The AFC West may already have a very different look three games into the season, and the Denver Broncos are positioned to take advantage.
The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-3, and the early returns have been ugly enough to make them look like the division’s soft spot. That matters for Denver because the Broncos have two games left against the Chargers, and those matchups suddenly appear much easier.
Sunday’s loss in Buffalo only sharpened that picture. The Chargers blew a 10-0 lead on the road and fell 24-16 to the Bills even though Buffalo turned the ball over five times. According to Kris Rhim of ESPN, quarterback Justin Herbert looks like “a shell of himself” in the offense of new coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Herbert finished with 226 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, but the number line doesn’t tell the whole story. Bills defenders also dropped two possible picks, and Herbert has been drawing heat for the kind of decisions he’s making.
Fox analyst Tom Brady didn’t hold back, saying, “poor awareness, poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub.”
Jim Harbaugh has been just as striking in how he’s handled Herbert’s slump. The Chargers coach has spent plenty of time talking Herbert up, calling him “the greatest quarterback of all time" and saying he wishes he could trade genes with him because of how perfect a player and person he is.
After the Buffalo game, though, Harbaugh’s only comment on Herbert’s decisions was “be better.” He softened that a bit afterward, saying the push to improve applies to him, McDaniel and everyone in the organization.
The cracks aren’t limited to the quarterback, either. There’s also tension showing up between the defense and the offense, another sign that things are sliding the wrong way. Star safety Derwin James called out the sloppy play after the Chargers’ 27-13 loss to the Raiders, though he did not directly criticize Herbert.
In Other News...
Matthew Stafford Sparked A Broncos Debate With His Tunnel Exit
A postgame video from Empower Field gave Broncos fans something else to talk about after the win over the Rams, and it had nothing to do with the scoreboard. Matthew Stafford was seen walking through the tunnel and appearing to spit, with some viewers wondering whether it was aimed at Denvers 5280 sign, though there was no clear evidence or official confirmation of where it landed.
Stafford had just put together a big passing night in the loss, throwing for 390 yards and two touchdowns, but he also turned it over twice. For Denver, the on-field result was the headline, yet the tunnel clip added a little extra edge to a game that was already going to be picked over from every angle. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Fans Have A New Reason To Debate That Late Flag
Pat Bryant turned a chaotic late sequence into one of the defining moments of the Broncos comeback win over the Rams, and he did it with a little gamesmanship that will keep fans talking. Bryant acknowledged that he exaggerated the contact on the play that drew the pass interference flag, wiping out a late Los Angeles interception and keeping Denvers drive alive long enough for Bo Nix to finish it with the winning touchdown.
For the Broncos, the larger takeaway is that Bryant was productive beyond that one controversial snap. He caught multiple passes and scored a touchdown, giving Denver another useful piece in a game that swung on a handful of high-leverage plays. Still, the late flag is the kind of moment that tends to linger, especially when it directly helped set up the comeback finish. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Linked To A Surprising Veteran Amid Growing WR Questions
The Broncos receiver picture has changed enough that Courtland Sutton is suddenly part of a broader conversation rather than just a familiar pillar of the offense. Denver has added more wideout talent, including Jaylen Waddle and Pat Bryant, and that kind of influx can shift how a room is viewed from the outside, especially when a team is also working through offensive adjustments after a playoff loss and a reshuffled staff under Sean Payton.
That is why ESPNs Ben Solak floated a surprising possibility, linking the Rams to Sutton as they search for a more dependable pass catcher. For Denver, it is the sort of rumor that naturally follows when a proven veteran sits in a deeper group and remains important enough to matter, but potentially movable enough to draw attention from a team with a clear need. [Read more 🡒]