In a game with major postseason implications between two teams that have already clinched playoff berths, the 13-3 Denver Broncos will be taking on the 11-5 Los Angeles Chargers. LA can improve its playoff spot with a win, but the Broncos need this game more since they can lock up the number-one seed in the AFC with a victory.

The Chargers had a chance to secure a better seed in the AFC playoff picture with a game against the Houston Texans last weekend. Though they lost that contest, 20-16, it serves as a valuable learning opportunity before the postseason starts.

“What I think is: every time we see our team take the field, we see a team committed to winning, and we didn't win today, but never, never, never does this team say no más,” Jim Harbaugh said after the game. “Some things to clean up before the playoffs, and we'll use that. We'll use things today to be better tomorrow.”

With a playoff spot already locked up, the Chargers are going to give several players the week off, including starting quarterback Justin Herbert.

“The guys that have the most bruises and need the most healing, we pull them back. Justin Herbert would be one,” Harbaugh told reporters on Monday. “We'll see how the rest of the week goes. And there'll be some situations where some starters are backups... He's got bruises that need to heal.”

With Justin Herbert riding the bench, backup Trey Lance will make his sixth career start and his first regular-season start as a member of the Chargers.

“[He] does a lot well, especially playing in the game,” Harbaugh said of Lance. “He prepares extremely well and executes well, can throw outside the numbers, can throw with touch, can throw with accuracy, has a presence out there, can use his legs, his athleticism, his intelligence. It’s all good. I just think he needs the opportunity to play and start and go out and show what he can do.”

For Trey Lance, who described himself as "super excited," he said that he’s not going to change the way he prepares for the game now that he is getting first-team reps in practice.

“Prepare the same way, whether I'm getting reps in practice or not,” Lance told reporters on Wednesday. “Obviously, it's awesome to get reps and know for sure that I'm going to be starting the game. But, I think - preparation-wise - [it] doesn't really change a whole lot… Justin's obviously, in my opinion, one of the toughest guys in the league [with] everything he's been playing through all year. So, I think it's a great thing for him that he'll be able to get healthy and have a week.”

Trey Lance will not have an easy task going against the Broncos and their top-ranked pass rush (64 sacks this season). He acknowledged how ferocious Denver's defense is.

“Really, really good defense. All three levels, guys just play hard [and] run to the ball,” he said. “Great at all three levels. Great pass rush, big D line. It'll be a great game. Great opportunity to go out and compete.”

Unlike the last time they played, Denver will have to game-plan around stopping Trey Lance, which presents a unique set of challenges. Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that preparing for Lance and Justin Herbert are very different processes.

“So that's significant. They're different style players, but our focus is on this game and winning this game,” Payton said on Wednesday. “This is more about us, and they're a real good football team. I mean, tremendous football team. Jim's done a great job… The focus is really internal in our preparation.”

After winning against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, the Broncos got to sit at home and watch the Texans beat the Chargers to clinch Denver's first AFC West Championship since 2015.

“I was watching it, probably like everyone else, and shoot it ended up being a close game, hard-fought game,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters on December 29th. “Then, I think, the immediate focus shifts towards Monday meeting, which we just had. Relative to our approach this week: normal schedule, Sunday 2:25 start time, and this game is very much like a playoff game.”

With a win against the Chargers, the Broncos will secure the number-one seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs.

“Just historically speaking, it's extremely important every study would show you, and there's a number of reasons for that,” Payton said. “The first reason would be you skip a game in which you're at risk to not play well, or an opponent all of a sudden have a great game. You skip the threat of potentially losing a game, if that makes any sense… All of it's important, and having been through this like nine, 10 other times, you've seen it all, and you recognize how important it is.”

“It's huge. I think that's our main focus right now,” quarterback Bo Nix told reporters on December 31st. “It's the best position we could put ourselves in, and I think that's the next challenge for us. It's going to be important for us this week. So we’ve got to make sure that we're practicing hard and playing to earn that. I think we've put ourself in a in a great spot, obviously, and we’ve just got one more to finish it.”

Prediction for Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver Broncos (-12.5)

This will be baptism by fire for Trey Lance, who has only started five regular-season games before today. Even though he’s a mobile quarterback, going against a defense that averages four sacks per game will be incredibly challenging. LA will want to make things easier for Lance and lean on the rushing attack, but they'll probably not have a lot of success facing Denver's second-ranked run defense (89.7 yards allowed per game). Once they take away the rushing attack, the Broncos' pass rush will be able to pin its ears back and make life miserable for Trey Lance. Despite everything working against Los Angeles, something tells me the Chargers will just barely cover the spread, even though they'll still lose the game.

Prediction: Broncos 30 - 18 Chargers

How to watch Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver Broncos (-12.5)

Chargers @ Broncos starts at 4:25 p.m. EDT at Empower Field at Mile High. You can watch it on CBS or stream it via the Paramount+ app or YouTubeTV.

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