Three Things to Watch for in the Colts Season Opener

How the Colts pressure Peyton Manning?

The best way to stop an elite quarterback like Peyton Manning is to rush four players and use the other seven to play physical in coverage with the wide receivers. The Colts have shown that they are capable of playing the Broncos’ wide receivers physically and that can help throw the timing of the Broncos’ offense off. The question, however, is how the Colts will put pressure on Manning without Robert Mathis. If the preseason is any indication, then the Colts will be blitzing their inside linebackers frequently. Greg Manusky has also shown a willingness to send players from the secondary on a blitz, mainly by using a safety or slot cornerback. A large percentage of the Colts success on defense in this game will be their ability to produce pressure on these designed blitzes without giving up any big chunks of yardage.

Can the Colts continue to rise to the challenge?

Last season, the Indianapolis Colts team had many holes in their roster. They also failed to show up to some games ready to play. However, the team was able to raise its level of play to match up with some of the elite teams in the league. Coming off a season that saw the Colts pull out victories against the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, it will be interesting to see if this team is still able to hang with the elite teams. The difference is that all of those games were played in Lucas Oil Stadium; this year, the Colts must win this game on the road at Sports Authority field.

Will Bjöern Werner continue to develop?  The Colts 2013 first-round pick struggled last season, and was only able to rack up 2.5 sacks. Sacks are not the best way to measure a pass rusher, but Werner didn’t show much ability to create pressure against the opposing quarterbacks either.  During the offseason, Werner spent time working with Robert Mathis to become a better pass rusher. Bjöern has shown progress so far in the preseason and has displayed a better burst off the line of scrimmage. In addition, Werner has displaying a better repertoire of pass rush moves.  Hopefully Werner will be able to carry his preseason success into the regular season, and continue to show improvement.  Putting pressure on the Broncos offense will go a long way to assisting the Colts in an upset win over the defending AFC champions. If that is going to happen, Bjöern Werner will need to step up in the absence of Robert Mathis.