SAN DIEGO — If there is one guy who is supposed to have a big game on Christmas Eve, it’s Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who hails from Santa Claus, Ind.
But instead Cutler was sacked, picked and persistently pestered by a San Diego defense that has been the NFL’s most dominant over the past five games.
After the Chargers’ 23-3 victory Monday night at Qualcomm Stadium, safety Clinton Hart said Cutler and the Broncos, who will not be participating in the postseason, had little reason to put on a good show. Cutler threw for an uninspired 155 yards, completing only 14-of-32 passes for a poor quarterback rating of 32.7.
“A young guy coming in like that, I think he didn’t really want to be out there,” said Hart, whose interception at the 1-yard line stopped Denver’s first drive of the second half. “It seemed like he was lackadaisical about a lot of his throws. They didn’t have nothing to play for. Some guys just want to make it through without getting hurt.”
During their impressive five-game win streak, the Chargers (10-5) have allowed just 58 points — best among NFL teams during that span and a sharp contrast to the 20.9 per game they surrendered the first 10 games of the season. They added two more interceptions, bringing their league-leading total to 29.
“We’re doing the right things,” said Luis Castillo, who contributed a pair of tackles and a pass deflection after missing the past six games because of an ankle injury. “We’re getting it done when we need to and we’re making the big plays in critical situations. That’s carrying us right now.”
Castillo’s return was welcomed by fellow defensive lineman Igor Olshansky, who recorded one of San Diego’s four sacks.
“He brings a lot of energy and a lot of experience,” Olshansky said. He’s hard to block when he’s 100 percent and he showed it today. He played really well.”
Twice the Broncos (6-9) turned the ball over deep in Chargers territory. The first came on a Cutler fumble on the first drive that was created by Olshanksy and recovered by Shawne Merriman. The second was Hart’s interception. They also were thwarted on a fourth-and-1 play from the Chargers’ 2 in the fourth quarter.
“(Red zone defense) is something we hang our hat on,” said linebacker Matt Wilhelm, who made the critical fourth-down tackle on running back Cecil Sapp behind the line of scrimmage. “If you make plays down there as a defense, or even force a team to kick field goals, it’s a win for us. To keep them two times without getting any points, it’s a statement for how this defense puts the pressure on ourselves to perform and get the ball back for our offense.”
The Chargers were pitching the shutout until Jason Elam’s 23-yard field goal with 2:47 left in the third quarter. In two games against the Broncos this year, the Chargers allowed just six points, winning 41-3 in Denver in October. It’s the second straight year the Chargers have swept the Broncos.
“To do that to them, our division rivals, was big,” said Hart, who has five interceptions this season. “To be able to shut them out like we did in both games speaks volumes. Heading into the playoffs we just want to keep rolling and take care of business.”
Denver’s running game was virtually nonexistent Monday. Three running backs combined for just 50 yards on 16 carries. The Broncos gained just 92 total on the ground — 42 of those yards coming on a pair of Cutler scrambles.
How the West was won
A comparison of statistics in the two Broncos-Chargers games this season:
Chargers Broncos
Points
64 6
First downs
38 29
Total yards
818 521
Rushing yards
361 164
Passing yards
457 357
Turnovers
1 6
