Nov 9, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against the Oakland Raiders in the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 41-17. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Get to the early service at church this morning, Broncos fans, because our boys kickoff in the early slate of games in this the 11th week of the NFL season already.
The Broncos are set to take on the St. Louis Rams in the second straight week the Broncos are expected to win big after playing a first half slate of games that would get any NFL team ready for the playoffs. The Broncos are 7-2 at this particular moment in time, and they need to be able to go into places like St. Louis against an inferior Rams team and get a big win.
At this point, the Broncos really can’t afford to lose because the New England Patriots beat them two weeks ago, and because of that, the Broncos have to do everything in their power to ensure home field advantage in the playoffs. A victory in the early games against the Rams would certainly give them a nice push towards that, as the Patriots face a really tough five game stretch coming up, starting with a road game tonight against the Indianapolis Colts.
I wonder if there will be a lot of points scored in that game…
Basically, if the Broncos win today and the Patriots lose, Denver controls their own destiny the rest of the season. If the Broncos and Patriots both win (or if they both lose) things stay the way they are, but if they both lose, things get really interesting.
The likely scenario has the Broncos and Patriots both winning, but if the Colts can come up with a big win at home over New England, chances are pretty good that Denver will be sitting atop the AFC by the end of the night, and will have big matchups coming up starting next week against the Miami Dolphins.
But first things first, and that would be Shaun Hill and the St. Louis Rams, who feature a feisty, athletic defense and some intriguing offensive weapons, starting with Jared Cook at the tight end position. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about today’s game pitting the AFC West against the NFC West, the Broncos’ final matchup against NFC opponents this season.
Who: Denver Broncos (7-2) vs. St. Louis Rams (3-6)
What: Week 11, NFL Football Matchup
When: 11 AM Mile High Time, 12 PM CST — Sunday, November 16th, 2014
Where: St. Louis, MO
Why: Because, football
TV Info: (506 Sports)
CBS Sports (Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts), available in most of the western USA (check local listings)
DirecTV channel 712
**DISCLAIMER**
This is a game you will want to really make sure to check your listings for. There is a large portion of the country that will not have it being aired locally, including mine. Make sure you have a friend with DirecTV or a local bar that has Sunday Ticket so you can watch the game live.
Online Streaming:
NFL Game Pass (NFL Game Rewind after the game)
Prediction
This is a game I feel the Broncos will win easily, but they need to make sure they are ready to cope with the defensive front of the St. Louis Rams, starring Robert Quinn and rookie Aaron Donald. If the Broncos are able to control the line of scrimmage and play fast defensively, I see no reason why we won’t see a repeat of what happened last week against the Raiders, though I believe the Rams to be better coached than Oakland.
Shaun Hill is starting his first game since the first week of the season, and the Rams are missing their top target in the passing game, wide receiver Brian Quick. The Broncos will have to be on guard for tight end Jared Cook to receive the majority of looks in the passing game, as they have struggled against tight ends this season.
The Rams have been scrappy this year, battling it out with some of the best teams in the league and even beating the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos need to be focused and play like they did for that stretch against the Raiders where they looked unstoppable and impenetrable defensively to win this game.