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Nalen (6-3, 286) is considered an undersized, athletic, tough player who's perfect for the Broncos' scheme because he can cut-block, get to the linebacker level and move well in pass protection. Williams (6-3,348) is much bigger than Nalen and has better quickness than traditional nose tackles such as Ted Washington, who succeed with bulk.

Williams has to clog the middle because Reuben Droughns is a very good cutback power runner. The Broncos have running plays in which Droughns will read the direction Williams is heading, then either make a cutback or stay with the direction of the play. Nalen has the feet to work Williams down the line, and Droughns can make Williams look wrong no matter what he does.

Williams has to be aware of Denver's outside zone run play. When he reads the path of the back as wide, he needs to be ready for a backside lineman, who will try to cut him and get him to the ground. The performance of the Chargers' inside linebackers will be tied directly to Williams' ability to handle Nalen and get a piece of a guard, too. If Williams moves too quickly away from Nalen and toward a guard, Nalen will pass him along to the guard and work toward the linebacker level.

The bootleg pass with Jake Plummer is one of Denver's staples. Because the Broncos are so proficient in the running game, Williams will have to hold for run-fakes before pursuing Plummer. He might do the most damage if Plummer turns up to run and Williams gets a downfield hit on him. Williams has the advantage when first or second downs turn into passing situations, either by the score or yardage, because he can tee off against the smaller Nalen. But look for Nalen to have an edge in most of the other situations. Advantage: Nalen.

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