Chargers/Broncos

[74_75_78_79_]

Broncos, thus far, lead the series 73-57-1 (the tie being their second meeting of 1970). Five times both teams went into OT with that fifth one being the very last time they played each other. SD did get off to a big lead at first, going 15-5 over Denver in the '60s. A different story in the '70s with Denver winning that decade's series, 13-6-1.

Upon starting this very thread, I thought that both these teams never met in the post-season. Of course I was wrong, they played in the divisional round in 2013 with the 9-7 Chargers surprisingly giving the 13-3 AFC Champs-to-be, Broncos, a game in the end.

1-8 San Diego, now under Al Saunders in his second game for them at HC, going into Mile High to upset the 8-1 AFC Champs-to-be, Broncos, comes to mind. Elway was held to a 23.4 QB rating throwing 3 INTs!

I'd guess the peak of their rivalry would have to be the beginning of the Coryell years, '78-thru-'81. A bit of simultaneous competitiveness in the '00s as well, concluding with Denver collapsing in 2008 going from 8-5 to 8-8 with SD doing the exact opposite thus winning the division over them which would lead to Shanny's firing.


Whether games between both, or division/playoff races, or other notables - or adding to what I already offered - what comes to your minds in this since-1960 AFC West rivalry?

PS - Looking forward to seeing how they'll play against each other in both Harbaugh/Payton chess matches! What a division with those two, Andy Reid, and - now - Pete Carroll joining! KC will sure have to sweat to the bitter end to win it again in 2025!

Has there ever been a division in which all HCs have a SB-appearance to their credit??

[CSKreager]

Broncos, thus far, lead the series 73-57-1 (the tie being their second meeting of 1970). Five times both teams went into OT with that fifth one being the very last time they played each other. SD did get off to a big lead at first, going 15-5 over Denver in the '60s. A different story in the '70s with Denver winning that decade's series, 13-6-1.

Upon starting this very thread, I thought that both these teams never met in the post-season. Of course I was wrong, they played in the divisional round in 2013 with the 9-7 Chargers surprisingly giving the 13-3 AFC Champs-to-be, Broncos, a game in the end.

1-8 San Diego, now under Al Saunders in his second game for them at HC, going into Mile High to upset the 8-1 AFC Champs-to-be, Broncos, comes to mind. Elway was held to a 23.4 QB rating throwing 3 INTs!

I'd guess the peak of their rivalry would have to be the beginning of the Coryell years, '78-thru-'81. A bit of simultaneous competitiveness in the '00s as well, concluding with Denver collapsing in 2008 going from 8-5 to 8-8 with SD doing the exact opposite thus winning the division over them which would lead to Shanny's firing.

Tht ended up being the worst thing to happen to the Chargers longterm: going from 4-8 to win a weak division meant they were stuck with 4 more years of Norv Turner.

Had they missed the playoffs and fired Turner, imagine had they gone 13-3 in 2009 with a coaching upgrade.

[Brian wolf]

With the Chargers, it didnt matter who was coaching, the players just didnt get it done with all their talent. They lose one playoff game because the DB fumbles his interception on 4th down back to NE. Tomlinson was so banged up in the 2007/08 AFC championship game, that he couldnt even try to run it inside the Patriots five yard line. They didnt score a TD in that game. Rivers could throw, but simply was not clutch enough to make the HOF in my view. Even with Gates, Tomlinson, Jackson and Sproles, the team could barely win in the divisional rounds.

[7DnBrnc53]

Tht ended up being the worst thing to happen to the Chargers longterm: going from 4-8 to win a weak division meant they were stuck with 4 more years of Norv Turner.

Had they missed the playoffs and fired Turner, imagine had they gone 13-3 in 2009 with a coaching upgrade.

Agreed.

Also, that was the worst thing that ever happened to the Broncos. After that collapse, they brought in the little two-year old baby. Then, after he has his own Spygate scandal against the 49ers (the former videographer of the Pats, Steve Scarnecchia, was banned for life in this incident), he was fired with a few games left in the 2010 season.

That led, unfortunately, to John "Hitler" Elway.

John wasn't bad when Bowlen and Adam Peters were there. However, around 2017 (when Elway got full control), Elway got out of hand.

He should have been fired after the 2014 playoff loss to the Colts, with Adam Peters taking over as GM (although, if Walmart still takes over, it may not matter. They are horrible owners that don't care about winning).

[shig]

That led, unfortunately, to John "Hitler" Elway.

John wasn't bad when Bowlen and Adam Peters were there. However, around 2017 (when Elway got full control), Elway got out of hand.

He should have been fired after the 2014 playoff loss to the Colts, with Adam Peters taking over as GM (although, if Walmart still takes over, it may not matter. They are horrible owners that don't care about winning).

Ugggh, I remember all the "Trust Elway" hashtag nonsense.

[74_75_78_79_]

We never got to see any marquee Fouts/Elway showdowns. The last Coryell playoff year in SD was the year before John's rookie season. The only ever such QB match-up in which both their teams went into the game at above-500 was Week #12 of that infamous '87 campaign: Broncos 31, Chargers 17 at the Murph. Both teams were technically/officially above-500 as well for the season finale, but Fouts didn't play in that 24-0 Denver shutout.

Yes, SD had that paper-tiger-y hot start that very year, which did end in a 6-game skid being outscored, 162-61 (average final score of 27-6). But for what its worth, within that 1-loss start, they did beat the Browns at home in OT and Colts at Indy after everyone returned (yes, Colts got them back later on at the Murph, 20-7). It's not as if Kosar or Byner, etc, were out for Cleveland nor Dickerson out for Indy who did rush for 138 that game. So what would you think the explanation was for those quality-wins as well as the major collapse that would be?

The final 'breath' of Fouts/Winslow/Chandler, etc that '87 campaign was. Not to make too big a thing of that, obvious 'mirage' in the end, hot start, but I'd like to think that it was hinted at the year prior with that big upset at Mile High.

EDIT - nice SI article here as SD were still 5-1...https://vault.si.com/vault/1987/11/23/c ... op-the-afc

And another...https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/f/2014 ... l-saunders, this one offering a 'what-if' Coryell was still onboard, would they have collapsed? HC too big for Saunders perhaps correct, but no disgrace, he still was coaching in the NFL through 2018!!