Broncos defense gets in on act in victory over Chargers

• Broncos sack Chargers QB Philip Rivers four times, intercept him twice
• Von Miller has three sacks, forces fumble; he now has 13 sacks on the season
• Peyton Manning throws for 270 yards and three touchdowns with one interception

DENVER – When Peyton Manning considered his options during his two-week long free agent courtship last spring, he looked not just at coaches and climates, but at the rest of the supporting cast.

In Denver, Manning liked the young offensive line with a stud left tackle in Ryan Clady and a pair of young wide receivers, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, both with star potential. He saw a player-friendly head coach in John Fox, and an offensive staff led by Mike McCoy that was willing to tailor an offense to suit the quarterback, and not the other way around. He saw a boss in John Elway that he could relate to on a level that only the most elite players can.

What Manning couldn't have predicted back in March is the support he'd get from the Broncos defense.

With all due respect to Dwight Freeney and Co., Von Miller and Champ Bailey and the rest of the Broncos' defense has given Manning something he rarely had in Indianapolis: A defense that is as fearsome to opponents as Manning is.

The Broncos extended their lead in the AFC West to three games over San Diego Sunday with a 30-23 win against the Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in a game in which the Broncos defense sacked Philip Rivers four times, forced seven three-and-outs, intercepted two passes, and recovered a fumble. The Broncos also blocked a San Diego punt.

"This is definitely as good, if not the best, defense they've had that I can remember," Rivers said. "It's not like we're the first team that's come in here and struggled a bit. I watched that Saints film [from Oct. 30], and it was a little rough there, too. It's not like offenses come in here and go up and down the field."

Denver didn't allow San Diego to convert a third down until midway through the third quarter, for a streak of 26 straight third-down stops dating back to Nov. 4 in Cincinnati, where the Bengals were stopped on their final three tries. The Carolina Panthers went 0-for-12 on third downs last week, and the Chargers were stopped on their first 11 attempts.

"We realize that with a quarterback like Peyton Manning, we need to get him the ball as many times as we can," Broncos middle linebacker Keith Brooking said. "So the turnovers, the three-and-outs -- honestly the more we can get the ball into Peyton's hands, with our offensive weapons, we're going to be well off."

Indeed, the Broncos now have won five straight games and have a three-game lead in the AFC West over San Diego, as well as tie-breaker after sweeping the season series against the Chargers for the first time since 2005.

Sunday's game in Denver felt like a direct extension of the teams' last game, on Oct. 15 in San Diego, when Denver rallied from a 24-0 halftime deficit to win 35-24. If AFC West momentum shifted to the Broncos on that Monday night in October, the Broncos seem to have established an insurmountable lead before Thanksgiving. Denver, at 7-3, has a three-game lead and the tie-breaker over San Diego after sweeping the Chargers for the first time since 2005. The Broncos have a pair of games left against Kansas City (1-9) and one game against Oakland (3-7).

"We can't hang our hat on Denver doing anything from a collapsing standpoint," Rivers said. "Six to go, they're not losing four out of six, I can guarantee you that. Not that that's going to make us try any less hard."

Until this season, Rivers had been a nightmare for the Broncos, winning nine of his first 11 starts against the Broncos. Most of those wins, however, came before Von Miller.

The Broncos' second-year linebacker forced two fumbles and sacked Rivers three times Sunday, and celebrated one of his sacks with a pair of somersaults. It was his second three-sack game in the last three weeks to bring his season total to 13, a half-sack ahead of Houston's J.J. Watt for the NFL lead.

"He's just getting started," Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil said. "That was a crazy day for him."

And yet, it was the type of day that proved the Broncos could win even when Manning and the Broncos offense are not perfect. Manning threw three touchdowns (to Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Brandon Stokley) but completed only 59.5 percent of his passes – his second-lowest percentage of the season. He also had a pass deflected, intercepted and returned for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Denver's offense struggled to sustain drives after running back Willis McGahee left in the second quarter with a right knee injury, and five drives ended with a punt after three plays. The Broncos also settled for three short field goals when drives stalled short of the end zone.

"I guess it's a good thing when a three-and-out is shocking to you all. It means we're doing something well," Manning said.

Manning also scoffed at questions that perhaps Sunday's win wasn't easy enough. It was win No. 148 (in the regular season) for Manning – passing his boss, Elway – for No. 2 on the all-time list, so it was plenty good enough.

"There are no frustrating wins in my opinion when you get to be my age and you've played all kinds of games that every win is special," Manning said. "I certainly appreciate it."