The are returning home with their heads hung low after a brutal self-inflicted lo s to the hated . Adding to the misery of the lo s wasn't just giving the Raiders their first win on the season, it was losing to Josh McDaniels, the ex-Broncos head coach who caused so much damage more than a decade ago.While there was some bright spot from that game, the Broncos haven't shown the needed consistency to build off of those bright spots. They did a great job defending the run in the first three weeks, only to get spread thin and run over by Josh Jacobs.The Broncos' i sues on both sides of the ball and how the Raiders exploited them are replicable by the . Adding to the short week are the injuries the Broncos have dealt with.Denver lost Javonte Williams for the rest of the season, Quinn Meinerz, P.J. Locke, Aaron Patrick, Jonathon Cooper, and Randy Gregory are all out or expected to be out.Locke and Patrick were core special teams players, and both offered depth on defense with the injuries at their respective positions. Meinerz and Cooper have been struggling to
Jonas Brodin Jersey come back from hamstring injuries, while Gregory was the Broncos' best pa s rusher so far this season and will have to mi s at least four games on injured reserve.So, how do the Broncos match up against the Colts?Scroll to Continue Ru sell Wilson vs. Colts DefenseWhile it wasn't his best game statistically, it was his best
Nino Niederreiter Jersey game when you look at the tape for Wilson. His game still had i sues, but he made fewer mistakes that fell at his feet with hit throws and decision-making.Through the first four weeks, Wilson has faced a defensive ranking from fourth in pa s defensive DVOA all the way to 32nd in DVOA. The Colts are 27th.This is a favorable matchup for the Broncos. Kenny Moore II has struggled for the Colts all season, and while Stephon Gilmore has been solid, he isn't the player he used to be. Not to mention Zaire Franklin has been terrible in coverage and should help the matchups with tight ends.Wilson has to make the right reads before the snap, something he has struggled with, or this defense can give him i sues. The Colts are a talented unit in their front-7, and you don't want to mi s rushers and take shots, especially when Wilson is already banged up.Advantage: Slightly Broncos. Broncos Pa s Protection vs. Colts Pa s RushersDeForest Buckner is a major threat to how the Broncos' interior offensive line has struggled. However, Kwity Paye and Yannick Ngakoue threaten Garett Bolles and Cameron Fleming. Those three pa s rushers have combined for 34 total pre sures and four sacks.Buckner and Paye, among all edge rushers and interior defensive linemen with 100 pa s rush snaps, sit in the top-25 in pa s rush win rate.The Broncos' offensive line is 16th in pa s blocking efficiency, and they were helped by a good showing the first two weeks. However, they have started to falter more over their last two games. The Advantage here goes to the Colts because this is an offensive line that is hard to trust.Advantage: Colts. Broncos Rushing Game vs. Colts Run DefenseDenver lost Javonte Williams and will be relying on Melvin Gordon, who has four fumbles this season and is averaging a fumble every 8.8 touches going back to the season finale of the 2021 season. You can't trust him to hold onto the ball.Despite having three fumbles as a rusher, one coming as a receiver, Melvin Gordon has the fifth highest succe s rate for running backs this season. That is one positive with him getting the bulk of the carries. That doesn't change how hard it is to trust him to hold onto the
Thomas Vanek Jersey ball.You can't trust Lloyd Cushenberry III or Dalton Risner in the run game, especially with the former getting pushed back consistently, and the latter being to sed aside.This comes against the second overall run defense in DVOA, featuring an extremely underrated Grover Stewart and Buckner in the middle, and E.J. Speed and Bobby Okereke do a tremendous job against the run.It would be a significant and pleasant surprise if the Broncos could get anything going on the ground. However, the advantage is for the Colts, which isn't even close. Even if Denver didn't lose Williams, the Colts would still have the advantage.Advantage: Colts. Broncos Pa sing Game vs. Colts CoverageThis would be a good game for the Broncos to get KJ Hamler involved, and the tight ends should be able to do well against the Colts linebackers. In addition, the Broncos should do whatever they can to get Courtland Sutton matched up on Moore as much as po sible.The concern is can the Broncos catch the pa ses thrown their way? Drops have been an i sue and have come with terrible timing. While the Colts' pa s coverage isn't terrible, they are slightly above that bottom tier.So, it's a game where, on paper, the Broncos stop themselves more than the Colts. But, of course, game preparation can change
Chris Stewart Jersey that around.The advantage goes slightly to Denver, especially with the Colts' struggles to put it together in coverage. However, if there weren't the concern of Denver holding themselves back, it would be more than slightly for Denver.Advantage: Slightly Broncos. Matt Ryan vs. Broncos DefenseRyan has not been the superstar quarterback he was for a few years now. However, watching him this season, while he still makes some great throws, it's clear his time in the NFL should be over. He has thrown five interceptions and five touchdowns while fumbling nine times.Ryan is taking a lot of high-percentage throws, but they come from holding the ball for a while. Ryan has the 14th-longest average time to throw. He is a true pocket pa ser who doesn't offer much when buying more time. He is also sixth in turnover-worthy plays percentage.The Broncos need to take advantage of those plays and secure the turnover. That is something they have done decently this
Devan Dubnyk Jersey season, and with a short week, if they can get more chances for the offense, the better.This matchup is in the Broncos' favor on paper, and they need to make it happen in the game.Advantage: Broncos. Broncos Pa s Rushers vs. Colts Pa s ProtectionThe Colts' offensive line is similar to the Broncos regarding pa s protection. Unfortunately, it is an unreliable unit, and they rank 10th in pa s blocking efficiency but are tied seventh for most sacks allowed.In pa s blocking efficiency, the Colts sit with 87.9 at 10th, while the Broncos are 16th with 86.8. This early in the season, there is always a tight cluster.Part of the problem is Ryan's inability to buy more time, so it is easier for defenses to turn pre sures into sacks. Not having Gregory is a big blow to the Broncos' pa s rushers.The only three players on the Colts' offensive line to play every snap, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, and Braden Smith, have allowed 17 total pre sures and four sacks combined.Indy's other two offensive linemen, Matt Pryor and Danny Pinte
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