Well, the Broncos were able to go to Oakland and take care of business against the Raiders, and this week they find themselves on the road once again, as they prepare for their third straight road game. They will face off against the St. Louis Rams who enter this game with a 3-6 record. So this one should be an easy win right? Wrong this St. Louis team is much better than their record indicates, and if they had a serviceable quarterback they would be right in the thick of things in the NFC. The Rams have a lot of talent, especially on the defensive line where they have three former first round picks. This game will present a huge challenge for the Broncos offensive line that has struggled this entire season. The Broncos are obviously worried about the offensive line, because they brought in Richie Incognito this week and considered signing him. This shows that the Broncos are concerned about the play that they are getting on the interior of offensive line. They obviously have no worries about Louis Vasquez or Ryan Clady, and Will Montgomery played well last week, but the play of Manny Ramirez and Orlando Franklin has become a liability. These players are not showing the ability to stop pressure that comes in the A gap (between the guard and center) and this means there is pressure in Manning's face. While Peyton is great at disguising these weaknesses because he gets rid of the ball in two seconds, it is also a big reason why he had five passes batted down last week. When there is pressure up the middle it makes it harder for the quarterback to get the ball past the line of scrimmage. It will be worth watching the interior of the offensive line today to see how they perform against a very talented Rams defensive line.
Keys to the Game
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| Denver Broncos |
It is hard to talk about the keys to the game without talking about another new running back for the Broncos. It seems like the Broncos have a new running back almost every week. In reality they are on their third starting running back of the season. C.J. Anderson was sensational last week against the Raiders, sparking a stagnant Broncos offense, and beginning the blowout that followed. His 51 yard catch and run is his highlight play, but what I liked seeing was the way he was running the football. For a bigger back he shows tremendous quickness in the first ten yards and he shows the ability to fight for yards after contact. Today is a huge opportunity for Anderson to really seize control of the starting job. While Ronnie Hillman did look good as the starter he is not really built to be an every down kind of back. If Anderson is able to keep his production up, look for him to remain the starter, and when Hillman comes back he would become the third down back. As I stated earlier this game will be very important for the running game. If the Broncos struggle to run the ball, and protect Manning do not be surprised if the Broncos think long and hard about signing Incognito. The Broncos should look to run the ball need to establish the run early to slow down the dynamic pass rush of the Rams and make sure that Peyton Manning stays upright in this one.
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| Denver Broncos |
If Peyton is able to get the time that he needs look for the Broncos to have a big game through the air. This game will be played on turf which means everyone is just a little bit faster and that could spell trouble for the Rams. I loved what I saw last week from Julius Thomas. He finally emerged as more than a red zone threat. I have been saying for weeks that the Broncos need to target Julius more often in all areas of the field. That finally happened against the Raiders, and Julius showed what a great weapon he can be when he is involved in the game plan. Look for the Broncos to continue to use Thomas all over the field, as he presents matchup problems wherever he lines up. This Broncos offense has continued to improve as the season has rolled along, and I think that they are every bit as good as last seasons record breaking offense. The emergence of Emmanuel Sanders has added such an explosive dimension to the offense. His ability to beat one on one press coverage shows why the Broncos were so excited to add him in free agency. He has also been very impressive when he goes up to fight for a contested catch. He has great ball skills and consistently wins 50-50 balls, which is all the more impressive given that he is only 5'11". Look for the Broncos receivers to have another great day against the Rams as long as Peyton is well protected.
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| Denver Broncos |
What was more impressive last week was the play of the Broncos defense that struggled the week before against the New England Patriots. The Broncos have shown once again that they have some secret formula for finding linebackers out of nowhere. Brandon Marshall has been a revelation this season, and his play in the absence of Danny Trevathan has stabilized the Broncos linebacking corp. He is currently leading the Broncos in tackles, and he has left the Broncos with a tough decision to make whenever Trevathan does make his return. He has performed so well that the Broncos will most likely look for ways to keep both of these players on the field once Trevathan comes back from injury. Marshall has been one of the players that has been so key in the Broncos having the #1 ranked running defense in the NFL. One player that deserves a lot of credit for that is Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton. His play in the middle of the defense has been unbelievable this season, and it has allowed linebackers to have a free run to the ball carrier. If I was John Elway I would make sure I got Pot Roast locked up long term, because he is the reason this run defense is so good. Malik Jackson is another guy who has been playing great week in and week out, but often does not get the recognition he deserves. I expect the Broncos defense to shut down the Rams running game early, and get to Shaun Hill early and often in this game.
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| Denver Broncos |
Another player that has been making plays every week for this defense is rookie corner Bradley Roby. Last week he got another interception, that set up the C.J. Anderson 51 yard catch and run. Roby's emergence has allowed the Broncos to move Chris Harris into the slot on obvious passing downs. Another player that has been very impressive this season is safety Quinton Carter. Carter is playing for the first time in almost three years, as he missed the previous two seasons with injuries. This year he has allowed defensive coordinator, Jack Del Rio, to do a lot of creative things with the nickel package (3 corners in the game). When the Broncos go to the nickel or dime they walk T.J. Ward up and he basically becomes a linebacker, and Carter then comes into the game at safety where he is very good in coverage against opposing tight ends, which is not a strength for Ward. The play of these two young players has allowed the Broncos to come at the opponents offense with lots of different looks, and it gives them the versatility to deal with any look the offense may throw at them. I expect the Broncos secondary to lock up the Rams weapons and make life very hard for quarterback Shaun Hill.
Prediction
I do think that this one is going to be close for awhile because the Rams defense should be able to cause problems for the Broncos offense. The Broncos may struggle to find a rhythm on offense, especially if the running game has a slow start. I would not be surprised if this game was close at halftime, but I expect the Broncos to pull away as the game rolls along because the Rams just do not have the offensive personnel to keep up with the Broncos offense. I think the Broncos defense will clamp down on the Rams offense and make life hard for quarterback Shaun Hill. In the end the Broncos should come away with a victory in this one.
Final Score- Denver Broncos 34, St. Louis Rams 13
