Peyton, Broncos hang on to top Chargers, advance to AFC title game

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BRONCOS 24, CHARGERS 17

DENVER - The Big One - and Tom Brady - is staring Peyton Manning in the face again.

Manning expunged the pain of last year's loss to the Ravens in the divisional playoffs as the Broncos hung on to beat the Chargers, 24-17, Sunday at windy Sports Authority Field at Mile High, where in one week, he and the Broncos will face Brady and the Patriots for the AFC championship and a trip to the Meadowlands of New Jersey for Super Bowl XLVII.

Manning will be playing in his fourth AFC title game and his first since the 2009 season when the Colts beat the Jets, 30-17. He was matched up against Brady in two of those, each winning once. The Broncos lost to the Patriots, 34-31, in overtime at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 24.

Sunday's win over the Chargers, the only visiting team to win at Sports Authority Field during the regular season, was a bit out of character for the high-scoring Broncos. Instead of relying on their quick strike offense, they played it more the way the Chargers had been winning games, by bleeding the clock on long drives with the run and a controlled passing game. They never punted.

But what once seemed like a stress-free win turned into a nail biter in the fourth quarter when the Chargers rallied behind Philip Rivers who would finish 25-36-230 with a pair of TDs.

The Chargers had gained just 73 yards in the entire game before they finally got untracked and scored on three straight possessions, starting with a six-play, 63-yard drive. Rivers' 16-yard TD pass to Keenan Allen moved the Chargers within 17-7 with 12:59 left in the game.

The Broncos answered with a nine-play, 81-yard drive capped by Knowshon Moreno's three-yard run after Omar Bolden's illegal block in the back wiped out what would have been a 105-yard kick return by Trindon Holliday.

The drive was kept alive by a questionable pass interference call against Marcus Gilchrist, who appeared to have merely tangled feet with Wes Welker. Safety Eric Weddle, however, was also called for holding on the play and the Broncos would have gotten a first down.

The Chargers weren't done yet, however. Rivers converted on a fourth and five play from his own 25 when he hit Allen for a 49-yard gain behind ex-Charger Quentin Jammer, who was in the game for the inured Chris Harris and had been beaten on the first San Diego TD. Rivers then found Allen for a 16-yard TD with 5:43 left.

Broncos fans began to get antsy when Eric Decker misplayed the onside kick and it was recovered by the Chargers. San Diego moved into position for a 30-yard Nick Novak field goal that narrowed the deficit to seven points with 3:53 left.

This time, the Chargers kicked it deep and the Broncos took over at the 27. On third and 15, Manning found a wide-open Julius Thomas for 21 yards as Thomas did a great job of dragging his second foot in bounds, right in front of a jubilant head coach John Fox. Manning connected on the money to Thomas again for another third down conversion, forcing the Chargers to take their final timeout with 2:02 left. Manning would end up taking a knee to end the game.

The Chargers' offense was hampered early when starting right guard Jeromey Clary had to sit out with a shoulder injury. Johnnie Troutman, who started nine games at left guard during the season, went in on the other side but struggled. RB Ryan Matthews was also slowed by an ankle injury, leaving the game after five carries for 26 yards as the Denver front controlled the game.

Under pressure, a frustrated Rivers was unable to get the ball downfield for three quarters.

The Chargers didn't have much room for error and when they wasted two opportunities in the first half, they allowed the Broncos to get the jump on them.

Shareece Wright dropped an interception on the Broncos' first possession and Peyton Manning used the second chance to hit Demaryus Thomas with a two-yard TD pass that capped an impressive 7:01 drive right out of the Chargers' game plan. The Broncos ran 14 plays to march 86 yards.

Later, the Chargers were unable to cash in on a turnover after tight end Julius Thomas was stripped of the ball by Jahleel Addae at the Chargers 44. The Chargers moved into field goal position but a third down sack of Rivers moved the Chargers back to the Denver 35 and Novak's 53-yard field goal try, which would have matched his season-long, was short in the strong crosswind.

That set the Broncos up on a nine-play, 5:13-long drive, capped off when Manning play-faked on third and goal from the three, did a half-roll to his left and hit Welker as he beat Darrell Stuckey in the flat.

The Chargers prevented the Broncos from adding to the league before halftime after Decker, ahead of the field, tripped at the San Diego 30 on what ended up being a 47-yard punt return. Manning tried to hit Decker twice in the end zone from the three but the second pass, on third down, got on Decker quickly. Stuckey got a hand in there to knock it free and Donald Butler was able to deftly keep two feet in bounds after making the interception.

Had the Broncos scored a TD there, it would have taken the Chargers out of their comfort zone and forced the ball possession-minded Chargers to play catchup.