The Associated Press
SAN DIEGO (5-2) at DENVER (5-1)
Thursday, 8:25 p.m. p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE — Broncos by 7 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Denver 3-3, San Diego 5-2
SERIES RECORD — Broncos lead 59-49-1
LAST MEETING — Broncos beat Chargers 24-17, Jan. 12, 2014, AFC divisional playoff
LAST WEEK — Chargers lost to Chiefs, 23-20; Broncos beat 49ers, 42-17
AP PRO32 RANKING — Chargers No. 7, Broncos No. 1
CHARGERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (11), RUSH (29), PASS (6).
CHARGERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (5), RUSH (13), PASS (3).
BRONCOS OFFENSE — OVERALL (4), RUSH (25), PASS (3).
BRONCOS DEFENSE — OVERALL (6), RUSH (3), PASS (18).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Chargers have won four of last five regular-season games in Denver, including Thursday night contest last December. … San Diego coach Mike McCoy knows Denver well after spending 2009-12 as offensive coordinator. … QB Philip Rivers and TE Antonio Gates have hooked up 67 times for TDs, most by QB-TE combination in league history. … Rivers has at least one TD pass in team-record 27 straight games. His last game without TD throw was Dec. 2, 2012, against Cincinnati. … Next TD pass will be 239th of Rivers’ career, tying him with Len Dawson for 19th all-time. … Gates has 73 catches for 916 yards and six TDs in 20 games vs. Denver. … Former Broncos WR Eddie Royals has 14 receptions on third down, tied for second most in league. Royal needs one more catch for 300 in career. … K Nick Novak has converted franchise-best 31 straight field goals. … CB Brandon Flowers (concussion) was knocked out of last weekend’s game with concussion. … QB Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre’s NFL record for most TDs passing with his toss to WR Demaryius Thomas in second quarter on Sunday. Manning had four TD passes and is at 510. … Manning is 5,026 yards away from Favre’s mark for most yards passing in league history. … Thomas has 521 yards receiving in last three games, the most prolific stretch in team history. … LB Von Miller leads NFL with eight sacks. DE DeMarcus Ware is tied for second with seven. … Broncos are 15-4 in divisional games under coach John Fox. … In 74 series, Denver’s defense has forced 24 three-and-outs, second-best percentage in league. … Aqib Talib has 25 career interceptions, tied for third most by a cornerback since he broke into league in 2008.
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