Chargers Wary of the Broncos
Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway will be wearing an oversized high-top shoe today with a plastic shield to protect his painful big toe.
Elway, however, could take the snap from center leaning on crutches with a cast on each leg, and the Chargers wouldn’t be fooled.
“Don’t pay attention to the hype,” Charger safety Vencie Glenn said of speculation over Elway’s status for today’s game at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. “They’re talking about his toe, his mobility, his shoes and none of it has anything to do with that arm.
“They’d have to tell me his arm is in a sling, and I’d have to see it and know he’s not going to play before I’d believe it. Every year we play Elway and it’s this or that: There’s something with his shoulder, he’s not accurate, the people in Denver are down on him.
“Come on, man, the dude is competitive and he’s going to make plays. As soon as you start believing Elway isn’t this and Elway isn’t that, he’ll kill you.”
Elway completed eight of 10 passes for 88 yards, including a three-yard touchdown pass to Vance Johnson, to help the Broncos take a 16-0 halftime lead over the Minnesota Vikings last week. However, Elway had to leave the game with a strained arch and injured big toe, and Minnesota came back to win, 27-22.
The Broncos listed Elway as questionable for today’s game, but after pushing himself through practice this week, Elway announced he would start.
“John Elway will find a way to be the best he can be for their team,” Charger linebacker Leslie O’Neal said. “I’m gonna tell you something, this is why I have a lot of respect for Elway.
“My rookie year I hit him on an interception, and next time they get the ball, he peels back and chops me. From that point I got a lot of respect for him. I go and hit him whenever I can, and I always watch over my shoulder and consider him a blocker.”
Although Elway is the target for each defense he plays against, he has started 89 of the team’s last 91 regular-season games. He has started 13 games against the Chargers in his eight-year career, and Denver has won nine.
Denver has won six of the past seven meetings with the Chargers. Its only loss came in last season’s finale, when the playoff-bound Broncos rested Elway for the final three quarters.
“This game right here could be their season,” Charger strong safety Martin Bayless said. “If they lose this one, they are 3-6 and it’s all uphill for them. So I’m sure Elway will be ready to play.”
Despite his team’s success against the Chargers when he has started at quarterback, Elway has thrown only eight touchdown passes. He has been intercepted 16 times. He also has been sacked 30 times.
“The Chargers are starting to play the football that I thought they were going to be playing all year,” Elway said. “Knowing how physical they are on defense and having their offensive come along, I thought they were going to be one of the teams to beat right out of the gate.”
The Chargers (4-5) have won three of their last four games. They have a chance to win three games in a row for the first time since an eight-game winning streak during the strike year of 1987.
“In the past we’d win two games in a row and then subsequently lose five in a row,” cornerback Gill Byrd said. “People say we’ve turned the corner with two straight wins, but this becomes a pivotal game for both teams. Six losses makes it hard to remain in contention in this division.”
The Broncos (3-5) would be 8-0 if the NFL allowed games to be played only for a half. They have outscored the opposition 131-70 in the first half, but have been outgunned 135-56 in the second.
Denver has lost four of its last five games, and in those four defeats, it has given up an average of 30 points. The Broncos have been forced to start rookie safety Alton Montgomery at left cornerback and lost pass rushers Alphonso Carreker and Jim Szymanski with leg injuries.
“The reason we’re 3-5 is because we haven’t been able to protect those leads,” Denver Coach Dan Reeves said. “That’s something we’ve done very well in the past.”
The Broncos’ problems continued to mount this week. They lost versatile running back Steve Sewell with a separated shoulder in a weight room mishap and placed him on injured reserve. They also listed reserve running back Sammy Winder as doubtful with a foot injury.
Bobby Humphrey, however, has recovered sufficiently from an ankle injury to be listed as probable. Humphrey did not play against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and had only three carries against the Indianapolis Colts. But after the Broncos’ bye, he came back to gain 92 yards in 21 carries against Minnesota.
“The Broncos have been down before; this isn’t the first time they’ve had to win,” Glenn said. “They’ve gone to the Super Bowl (four) times. As long as John Elway is the quarterback and Dan Reeves is the head coach, you can never count them out.”
The Chargers have been on a roll, but have their own injury woes. Running back Marion Butts, who leads the NFL in rushing, has a deep thigh bruise, and his understudy, Rod Bernstine, has a tender hamstring.
Glenn, who intercepted an Elway pass in 1987 and returned it a club-record 103 yards, has been battling a hamstring injury the past month. Bayless has missed the last two games with a calf injury, and was unsure late in the week if he would be able to play.
“The Broncos have a lot of pride or they wouldn’t have been where they have been in three of the last four years,” Charger defensive coordinator Ron Lynn said. “They have to be thinking it’s either time for them to get going or do something else.
“At this stage, nobody is out of it, but this is a big game for both teams. I’m anxious to see how we’ll respond under conditions when a game has great meaning. And this one does.”
BUSTING BRONCOS: Super Bowl failures may have taken their toll on the Denver Broncos’ confidence. C15A