Time: 2:40 p.m. Sunday, KCNC, KREZ, KRSJ 100.5 FM.
Opening Line: Broncos by 9½.
Record vs. Spread: San Diego, 10-6-1; Denver, 11-5.
Series Record: Broncos lead 58-49-1.
Last Meeting: Chargers beat the Broncos 27-20 on Dec. 12.
Last Week: Chargers beat the Bengals 27-10; the Broncos had a bye.
AP Pro32 Rankings: Chargers, No. 13; Broncos, No. 2.
Chargers Offense: overall (5), rush (13), pass (4).
Chargers Defense: overall (23), rush (12), pass (29).
Broncos Offense: overall (1), rush (15), pass (1).
Broncos Defense: overall (19), rush (T7), pass (27).
Streaks, Stats & Notes
This is the first time the longtime division rivals are meeting in the postseason.
The Chargers held the ball for nearly 18 minutes longer than the Broncos in a 27-20 win Dec. 12, the only home loss of the season for Denver.
San Diego led the league in 10-play drives (39).
Chargers’ first-year, rookie head coach Mike McCoy knows the Broncos well after spending four seasons in the Mile High City as offensive coordinator.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is 10-6 against Denver, throwing for 3,830 yards with 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He’s 6-2 in Denver.
Chargers running back Ryan Mathews only ran one time in the second half at Cincinnati because of an ankle injury. Mathews was the only back to top 100 yards on the Broncos in the regular season, gaining 127 yards on 29 carries last month.
Mathews rushed for a career-high 1,255 yards in 2013, the eighth-best performance in franchise history.
Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen set rookie team records in receptions (71) and yards (1,046).
The Broncos captured their 13th AFC West title this season, moving past Oakland (12) for most among division members. San Diego has 10.
Broncos’ head coach John Fox is the fifth coach in NFL history to secure division titles in his first three seasons with a team.
Denver finished the regular season with an NFL-record 606 points.
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning set league records for yards passing (5,477), touchdowns (55) and first downs through the air (289).
Manning is 167-73 in the regular season and 9-11 in the postseason.
Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker missed the last meeting with San Diego because of a concussion. He’s been cleared to play the postseason.
The Broncos are the first team to have five receivers catch at least 60 passes. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas led the way with 92 receptions.
Denver also is the first team to have five players with at least 10 touchdowns in a season: Thomas (14), Knowshon Moreno (13), Julius Thomas (12), Eric Decker (11) and Welker (10).
Moreno had 10 touchdown runs and 3 touchdown catches. He also topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his five-year career with 1,038 yards.
Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey missed both games against San Diego this season with a nagging foot injury. Bailey, too, has been cleared to play.
Associated Press
