Sean Payton may look like the coach with the cleaner path into Sunday’s meeting with the Chargers, but the history between him and Jim Harbaugh tells a different story.
On paper, this should lean Denver. Los Angeles has been uneven, its new offensive coordinator hasn’t meshed with Harbaugh, and Payton is back to calling plays after taking his play sheet back. That all makes the Broncos look like the side that ought to have the coaching advantage.
But Harbaugh has been a problem for Payton for a while now.
The Broncos even had Harbaugh in the mix before hiring Payton in 2023. Denver interviewed him, and Harbaugh ultimately chose to go back to the University of Michigan for another season. Before that decision, he and Broncos CEO Greg Penner spoke multiple times, and Harbaugh later called Penner to say he was staying at Michigan.
Payton, meanwhile, was not exactly delighted when Harbaugh landed in the same division. Since then, the two have met four times. The Chargers have taken three of those games, while Denver finally broke through last year.
That first Broncos win over Harbaugh and the Chargers came in Week 18, a 19-3 Denver victory that locked up the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed. Still, that result came with an asterisk: the Chargers sat many of their starters, including quarterback Justin Herbert, because they were already looking ahead to their own playoff game.
So what does Sunday really tell us? Not much, and maybe that’s the point.
Both teams have drifted far from the expectations that surrounded them early in the season. They were supposed to be contenders, and plenty of preseason thinking had the Chargers finishing ahead of the Broncos in the AFC West.
That prediction doesn’t look so sturdy now. Right now, the Chargers are the messier group, but Denver hasn’t exactly been sharp either.
If there’s one part of this matchup that has held steady, it’s the Broncos defense. That unit has been the most dependable piece between the two teams.
Still, if you’re looking for a reason to believe in Harbaugh here, the record is there. He’s had the upper hand on Payton more often than not.
In Other News...
Broncos Starter Hit With Another Fine And Fans Will Have Opinions
Quinn Meinerz keeps finding himself on the league offices radar, and this latest issue has nothing to do with what he does between the lines. After already getting dinged earlier this season for his dice-rolling touchdown celebration, the Broncos guard has drawn another punishment, this time tied to a social media video that crossed a line with NFL policy.
The situation has an extra layer because the post centered on the drug-test collection process, a subject the league treats seriously even when a player may not have meant any harm. Meinerz is appealing the fine, so this one is not necessarily finished yet, and it adds another small off-field distraction for a Broncos team that is trying to keep its focus on the field after its Week 3 win over the Rams. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Defense Awaits A Big Week 5 Call On Ladd McConkey
The Broncos may get a break on the injury front in Week 5, with Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey showing up on Los Angeles injury report as the division matchup approaches. McConkey has been one of the more productive pieces of the Chargers passing game through four weeks, with 12 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown, so his status matters plenty to Denvers defense as it prepares for a familiar AFC West test.
McConkey is dealing with multiple injuries, and the early read is that he is likely to miss the game, which would force the Chargers to reshuffle targets in a meaningful spot. If he is sidelined, Los Angeles will be asking other pass catchers to pick up the slack, and Denver will be watching to see whether the offense can maintain its rhythm without one of its steadier options. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Can Exploit A Chargers Weakness That Could Swing This Game
The Broncos head into their matchup with the Chargers looking for a place to press an edge in what figures to be a tight division game, and the middle of the field may offer it. Los Angeles has had to sort through protection issues up front, with guard Oday Aboushi struggling, while Asante Samuel Jr. remains the kind of versatile defender who can complicate easy throws. Even so, Denvers defense will be alert to the Chargers tight-end usage, especially with Jared Gadsden emerging as a meaningful piece in the passing game despite a still-unclear role.
From Denvers side, the more intriguing opportunity may come when the Broncos have the ball and test where the Chargers are least settled defensively. Injuries have thinned that group enough to make linebacker Justin Phillips a potential coverage target, and that sort of matchup can tilt a game if Denver isolates it well. Whether the Broncos lean on RJ Harvey, Evan Engram or another option, this is the kind of wrinkle that could decide which sideline is left looking for answers late. [Read more 🡒]