AFC Divisional Round Playoffs: Denver Broncos will host the Indianapolis Colts

The wait is finally over. The Denver Broncos found out who they will be playing next Sunday afternoon in the AFC Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. With the Pittsburgh Steelers losing to the Baltimore Ravens the other night, Denver would face the winner between the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts (highest remaining seed). Indy prevailed. The Colts defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 26-10 at home today in the Wild-Card behind a stellar performance from quarterback Andrew Luck. Denver will have their hands full next week with the third-year pro out of Stanford.

In case you were wondering, the Broncos and Colts have already met once this season, and it was while back. Denver hosted the Colts back in early September, which was the season opener on NBC. Denver came away with the close 31-24 victory despite a late defensive collapse. Denver held a 24-7 lead at the half until being outscored 17-7 in the second-half. Andrew Luck struck twice with targets Dwayne Allen and Hakeem Nicks to make it a one score game. Denver prevailed however as Indy’s rally came up short.

More from Denver Broncos

• The 2019-2020 Broncos Depth At Tight End Could Be A Huge Strength To This Offense
• Broncos Position Battles to Watch as Preseason Approaches
• NFL Draft 2019 Denver Broncos Day 2 Picks
• Losing Chris Harris Jr. Would Be A Tragic Loss For Broncos And John Elway
• NFL Draft 2019 Denver Broncos take Noah Fant with the 20th Pick

Denver and their fans are hoping to see the same Peyton Manning that carved up the Colts defense back in early September. In the 31-24 victory over Indianapolis, Manning finished the game completing 22-of-36 passes for 269 yards, including three touchdown passes to tight-end Julius Thomas. The Broncos defense on the other hand was very active against the pass. The team finished the night with 13 pass deflections, three each from cornerbacks Bradley Roby and Aqib Talib. Not to mention, safety Rahim Moore in his first game back since a major leg injury, recorded two interceptions.

One thing the Colts didn’t see much of back in week one was running back C.J. Anderson (4 carries, 27 yards vs. Indy). The injuries to Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman have somewhat been a blessing in disguise for the second-year back out of the University of California. Anderson has transformed the Broncos offense into a two-headed monster with Manning at the helm. Denver’s loss to the St. Louis Rams back in week 11 exploited major flaws with their offensive attack – they simply couldn’t pass the ball nearly every down and expect success, especially in the physical playoffs. Anderson finished the season with 849 yards on the ground, including two-straight games with 165+ yards rushing. The return of Ronnie Hillman has provided a solid 1-2 punch in the backfield with C.J.

Make sure to stay tuned on Mile High Maniac for a complete preview between the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos next Sunday in preparation for the AFC Divisional Round playoffs. Kick-off next Sunday will be at 4:40 PM EST, 2:40 PM MST at Sports Authority Field.