Chargers Goal: Keep Manning Off Field

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is the subject of all the talk in the NFL after breaking the career touchdown passing record on Sunday night.

Now he and the league’s top-ranked offense get to pick apart a reeling Chargers D.

The Broncos lead the league in scoring, averaging 31.5 points per game. They are third in passing yards per game with 299. And there’s the whole 510 career touchdowns for Manning.

He has been as good as ever, throwing 19 scores and just three interceptions, completing nearly 69 percent of his passes.

“I never feel like I am playing the opposing quarterback,” Chargers signal caller Philip Rivers said. “But there are certain games and opposing quarterbacks that are more special than others. That’s just being honest.

Rivers said he enjoyed watching Manning break the record.

“That’s a credit to his consistency,” he said. “Being out there for his team, not only being out there, but at a high level.”

OK, but how do you beat this team?

“Players out-executing the scheme that presents itself to you,” Chargers coach Mike McCoy said. “That’s what it comes down to every play. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against.”

That’s coach-speak for “Don’t give Manning any extra chances to beat you.”

Defensive coordinator John Pagano says one of the keys is doing better when the defense has the other team’s backs against the wall. The Chiefs converted 7-of-14 third downs in beating the Bolts on Sunday.

“We gotta get off the field,” he said. “Our last game was not our best performance.”

Getting the Chargers offense on the field – and, more importantly, keeping Manning off it – may very well be the biggest key. The Chargers have thrived this season when dominating time of possession.

The same was true in a Thursday night win over the Broncos last year. The Bolts converted half of their 12 third downs and had the ball nearly 39 minutes.

If they are unable to keep the Broncos’ offense on the sideline, it could be a long night in the Mile High City.

Rivers doesn’t deny the importance of matching up against one of the league’s all-time greats.

“Going against a Peyton Manning-led team, there’s no denying that there’s a little more uh, shoot, I don’t know what the word is -- awesomeness to those games,” he said.

As for getting over Sunday’s heartbreaker against the Chiefs, McCoy has no doubt his team has already put it out of their minds.

“We’ve got a lot of veteran players who have played a lot of big games,” he said. “They’ve played in plenty of games after a loss. It’s the next game you gotta play.”

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