Breaking down the Broncos' three regular-season losses

Ever since the Denver Broncos beat the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens by 22 points in Week 1, they’ve been billed as the team to beat in the AFC.
With the way Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has played this season, it’s difficult to argue.
Yet, that doesn’t mean Denver will just roll through two playoff games on its way to a Super Bowl berth. In fact, the road could be quite difficult.
The other three teams still alive in the AFC – Indianapolis, New England and San Diego -- are the only three teams to beat the Broncos this season.
Here’s a breakdown of what each of those teams did to beat the Broncos the last time they played and what Denver will have to do to beat them the second time around, beginning with the Chargers this week.
San Diego: More defense and more run game
After Denver beat San Diego in Week 10, the Chargers got the Broncos back in Week 15, holding Manning to a 92.4 passing rating, his second-lowest of the season (average: 115.1). They also had a sack and an interception.
The Chargers’ defense played Debo the second time they faced the Broncos this season. They bullied Manning and his offense throughout the game to defeat Denver 27-20 in Denver. It was evident that defensive coordinator John Pagano and his men had benefitted from playing the Broncos once before. They held Denver scoreless in both the second and third quarters and to 2 of 9 on third down. San Diego also allowed only 18 yards rushing and forced three three-and-outs.
The Broncos defense, on the other hand, played the role of whipping boy and couldn’t get off the field. Unlike last season, the Broncos have been underwhelming at times on defense due to significant injuries and poor individual performances.