The Chargers say they are treating their regular-season finale Sunday as an opportunity to rest and regroup going into their AFC wild-card game next week. The Denver Broncos say they are treating it as a playoff game, a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed and enjoy a bye next week.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said he would give quarterback Justin Herbert the day off, preserving and protecting his fractured left, non-throwing hand for the playoffs. Broncos coach Sean Payton said he would prepare their defense as diligently for the Chargers as if Herbert were playing.
Harbaugh made it clear the circumstances have changed from last season when the Chargers needed a victory in their regular-season finale in order to move up to fifth in the seedings, and got it. Payton made it clear the Broncos’ top priority in their final regular-season game is the top seed.
Trey Lance will start for the first time as a Chargers quarterback, and for only the sixth time in his career, after making three relief appearances for Herbert. Bo Nix will start for the 34th consecutive time since the Broncos drafted him in the first round of the 2024 draft from the University of Oregon.
“He’s chomping at the bit to play,” Harbaugh said of Lance, a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 whose career has been somewhat less than one might have expected from someone selected third overall to great fanfare. “I would have the same reaction as he did. Let’s go.”
Lance said he was “super excited” to get an opportunity to start against the Broncos and show the entire known football universe that he could be more than a career backup, a quarterback unwilling to allow his career to be derailed by injuries and a lack of chances to play regularly.
After all, he is only 25. Overall, he has completed 56.4% of his passes for 1,153 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions in 15 games over two seasons with the 49ers, one with the Cowboys and this one with the Chargers. He has taken 29 total snaps in relief of Herbert this season.
“Really excited for him,” said Greg Roman, the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. “Great opportunity. This guy is a great guy to work with. I feel like he does everything he can to support Justin and Justin is doing the same thing for him this week. It’ll be fun to get him out there and do some different stuff.”
In fact, Lance could give the Chargers a different look with his ability to scramble away from pressure, gaining yards with his legs as well as his arm. Herbert is a willing runner, too, but Lance is playing to his strengths when he creates on the fly, as evidenced by his 292 career rushing yards.
How well the Chargers can protect Lance will be a critical factor Sunday.
Herbert was sacked a career-high 54 times in 16 games this season.
Their offensive line has been less than stellar because of season-ending injuries to tackles Joe Alt (ankle) and Rashawn Slater (knee). This week, center Bradley Bozeman (concussion) was listed as questionable and left tackle Jamaree Slater (hamstring) was said to be doubtful to play Sunday.
So, a makeshift offensive line could look even more so against the Broncos.
Denver is taking nothing for granted.
“Our focus is this is a playoff game,” Payton told Denver reporters. “I just finished telling the team we have to focus on, ‘All right, what are the strengths of Trey?’ So, that’s significant. They’re different style players (Lance and Herbert), but our focus is on this game and winning this game.”
The oddsmakers bought into it. They installed the Broncos as double-digit favorites, a spread that wouldn’t be nearly as wide if the Chargers were playing their starters, especially Herbert. The uncertainty about who else might not play also had a role in favoring the Broncos by so many points.
The Chargers are looking at it differently, and more practically, of course.
They would need a victory over the Broncos plus a number of other scenarios to go their way, including either a loss or a tie by the Houston Texans to the Indianapolis Colts, in order to move up to fifth in the seedings. A victory would maintain their position in sixth. A loss would drop them to seventh.
“Winning and health, being healthy, those are our two objectives,” Harbaugh said several days ago. “The guys we think – the doctors, the trainers, myself and the organization – that have the most bruises and need that time off the most, we’ve decided that’s the direction we’re going.”
CHARGERS (11-5) at BRONCOS (13-3)
When: 1:25 p.m. PT Sunday
Where: Mile High Stadium, Denver
TV/Radio: KCBS (Ch. 2)/640 AM, 94.3 FM (Spanish)
