The Week 18 matchup between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers was supposed to be a battle for the AFC West title.
But after the Chargers stumbled last week, Sunday’s game is only about playoff positioning.
The Broncos clinched the division when Los Angeles lost at home to Houston last Saturday, and now the Chargers head to Denver as a wild-card team trying to secure the highest seed for the playoffs. They could be anywhere between the fifth and seventh seed, but would fall no further than sixth with a win.
The Broncos would secure the AFC No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and homefield advantage for the postseason with a win.
Los Angeles (11-5) announced early in the week that quarterback Justin Herbert won’t play Sunday, improving the Broncos’ chances of getting the top seed. Herbert, who has been playing through a fractured left hand since Week 13, has thrown for 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and has a career-high 498 rushing yards.
Denver (13-3) will face Trey Lance, who is 7-for-13 passing for 90 yards in three games this season. He hasn’t played since a Nov. 30 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has never started against the Broncos, who lead the NFL in sacks.
Chargers left tackle Jamaree Salyer (hamstring), who sat out the loss to the Texans, is unlikely to play Sunday.
“He’s doing good. He’s trending in a really good direction, and it’s gotten better every week, every day,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “So it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to go this week, but possibly next.”
Cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (shoulder), safety R.J. Mickens (shoulder) and running back Kimani Vidal (neck) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday. Running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) missed the practice.
Winning the division was the first of three goals head coach Sean Payton set for Denver, and the second can be accomplished by beating Los Angeles on Sunday. The third is winning Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif.
Payton said Herbert’s absence does not change the Broncos’ approach to the game.
“This is a playoff game,” Payton said after Wednesday’s practice. “I just finished telling our team, ‘Now we have to focus on, what are the strengths of Trey (Lance)?'”
Denver is also dealing with injuries, most notable to linebacker Dre Greenlaw (hamstring), who missed last week’s win vs. Kansas City and didn’t practice Wednesday. However, tight end Nate Adkins (knee) and wide receiver Pat Bryant (concussion), neither of whom played in the Christmas win at the Chiefs, practiced in a limited capacity, as did defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers (hip).
The Broncos have been without running back J.K. Dobbins for the past six games after he had season-ending foot surgery, and rookie RJ Harvey has become the lead back. He has 512 yards rushing on 131 carries and 46 receptions for 351 yards with 12 total touchdowns.
Denver quarterback Bo Nix has nearly matched Herbert’s stats for the year. He has 3,790 yards passing with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and has rushed for 307 yards and five more scores. Nix has spread the ball around but his top receiver is Courtland Sutton, who has 73 receptions for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns. It is the second straight season and third time in his eight-year career he has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards.
