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Published on 10/05/2011 at Wed Oct 05 09:38.
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Examining the Broncos and Chargers schedules

Posted Wed Oct 5th by

San Diego Chargers v Denver Broncos

Outside linebacker Shaun Phillips #95 of the San Diego Chargers defends against the Denver Broncos at INVESCO Field at Mile High on January 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

On paper, the first four weeks of the Denver Broncos 2011 schedule didn’t look overly imposing. On the football field, it has proven to be one of the NFL’s toughest.

The Broncos’ first four opponents — the Oakland Raiders (2-2), Cincinnati Bengals (2-2), Tennessee Titans (3-1), and Green Bay Packers (4-0) — boast a combined 11-5 (.688) record this season.  Those four teams have an 8-4 (.667) record outside of their games against the Broncos.

Only the Dallas Cowboys, with opponents having a 12-4 record, have had a tougher schedule than Denver.

Meanwhile, the AFC West-leading San Diego Chargers (3-1) have benefited from perhaps the NFL’s softest schedule. They’ve played the Minnesota Vikings (0-4), New England Patriots (3-1), Kansas City Chiefs (1-3), and Miami Dolphins (0-4), who have limped into a combined 4-12 (.250) record. Chargers opponents have a 3-9 (.250) record outside of games against San Diego.

The Broncos have played half of the league’s remaining undefeated teams; the Chargers have played half of the league’s winless ones. One has to wonder what each team’s record would be if their schedules were flip-flopped.

What-if’s aside, at least this gives us a bit of perspective, and acknowledgement that the Broncos have every reason to believe they can beat the Chargers at home this week.

  • Anonymous

    I hate to say this, but just because the Chargers have the luxury of beating bad teams, and the Broncos have the misfortune of playing better than average to excellent teams, does not mean that a now 1-3 team playing a 3-1 team is an ab-oration. Rather is seems to be a continuation of the same pattern for both teams.

    On a side note, even if the Broncos loose this game, I am looking forward to seeing Rivers getting a bit of VonDoom-age through the game.  Was that too much word blendification?  No, it was probably just perfectirighitimus.

  • Anonymous

    4 weeks into the season and those numbers are really inflated. If we beat the Raiders and Ten that makes their records 1 – 3 and 2 – 2. 

    Throw away GB as an autoloss (their record shouldn’t even be considered in this, just rack them up as a loss) and suddenly we would have played teams with a combined record of 5 – 7 if we had won 2 of those games.

    Even just winning 1 of those two games (not counting GB) and the other 3 teams combined record would have been 6 – 6.

  • http://broncotalk.net Monty

    I don’t understand your arguments Trog. The toughest game on our schedule shouldn’t be considered because it’s an automatic loss? Doesn’t that go hand-in-hand with the point I’m trying to make?

    Don’t count the Chargers’ wins against 0-4 teams and don’t count the Broncos’ loss to a 4-0 team and both are one-win teams.

  • http://broncotalk.net Monty

    I hear the fans losing hope, crying out in frustration, “starting wars” with Broncos brass, and I’m just trying to inject some perspective. We’ve had a tough four weeks.

  • http://Facebook.com/BroncosZone Jon

    The AFC West is available for the taking.

    Sadly, I think Oakland wins it.

  • Anonymous

    It’s time for Tebow to get his chance to play, period! What the heck is this team in Denver doing? Play him, now!

  • Anonymous

    I would hate to see oakland win the afc west, but having San Diego miss out for two years in a row would make me happy. 

  • Anonymous

    It is always mental gymnastics season.

  • Anonymous

    This team was not supposed to win more than 5 games or so yet everyone is up in arms?  Tebow is not ready yet, please don’t ruin him by throwing him in too early, I have to guess Orton will go down at some point and that is when Tebow should go in, he can prove himself then.  We have been competetive in all but the last game and while rebuilding that is pretty much all we can ask for, once again…patience is needed.

  • Anonymous

    I agree, and I am not trying to bag on the Broncos.  The reality is that we are going to loose one or two winnable games (count Ten in that) and win maybe one we shouldn’t (OAK or SD?).  And it has been a tough four weeks, and we should be ecstatic that there have been gains on both sides of the ball, special teams and (most importantly?) in the attitude of the team.  Last year 4 and 12 made me vomit, this year 4 and 12 could set the table for 8-8 or 9-7 next year.

    As for hope, what are we hoping for?  If you are hoping for the playoffs, you might just be loosing it.  If you’re hoping to see the growth of a solid team, that will have some fun games to watch, we’re right on track.

    This regime inherited one of the worst clusters in recent memory, and it will take time to fix it.  Worst of all they have a solid QB with no public personality and a questionable QB media darling.  If nothing else, this season we MUST fix that.  You think Indy would take a QB a lineman and a 1st round pick for a star Stanford QB?

  • http://Facebook.com/BroncosZone Jon

    Thank you!

  • Tim

    Okay the Broncos are only going to win 3-4 games tops: Bengals, 1 or 2 out of 3 Away games (Dolphins/Vikings/Chiefs) and the Chiefs @ Home

  • Anonymous

    But you’re argument is that the Broncos have had a really tough schedule so far when that isn’t the case. They have had 1 really tough team so far and 3 other teams that are all .500 or below with a Broncos win.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah but they were not supposed to lose more games this year than last year and that’s probably what is going to happen

  • Anonymous

    Baby steps my friend- last year we averaged losing by 11.75 points per loss through 12 games (I will accept a blowout by the Pack more than the Raiders anyday) and even then scored during garbage time to make the score look better.  This year has been different in that we can point to just a few plays that made the difference.  The defense this year is at least watchable, they might stop someone.  Decker and Lloyd look like a good combo while the rest of the receivers are injured.  I enjoy watching these games, nope don’t expect to win many more, but enjoy watching our team much more than last year.  Besides we have not made any mind numbing moronic ego fueled trades so we are already a step up.

  • crymearivers

    Go Chargers!

  • rcsodak

    As I’ve said. Denver goes into the bye, 2_3: And comes out of it full rostered and healthy.

  • Anonymous

    haha ok, I will give you that :)

  • http://broncotalk.net Monty

    I see your point, but that is why I included the record of our opponents outside of games of Denver (and did similarly with the Chargers). The Broncos’ opponents’ win percentage are very close, whether you include the Broncos or not. The Chargers’ opponent records are identical.

    Is it a small sample size? Absolutely. But that, again, goes hand in hand with my argument. Being 1-3 doesn’t meant we’ll be 4-12. Let’s go kick some Chargers ass.

  • http://broncotalk.net Monty

    Somebody got lost on the Internet….

  • Anonymous

    I think it will be more like who gets stuck with it.

  • Anonymous

    Well I am certainly on board with that. Nothing would make me happier then to see that smirk wiped off Rivers face by the Broncos!Â