Denver Broncos: Past failures could spark revival vs. Colts

Past failures against the Indianapolis Colts should result in a ferocious Denver Broncos team Sunday…

The Denver Broncos welcome the Indianapolis Colts to the Mile High City on Sunday. Fresh off unveiling the new banners, and a nail-biting second consecutive win over the Panthers, the Broncos could be feeling pretty good about themselves. Could they overlook the Colts? I highly doubt that. With all the recent success the Broncos have enjoyed, you can bet they are well aware of their struggles against Indy.

Coming into Sunday’s match-up the Broncos have dropped 8 of the last 10 meetings to the Colts. Among those losses was an early playoff exit in 2014. Even during a physical beat down of Andrew Luck last year, resulting in a lacerated kidney, the Broncos again lost.

The man with the blazing speed off the edge, Von Miller is well aware of the struggles. Talking about Luck this week, Von acknowledged that he has yet to sack the Stanford standout. You know that will be on his mind this week. Miller also eluded to Luck’s toughness, saying, “You can turn on the film and see that. He is going to break a couple tackles and run through a couple of defenders and he is going to make some great passes. We all know what type of tough guy he is.”

Sep 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

While Indy has a marquee name at quarterback, the Broncos will send young Trevor Siemian out for his second career start. The Broncos offense looked great in spurts last week against the Panthers. Multiple times they marched right down the field, only to turn the ball over in plus territory. Had Denver converted those drives, Thursday night may have turned into a route.

This week I’m planning for the Broncos’ offense to correct their week one snafus and capitalize on long drives that keep their potent defense rested while making the scorekeeper have a busy day. The coaching staff showed how much faith they have in Trevor Siemian last week, and I look for that to continue. They have the ability to use the pass to set up the run, and vice versa. Last week’s game plan featured some easy throws for Siemian, but he also showcased that he indeed has an NFL arm, despite what pundits like Colin Cowherd might think.

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The run game is off to a great start, and it should continue in week 2. CJ Anderson looks fresh, fast, and the healthiest we’ve seen him at really any point in his young career. Fullback Andy Janovich burst onto the scene in week one adding a new element to the run game. His thrilling touchdown run shouldn’t have pulled your eyes away from the impressive job he did blocking. It allowed CJ to see first contact at 3 to 5 yards, instead of right at the line of scrimmage.

If you’re interested in a fantasy perspective from the Broncos, here are a few names to watch; CJ Anderson, Virgil Green, and Emmanuel Sanders. The Colts have a banged up defensive backfield. Despite the fact that Sanders seems to almost always get separation and catch everything, big 88 Demaryius Thomas is battling a hip injury. As for Virgil Green, he has looked like a new tight end this year, and I can see a lot of the intermediate stuff opening up throughout the game. He also has skills after the catch to stretch those out for more yardage.

Next: Should the Broncos rest Demaryius Thomas vs. IND?

My key to the game is simple: First downs, and ball protection. If the Broncos can get 4 or 5 yards consistently on first down, it will be a very long day for the Colts. The entire playbook is open at that point, and it would also mean the running game is on point. Obviously they need to win the turnover battle, even my 9-year-old son could tell you that. It should be a fun game, I say the Broncos roll to 2-0 by a score of 37-24.

As an added note, this will be the first meeting between the Broncos and Colts since October of 1993 that hasn’t featured Peyton Manning.

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