Colts vs. Broncos: Three Things to Watch For Today
By Dave McKee
Was three days enough time for new OC Rob Chudzinski to rejuvenate the Indianapolis Colts offense and have them ready to go against the NFL’s #1 Defense today?
Former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is making a return appearance to the stadium he built in this week 9 matchup against the Colts. With Manning, is an undefeated (7-0) Broncos team who touts the #1 ranked defense in the NFL. The Colts (3-5) are coming off a short week and have a new OC in Rob Chudzinski. The responsibility falls on “Chud” to correct the Colts offensive play-calling woes and help Andrew Luck get the Colts back on track in the AFC playoff race.
Chudzinski’s first assignment as the Colts new OC is against a brutal Broncos defense who is first in the NFL in sacks (29) led by DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. The Broncos held the undefeated Packers’ Aaron Rodgers to only 77 yards passing. Rodgers was held in check with a combination of the pass rush and a terrific secondary led by Aqib Talib, Chris Harris, and T.J. Ward.
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WHO: Denver Broncos (7-0) vs. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)
WHEN: Today, 4:25 pm ET / 3:25 pm CT
WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN)
TV Broadcast: CBS RADIO: 1070 the Fan
Three Things to Watch For:
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One thing to watch today is seeing what changes Chud was able to implement after only three days in his new role as OC to circumvent the Broncos pass rush. The Colts will have to find a way to protect Andrew Luck whether it is through screens and quick passes or max protection (which failed the first two weeks of the season) somehow, someway Andrew Luck needs to feel comfortable in the pocket if they are to have any hopes of winning at home today.
Another issue to keep an eye on is if T.Y. Hilton suits up today. Hilton is a game-time decision with a foot injury. If he is unable to go that puts more pressure on Donte Moncrief and Andre Johnson to win their matchups and get open. If the receivers cannot win their matchups then it is likely that the Broncos will easily be able to load the box and shut down Andrew Luck and Frank Gore.
The third and possibly most important factor in this game will be to see if the Colts can generate their own pass rush against Manning and the offense. Robert Mathis is back to 100% with no restrictions. Last week Mathis sacked Cam Newton twice.
As much as we all love Peyton Manning, nothing would be better for the Colts today than for Mathis to achieve another sack-strip against the first ballot Hall of Famer. This game will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. As cliche as it may sound these Colts vs. Broncos games always come down to who makes the biggest plays and wins the turnover margin.
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