The Chargers hold sole possession of first place in the AFC West after beating the Chiefs and Raiders to open the season.

Next up is the Broncos to complete LA’s tour of the division to start the year, with Denver coming to SoFi Stadium to visit the Chargers for their home opener.

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Here are a few reasons to be optimistic about a 3-0 start.

Turnover margin

After a turnover-free game in São Paulo in Week 1, the Chargers intercepted Raiders quarterback Geno Smith three times and gave the ball away only once – on a fourth-quarter handoff exchange fumble – to move their turnover margin on the season to +2. Denver, meanwhile, has given the ball away five times and forced only two turnovers defensively. Both takeaways were fumble recoveries. In a tight divisional matchup, Denver will have to balance that scale to keep itself in it, but Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is consistently one of the league’s best at keeping the ball out of harm’s way.

Intermediate pass game

Los Angeles enjoyed a great amount of success throwing at Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad in both matchups last season, and through two weeks, Denver’s opponents have found that same success when targeting Strnad and co-starter Alex Singleton. The duo has combined to allow 10 catches for 168 yards on 13 targets in pass coverage this season, per Pro Football Focus. One of their other top linebackers, Dre Greenlaw, was ruled out with a quad injury.

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One score woes

Dating back to Week 1 of 2024, Denver is 2-7 in one-score games, including both losses to the Chargers last season. Those two wins have come against the 2024 Jets and 2025 Titans, neither of whom are particularly inspiring squads. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is 5-4 in one-score contests in that same span. With the Chargers holding the home-field advantage and looking like the better team so far this season, it seems more likely that LA will be the one holding the lead as the game winds down. With the way the Chargers’ defense has played this season, that should be a very winnable position to take down the stretch.

Sophomore slump

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is currently Pro Football Focus’ lowest-rated passer in the NFL, with only 2 big-time throws compared to 6 turnover-worthy plays. Nix has thrown three interceptions and has had another 5 passes broken up despite only being pressured on 24% of his dropbacks. That last point is crucial for the Chargers with Khalil Mack on IR with an elbow injury, as Los Angeles will have to rely on Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree, Caleb Murphy, and Kyle Kennard to generate pressure on Sunday.

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Secondary stardom

Through two games, Jesse Minter’s defense has promised to make a star out of every member of the secondary. Derwin James Jr. has been all over the field making plays in run support and in coverage. Tarheeb Still has taken another step forward and is arguably the team’s best open-field tackler. Donte Jackson has been one of the league’s stickiest corners in coverage. Cam Hart settled in during the second half on Monday as a cover man. Alohi Gilman deflected multiple passes on Monday, as did Tony Jefferson, fresh from the practice squad. Against a quarterback like Nix, who has struggled to open the season, the Chargers could very well make things very difficult on the Broncos this Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers’ path to beating the Broncos: Week 3 optimism