No. 3 – Philip Rivers & Danny Woodhead
It’s either impressive, or depressing, that the No. 1 active receiver for the San Diego Chargers is a running back. After losing Keenan Allen in Week 8, Danny Woodhead has quietly crept up the Chargers’ receiving yards chart.
Immediately following the loss of Allen, Woodhead was targeted 10 times out of the backfield in a Week 9 loss to the Bears. In six of his last seven games, he’s had as many or more targets out of the backfield than he had carries.
The biggest weakness (if you can call it that) of what is widely considered one of the best all-around defenses in the NFL has been when quarterbacks have exploited Denver’s aggressive pass rush with check-downs to tight ends and running backs.
With 19 career starts against Denver, no quarterback in the league should be as familiar with the Broncos as Rivers. So if there’s anyone who should be able to read the Denver defense and exploit its biggest soft spot, it should be Rivers. He’s also had a penchant for being a last-season thorn in the side of fans at Sports Authority Field, where has won three of his five games since 2010.
A Week 17 matchup could still have major implications for the Broncos if both they and New England run the table through until that point. Denver can’t afford to stub their toe in the final home game, especially if a No. 1 seed (or even a No. 2 seed based on what happens with Cincinnati the week prior) is on the line. Containing a Rivers-to-Woodhead connection will be key in the regular season finale.
