2. The LA Chargers are not the team that is dealing with serious COVID-19 issues
While losing to the Houston Texans is still inexcusable, you cannot deny the fact that the Chargers were without a lot of firepower against Houston. Sure, the Texans had more players on the COVID-19 list, but the Chargers had more impactful players. They still should have won the game but you also cannot expect a team to play at its best when it's missing four of its seven best players.
This week the Chargers are doing much better. The team caught a bit of a break with the new COVID protocols and really is not without any big-name players for this game. There is only one player that has not been put on the list recently that could go out and drastically swing this game but we are not even going to say his name at risk of jinxing it.
With Derwin James' hamstring getting better the Chargers are going to be close to full-strength in this game. Meanwhile, the Broncos are dealing with some serious COVID-19 issues that are going to really hurt the team.
It was reported while writing this article that both Bradley Chubb and Jerry Jeudy will not play against the Chargers as they are on the COVID-19 list. Right there the Broncos lost their best pass-rusher and best pass-catcher.
Tim Patrick was put on the COVID-19 list earlier in the week and is likely out as well as Bryce Callahan, who locked up Mike Williams the last time these two teams played.
That is only scraping the surface. The Broncos are dealing with a lot of COVID-19 issues and the team that the Chargers play in Week 17 is not going to look like the team they played earlier this season.