and the Chargers haven’t exactly helped themselves by failing to invest enough in the offensive line this offseason, especially inside.
Injuries have played a part, but the problems run deeper than that. Tyler Biadasz was lost for the season before the year even began, and the constant shuffling has left the line in rough shape.
If Biadasz were healthy, and if Slater and Alt were both available, the Chargers would at least have something respectable there. But that’s not the reality for Week 5.
Denver should be able to win at the line of scrimmage, and that means more than just slowing the run. It means getting after Justin Herbert.
That’s another reason this matchup tilts toward the Broncos. Herbert has thrown at least one interception in every game this season, and he already has two games with multiple picks.
He’s on pace for 26 interceptions, his completion percentage is under 60 percent, and the touchdown production simply hasn’t shown up. The Chargers’ issues around him are real, but Herbert hasn’t played clean enough to rise above them.
The Broncos could get some help in coverage too. Even if Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss both miss the game, Denver still has enough talent in the secondary to make life difficult for the Chargers, especially with Ladd McConkey likely out as well.
And then there’s the simplest argument of all: the Chargers just haven’t been good. They rank 29th in points scored and 24th in points allowed.
They haven’t scored more than 23 points in any game and haven’t held anyone below 24. On top of that, they’ve already committed 38 penalties, the fifth-most in the NFL.
The injuries are piling up, the roster was thin to begin with, and the two coordinator changes haven’t fixed anything. That’s how a team ends up looking broken this early.
Yes, it’s still a division game, and those can get messy. But the Chargers are a bad football team, and the Broncos are good enough to push them around. Denver also gets a chance to jumpstart its offense against what has been the easiest opposing defense it has faced so far, which should open the door for some much-needed yards and points.
In Other News...
Sean Payton Just Sent A Clear Message About Denver's Offense
Sean Payton has moved back to the controls on offense, resuming play-calling duties after previously handing that job to Davis Webb. Its a notable reset for a Broncos attack that has sputtered early in the 2026 season, with the kind of uneven production that has left the unit searching for traction.
Payton said the change was about the bigger picture of team performance and responsibility, which gives the shift a pretty clear meaning inside the building. For Denver, the larger question now is whether putting the head coach back in the headset can steady an offense that has struggled across the board and needs a different feel quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Have A Huge Opening In This Chargers Matchup
The Broncos head into their Week 5 trip to face the Chargers with a familiar kind of tension around the injury report, even as a few names have started to move in the right direction at practice. Adam Trautman and another Broncos player nicknamed Tillman were full participants, which at least gives Denver a little more depth as it tries to get through a division game that already feels important in the AFC West race.
What makes this matchup feel especially interesting from Denvers side is that Los Angeles has its own protection issues up front, creating a possible opening the Broncos will be eager to test. At the same time, Denver is bracing for key absences of its own in the secondary, with several defensive regulars dealing with ankle injuries, so the margin for error may be thin on both sides as the injury report continues to shape the game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Offense Keeps Struggling But Players Are Still Backing Davis Webb
Through four games, the Broncos offense has had a hard time finding any real rhythm under offensive coordinator Davis Webb, and the results have already stirred plenty of conversation around the building. The unit has lagged in several key areas, but the message from inside the locker room has been less about blame and more about sticking with the process and getting the details cleaned up.
Adam Trautman and Mike McGlinchey are among the players still voicing support for Webb, pointing to his potential and the belief that the offense can improve with better execution. There is a shared understanding that the issues are on everyone, not just the play-caller, and for now the Broncos are keeping the focus on fixing what has gone wrong rather than looking for a quick reset. [Read more 🡒]