Three Keys for the Denver Broncos vs. the Indianapolis Colts

After months of planning and preparing, the Denver Broncos are set to open the 2014 season versus the Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos will go into the game healthy with only Danny Trevathan and Ben Garland being listed as out. Everyone else is good to go.

For those of you who read my stuff earlier in the week, some of this will be a repeat. There are three distinct keys to Sunday’s game and they all favor the Broncos. Before we get to those, there is one way the Colts can stay in the game and possibly even win it.

If the Colts are going to go home to Indianapolis at 1-0, then quarterback Andrew Luck has to be great. The one, maybe the only thing, the Colts have going for them is Luck and his receivers who are extremely talented.

Everyone has heard of the phrase, a punchers chance and that’s what the Colts have on Sunday night. Luck is simply going to have to go toe to toe with Peyton Manning and the Colts are going to have to outscore the Broncos. There’s no doubt that Luck has the talent to win the game by himself, but it’s a very tall order.

The problem for Luck is the first key to the football game, can the Colts protect Luck? As mentioned earlier this week, the offensive line for the Colts is really beat up and their depth is almost non-existent. If Luck is going to go pass for pass with Manning, then he has to get time and I don’t see that happening on a consistent basis.

The Broncos come into the game featuring a pass rush that is led by DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller on the outside. They also have incredible depth on the defensive line and many who can get after Luck. The Colts will make some plays, they are too talented not to but if the Broncos get a lead then it’s going to be a long night for Luck.

The second key is can the Colts get pressure on Manning? It’s going to be very tough for the Colts without Robert Mathis who is suspended for the first four games of the season. Mathis is the only pass rushing threat the Colts have and without him, it will be next to impossible for them to get to Manning.

Mathis had 18.5 sacks in 2013 and the next highest sack total of a guy on the current roster was 5.5 sacks. Throw in the fact that the Broncos come into the season with a healthy offensive line that includes Ryan Clady, and Manning should have a lot of time to throw. We all know what happens when Manning gets time.

The last key is a suspect secondary for the Colts who simply do not have the cover guys to stay with the Broncos’ receivers. Even without Wes Welker, the Broncos will overwhelm the Colts with their pass catchers. The Colts have no answer for either Demaryius Thomas or Julius Thomas and even if they double one or both of them, then players like Emmanuel Sanders, Andre Caldwell and Cody Latimer are seeing single coverage. Manning finds single coverage and then eats it alive.

The Colts are an up and coming team but they are not on the Broncos level yet, and this is just too tall much to ask for.. They will go on to a good season and they will win the AFC South, but the Colts start 0-1.

This is a game the Broncos should win; it’s at home and all the key matchups are in their favor. With a game versus the Seattle Seahawks looming in week three, it’s vital that the Broncos start 2-0. The game on Sunday night is the first of those two, and the Broncos roll.

Broncos-38 Colts-20