Four Players Who Must Play Well for the Denver Broncos on Sunday
By Joe Morrone
Sep 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (80) runs for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High . Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The obvious storyline in the Denver Broncos divisional playoff game versus the Indianapolis Colts is the quarterback matchup. The Broncos have the veteran in Peyton Manning and the Colts feature Andrew Luck, the best young quarterback in the game.
There’s no doubt that they are both going to have a huge impact on Sunday’s game but for the Broncos, there are four key players who must make an impact if they are going to move on to the AFC Championship Game.
Julius Thomas: Thomas has been dealing with an ankle injury since the loss to the St. Louis Rams in mid-November. The injury caused him to miss a few games but even when he has played, Thomas has looked like a shell of himself. That must change on Sunday.
The Colts, despite being ranked 17th on defense versus the pass, do have two quality cornerbacks on the outside. However they have a lot of trouble covering the middle of the field and Thomas was able to exploit that in the Broncos week one win over the Colts. He finished the night with three touchdowns and was open all night.
The Broncos need Thomas to be the matchup nightmare he was last season and before the injury this season. The passing game struggled in the second half of the season at times, and the absence of Thomas was a big reason for that. A healthy and motivated Thomas will open things up on the outside for both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.
If he wants the big money contract after this season, then it is time for Thomas to step up in a big way on Sunday and through the playoffs.
Ronnie Hillman: I can hear the collective sigh from a lot of you who just read this but Hillman could be a huge key on Sunday. The Cincinnati Bengals and Andy Dalton failed to take advantage of what the Colts defense was giving them last week. Dalton repeatedly forced the ball downfield to receivers who were not open.
Meanwhile, there were running backs and other check down options that were open all day. Dalton either did not see them or refused to take what the defense was giving him. Manning won’t do that and if his receivers are covered down field, he will look for his check downs and that’s where Hillman could be big.
Look for Hillman to flare out of the backfield and be available as a check down option for Manning. If Hillman has four or five receptions on Sunday, then the Broncos will be in good shape.
DeMarcus Ware: This is why the Broncos signed Ware and they need him to be better than he has been over the past couple of weeks. After a big game versus the Kansas City Chiefs at the end of November, Ware disappeared in the month of December as did the Broncos pass rush.
The Broncos need both Ware and his partner Von Miller to be impact players in the playoffs, but the pressure is squarely on Ware. Miller, despite a lack of sacks, has played pretty well and was much more active in the season finale. Ware, on the other hand, has not had an impact play in over a month.
The Colts are going to throw the ball 70-75% of the time on Sunday and the best defense for that is a consistent pass rush, and it starts with Ware and Miller. The Broncos signed Ware for these very moments and it’s time for him to be a difference maker.
Rahim Moore: Everyone in Broncos Country just gasped when they read Moore’s name but he must play well on Sunday. The Colts love to throw the ball deep and no one throws a better deep ball than Luck.
It will be vital for Moore to take the proper angles and make sure he is not getting beat over the top. Trust me, the Colts are going to take shots at Moore and hoping he makes some of the same mistakes that he’s made in the past.
The Broncos and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio are going to move fellow safety, TJ Ward all over the place and use him on blitz packages. In order to do that, they are going to leave Moore as the only deep safety. It’s his first playoff game since the gaffe versus the Baltimore Ravens two years ago, and how he responds will be critical for the Broncos.
The Broncos will need everyone to play well on Sunday but the play of these four will be a major factor.