An Early Look at the Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts
By Joe Morrone
Sep 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) runs after a reception in the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Colts 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
As John Fox said on Monday, the Denver Broncos start the “real season” on Sunday when they host the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC Divisional Game. It will be the final game of divisional weekend and one that is dripping with storylines.
As usual, I will have my three keys for the Broncos at the end of the week but here are a few of those storylines from a Denver perspective as the week begins.
Contain Andrew Luck: That’s easier said than done but in all honesty, the Colts just are not a very good team outside of Luck. They have one very good receivers in Ty Hilton, but the rest are below average. They don’t run the ball well and their defense ranks in the middle of the pack.
Luck is the wildcard, he’s the chance that the Colts have to win in Denver. The Broncos must make him uncomfortable with a consistent pass rush led by DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio also needs to be aggressive and not be afraid to send blitzes from everywhere. TJ Ward must be very active at the line of scrimmage.
If Luck has a big day with his arm and his feet, then the Colts will have a chance in the fourth quarter. If the Broncos can move him off his spot and pressure him all day, then they should win rather easily.
Maintain balance: The Cincinnati Bengals got into trouble versus the Colts on Sunday because they could not run the ball, and that allowed the Colts to pressure Andy Dalton. The Broncos have been extremely balanced over the last six games, and they will need to continue that success on Sunday.
If the Broncos can maintain that balance, it will slow down the pass rush and keep Luck on the sidelines.
Exploit the middle of the field: The Colts have two excellent cornerbacks but they struggle to cover guys in the middle of the field. Julius Thomas had a huge night in the opener and the Broncos really need him to be that guy again. The Colts have no one who can matchup with Thomas if he is healthy or healthier.
The other factor here is Wes Welker who did not play in the first game between these two teams. Welker has not put up his usual numbers this season due to a number of factors but he has played well down the stretch, and could be a big factor on Sunday.
Third-downs: Everything is magnified in the playoffs, especially third down conversions. The Bengals actually played good defense versus the Colts on first and second down, but really struggled to get off the field on third downs. On the other side of the ball, the Bengals could not pick up a third down at all in the second half and that cost them.
When the Broncos get the Colts to third down, they must get off the field and get the ball back to their offense. The Broncos must also convert at least 50% of their third downs; that means staying on schedule and avoiding third and longs.
Turnovers: As with third downs, turnovers often decide playoff games and the Broncos must play clean on offense. For the Colts to win this game, the Broncos are going to have to help them by giving them some short fields with a couple of turnovers. If the Broncos offense ends the game with no turnovers, then they will be moving on to the AFC Championship Game.
Obviously if the Broncos can force a turnover or two, then that would certainly help but not giving the ball away will be a big key on Sunday.
There are other keys of course, but those are five things to consider as we head towards Sunday.