The San Diego Chargers defeated the Denver Broncos 21-13 on Thursday night. While there were many highlight plays and key moments, a closer look at the film shows what you may have missed that allowed the Bolts to get the win.
The Situation:First Quarter (9:23); 2nd-and-14 from DEN 32
What You Saw:After his offensive pass interference penalty two plays prior backed the offense into a 1st-and-25, Hunter Henry came through by converting a short pass into a 27-yard gain to the five-yard line.
What You Missed:Henry ran a smooth route out of a three-tight end formation, but it was Dontrelle Inman's blocking that helped him pick up a greater chunk of yardage. The wide receiver known for his downfield blocking engaged CB Aqib Talib near the 15-yard line, pushing him all the way back to the five before S Darian Stewart managed to get over there to finally force Henry out of bounds.
The Situation:Second Quarter (7:48); 1st-and-10 from SD1 1
What You Saw:After the Broncos got the ball at the 11-yard line in a sudden change situation, Denzel Perryman had a big tackle for loss when he dropped C.J. Anderson four yards behind the line of scrimmage.
What You Missed:Nose tackle Brandon Mebane blew the play up from the beginning, pushing center Matt Paradis into fullback Andy Janovich to disrupt the flow of the running back. Anderson came to a virtual standstill as he reset his feet and tried to bounce left, where Perryman gobbled him up for the four-yard loss.
The Situation:Third Quarter (12:51); 1st-and-10 from SD 46
What You Saw:On the Chargers very first snap of the second half, Melvin Gordon took the handoff and sprinted 48 yards to the Denver six yard line.
What You Missed:Number 28 was able to find a lane off to the left thanks to Orlando Franklin tossing 6-4, 279-pound defensive end Jared Crick to the ground with ease. With a gapping hole to burst through, Gordon was able to churn out the longest run of his career.
