The Broncos and the Chargers are supposed to be playing their rematch on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, Dec. 28 or Jan. 2, Beethoven’s birthday or the anniversary of the Wright Bros. first flight, or at least sometime during the holiday. They’ve met in 13 regular-season games on Dec. 15 or later. The Broncos haven’t played the Raiders or the Chiefs or anybody else that often that late.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving? I don’t think so.
Who made this schedule — the same guy who moved Washington’s birthday celebration from Feb. 22 to the month’s third Monday?
I’ve spent so many Christmas and New Year’s weeks fretting over gifts — I bought what must have been the only “original” Cabbage Patch doll left in the world for my daughter in San Diego on Christmas Eve — and holiday dinners — fish tacos in Tijuana on New Year’s Day or a turkey sandwich in Aurora on Christmas night — and the BIG Broncos- Chargers games — Air Coryell vs. Orange Crush, John Elway vs. Dan Fouts, Mike Shanahan vs. Marty Schottenheimer, the chirpy Philip Rivers vs. the chippy Jay Cutler.
Before the 2008 season, I predicted the Chargers and the Broncos would play for first place in the AFC West on Dec. 24, and the Broncos would celebrate Christmas Eve over the Rocky Mountains, sharing air space with an old man in a flying sleigh, and all would be shouting “Ho-Ho-Ho.” Instead, the Broncos moaned “Oh-No-No.”
These teams are not meant to play for the division title before the Macy’s parade, the opening of The Nutcracker Suite and the feathered fowl feast.
But the Broncos and the Chargers are playing for the division title today. Winner takes the West; loser won’t make the playoffs.
One 11-5 team last season didn’t qualify for the postseason. Josh McDaniels remembers. And 8-8 certainly won’t get there this season.
This isn’t like a playoff game. It’s likely a playoff game.
The strong news is that the Chargers returned 300 of their visiting team’s ticket allotment, so there will be 250, not 25,000, fans at the stadium cheering for the other side.
The weak news is that the Chargers are still irked about being Hochuli’d here last season (Sept. 14) and beaten at home this season (Oct. 19); they have won four consecutive games, and Rivers has completed almost 74 percent of his passes (nine touchdowns, three interceptions); LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns last week; Shawne Merriman has four sacks in the past three games, and the Chargers have been held to 21 points just once in 2009.
Weaker news is the Broncos have lost three straight games and been outscored 85-34; we (and probably they) don’t know who the quarterback will be, and Chris Simms will get his first start.
If the Broncos lose, they will trail the Chargers by one game. If the Chargers lose, they will be two games behind (because of the first playoff tiebreaker: head-to- head results).
If they tie, the Broncos are ahead. Remember that Shanahan went for a two-point conversion to win 39-38 in the final half- minute last year.
If San Diego wins and the teams have the same record at regular season’s end, the second tiebreaker is division record. Both probably will have one AFC loss (to the other) because the Chiefs and the Raiders are vegetables.
The third tiebreaker would be their record against 12 common foes — Oakland and Kansas City twice, Baltimore, New York Giants, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
The Chargers and the Broncos have lost to the Steelers and the Ravens.
The Chargers will play at home against Kansas City, Cincinnati and Washington, on the road at Cleveland, Dallas and Tennessee. Only two are winning teams, although the Titans are coming. The Chargers’ 16 opponents (division teams twice) have a 66-79 record so far.
The Broncos will play at home against the Giants, the Raiders and the Chiefs, on the road at Indianapolis, Kansas City and Philadelphia. Three are winning teams, but the Eagles and the Giants are going. The Broncos’ 2009 opponents are 73-71.
The Broncos probably would win the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker.
But that common foe thing should be the difference if the Chargers win today. The Chargers may win all three at home and lose one on the road. The Broncos may lose to the Giants, the Eagles and the Colts, and that December game in Kansas City, as usual, will be scary.
With a victory over the Chargers, the Broncos will finish with three or four more to win the division, outright or in the first tiebreaker. With a defeat, the Broncos’ three or four victories won’t be enough to reach the postseason — because they’d lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
So, will Christmas be early or the New Year too late?
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
