Behind Enemy Lines: Quick Takes with Bolt Beat

Oct 13, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) is sacked by Denver Broncos outside linebacker Shane Ray (bottom) outside linebacker Von Miller (58) and defensive end Derek Wolfe (95) during the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

As part of the weekly Behind Enemy Lines segment, I got to chat with Travis Wakeman of Bolt Beat and get his takes on Sunday’s game.

The Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers are set to face off for the second time in three weeks. Well, it is more twice in 17 days, but I am sure you know what I mean.

The Broncos were handed their second loss of the season, and their first road division loss in what seems like forever. It was quite a frustrating game for all Broncos fans involved as the team just never seemed to get into the game.

This time, the game will be at home, where the Broncos just won their third home game on Monday by defeating the Houston Texans to give them back to their winning ways.

Now San Diego is in town and the Broncos will be looking to get their first divisional win of the season.

To talk more about the game and the Broncos opponent, I decided to venture behind enemy lines and talk to Travis Wakeman, who writes for FanSided’s San Diego Chargers site.

Let us see what he has to say about the Chargers and the upcoming game this Sunday.

The San Diego Chargers are on a winning streak. Have you noticed any changes in the team from the first couple weeks of the season?

Travis Wakeman: Not necessarily, but the one thing I would say about this Chargers team is that it is resilient. Look around the league, is there a team out there that has lost more key players? The Chargers just keep coming back, despite talk of the coach being on the hot seat, despite talk of moving to Los Angeles, this team has really dug in and shown some heart. It would have been real easy to roll over after losing players like Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead, but there is no quit in these guys.

Oct 13, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Jatavis Brown (57) gestures from the field during the second half of the game against the Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego won 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of injuries, the Chargers have been hit with that injury bug quite a bit this season. Which loss has been the biggest one thus far?

Wakeman: The loss of Keenan Allen was devastating. Philip Rivers has still been slinging the ball around to players a lot of fans around the league may not have ever heard of, and that’s because it left the Chargers without a true No. 1 wide receiver. On top of that, Allen was coming back from a tough injury last season and didn’t even get through one game this season. Fans in San Diego had a tough time swallowing that pill.

Is there one player on the San Diego Chargers’ roster that not a lot of fans know about that you believe has had an impact so far this season?

Wakeman: I think many fans have heard of Tyrell Williams by this point, so I’ll go to the other side of the ball. The rookie Jatavis Brown has filled in quite well for the injured Manti Te’o and truthfully, might be a better player than Te’o. He gives the Chargers a solid pair of inside linebackers, combining with Denzel Perryman at the position. The last time Denver and San Diego played, Brown racked up 14 tackles.

Oct 13, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon (28) runs the ball after getting the hand off from quarterback Philip Rivers (17) as Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris (25) and outside linebacker Von Miller (58) defend during the third quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers defeated the Broncos in the first meeting. What do you believe they have to do in order to complete the season sweep?

Wakeman: Control time of possession. In the past, Rivers has had the most success against the Broncos when they are controlling the ball with their rushing attack and converting short third downs. If the Chargers can get the running game going and put some points on the board early, San Diego will be at an advantage. In the first meeting, they put a touchdown on the board on the opening drive and the Broncos didn’t appear to be a team that could play from behind. San Diego will sit in a soft cover 2 and let Trevor Siemian have the short passes, almost daring him to try to throw deep. For Denver to win this game, Siemian is going to have to make some plays with his arm.

Which player on San Diego’s roster is your MVP thus far into the season?

Wakeman: I’d go with Melvin Gordon. There were so many people who called him a “bust” after his rookie season, but he’s ended that talk emphatically. Gordon leads the league in touchdowns this year with 10 and he makes defenses stay honest against San Diego as this year, the team is a threat to run the ball. One team that was able to bottle him up for the most part (aside from a 48-yard run in the third quarter) was the Broncos. However, if you were to ask this question to players on the Chargers, most of them would say Gordon, as he’s given the offense options that it didn’t have last year.

Thank You Travis for taking the time out to interview with me. If you want to read his questions to me, you can follow the link here. And take the time to see what the other writers of Bolt Beat have been talking about while you are at it.