It’s No Small Task Keeping Him in the Pocket : Chargers Know That to Stop Broncos, They Have to Get Their Hands on Elway

Despite holding the Denver Broncos to their lowest point total of the season in a 30-10 victory on Nov. 3, the Charger defense fears a Bronco offense that can explode as quickly as John Elway cocks his right arm.

Or as suddenly as the Bronco quarterback could elude a blitz and toss a touchdown bomb in Sunday’s rematch in Denver.

“I’d say that 70 to 80% of stopping Denver revolves around stopping Elway,” said Charger cornerback Danny Walters. “Their game plan is to throw the ball, and they can go deep on you at any time because they have extremely quick receivers. Elway throws on the run better than any quarterback in the NFL, and he throws going to his left as well as he does going to his right.”

And he throws while being hounded and grabbed and chased out of bounds. Just ask the San Francisco 49ers, who witnessed Elway’s magic in the Broncos’ last-minute 17-16 win on Monday night. On a key play late in the game, Elway scrambled away from the 49er rush and rifled a 22-yard sideline pass to Steve Watson to set up Rich Karlis’ game-winning 24-yard field goal. “Elway can do so many things,” said Charger linebacker Billy Ray Smith. “He can be falling down and throwing 60 yards.”

The compliments for Elway come from cornerbacks, linebackers and defensive linemen.

“I compare him to Jim MacMahon (Chicago Bears) in that he doesn’t go for the obvious play, even if it is there,” said Charger defensive end Chuck Ehin. “Elway wants the big play and goes for it. “

Elway is second in the AFC in passing attempts (367), completions (192) and yards (2,337). He has thrown 14 touchdown passes and directs the fifth-rated offense in the AFC (344.6 yards per game). He has been intercepted 12 times.

It may come as a surprise to fans who think of Elway as exclusively a thrower, but he is also the top rushing quarterback in the AFC with 202 yards on 36 carries.

“When you have a quarterback with such mobility and such a strong arm, defensive players don’t know whether to come up or stay back in a zone,” Walters said. “Elway is a threat to run or pass.”

In the win at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, the Charger defense shut down the Bronco running game and made a lot of good reads against a Bronco team that averages 23.6 points a game.

Denver, which has gained almost twice as much yardage through the air as it has on the ground, had its lowest rushing total of the season (64 yards) and fewest rushing attempts (15). The Broncos had only 58 plays from scrimmage, another season low, and were forced to pass even more than usual because the Chargers jumped to a 17-3 lead at halftime.

“I was a little surprised they didn’t run more,” Ehin said. “They have the ability to run the ball really well.”

Despite being saddled with a one-dimensional offense, Elway completed 20 of 35 passes for 222 yards and gained 27 yards on three carries. Those numbers don’t tell the story one way or the other.

The outcome of the game hinged on the ability of the Charger offense to control the ball and of the defense to come up with the key turnovers.

Elway was sacked four times for 45 yards and was intercepted by safety Jeff Dale and Smith.

“It might have been the best game we’ve played as a defense,” Walters said, “but we still made a lot of mistakes. The thing is that they had some key penalties and they made some mistakes.”

The Broncos’ most costly mistake came in the third quarter when Dale and cornerback Wayne Davis collaborated on a play that appeared to take the life out of the Broncos.

With the Chargers leading, 17-3, Elway hit Gerald Willhite at the Charger 10-yard line. Willhite was hit by Dale at the 3-yard line and Davis recovered the fumble in the end zone.

“They actually had a good game last time,” said Ehin, “but they turned the ball over. I don’t think there’ll be a big change in the type of offense they show Sunday.”

The question is whether there will be a big change in the number of points the Broncos produce.