Blog: How the Chargers and Broncos match up in Week 17

Denver will be without its top running back Phillip Lindsay (wrist) and top wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles) for a game that means nothing to the franchise, at least as it relates to this season. Rookie Royce Freeman figures to take over for Lindsay, who was lost Monday as the Broncos were falling to Oakland. In three games without Sanders, quarterback Case Keenum has been relying more on Courtland Sutton. All of which means the Chargers are facing an opponent that is limited on offense. In losing its last three games, Denver has scored 14, 16 and 14 points. In the teams’ first meeting, the Chargers’ defense broke down over the final 18 minutes, allowing the Broncos to score three times — two touchdowns and a field goal — on their final four possessions, one of which began deep in Chargers territory because of a turnover. Given the current state of Denver’s offense, however, the threat of such a finish this time seems to be greatly diminished. Against the Raiders last week, six of the Broncos’ first seven possessions ended in punts and the other in a missed 58-yard field goal.