Colts vs. Broncos: Complete Divisional Round Preview for Indianapolis

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts will be looking to take the next big step on Sunday, trying to pull off the upset win over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

This will be the third time the Colts will play their former quarterback, but it will be the first postseason meeting. Sunday's game will also be a rematch of Week 1, when the Broncos were able to overpower the Colts to take a 31-24 victory.

Of course, everyone will be talking about the quarterback matchup between Luck and Manning, but the third-year quarterback has done his best to try to keep things in perspective, noting that it's not just the two QBs playing against each other.

"It's not the quarterback-versus-quarterback thing," Luck told Mike Wells of ESPN.com. "We're not on the field at the same time. I have a lot of respect for him, what he does, what he still does is amazing. He's a stud. I'll worry about the Denver defense. That's what I'll worry about." 

There are still concerns about the Colts personnel, but they are feeling confident after winning six of their last seven games, including a convincing second-half performance last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the Broncos haven't looked like the unstoppable force that they were early on, losing to the Bengals in Week 16 along with some close calls against teams like the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.

Still, the Broncos got a first-round bye for a reason, and they will be a very difficult team for the Colts to take down. Having said that, let's take a look at the upcoming divisional playoff game for the Colts as they look to reach the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2009.

Colts' Wild Card Game Recap

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In what might have been the best performance of Luck's career, the Colts were able to shake off a rough first half to come away with a 26-10 victory in the Wild Card Round against the Bengals last week.

The Colts' opening drive got the team going early thanks to plenty of touches from Daniel Herron, who eventually finished off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Surprisingly, it was the first opening-drive touchdown of the season for the Colts, and they were hoping that the offense would keep clicking.

Unfortunately, a number of drops continued to kill momentum for the Colts offense, with some even coming from T.Y. Hilton. The Bengals were able to tie things up before the end of the first quarter with a one-yard touchdown from Jeremy Hill.

A couple of missed opportunities kept the Colts from finding the end zone in the second quarter, instead having to settle for a pair of field goals from Adam Vinatieri. Luck was almost able to make it a two-possession game before halftime, but a crucial fumble from Herron allowed Mike Nugent to bank in a 57-yard field goal to give the Colts just a 13-10 lead heading into the locker room.

Whatever Chuck Pagano told his players at halftime must have worked, because everyone was making plays in the second half. The defense continued to make big stops, while the offense started to chew clock and drive down the field. In the middle of the third quarter, Luck hit Donte Moncrief on a beautiful throw under pressure for a 36-yard touchdown.

After a couple more field goals from Vinatieri and more than a few stops from the defense, the Colts came away with a rather convincing 26-10 win, and they'll be looking to carry that momentum into Denver.

News and Notes

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Trent Richardson Practices on Punt Coverage Team

After playing just one snap against the Bengals last week, it looks like Trent Richardson may continue sitting on the sideline against Denver while the offense is on the field.

Zak Keefer from the Indianapolis Star tweeted on Thursday that instead of working with the offense, Richardson was working with the punt coverage team. Considering the Colts used Herron and Zurlon Tipton in the running game last week, that might be a sign that Richardson is officially the team's third-string running back.

This is the move that Colts fans have been waiting for, as Richardson simply hasn't produced. He finished the season with just 519 rushing yards while averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Herron and Tipton were able to make some big plays against the Bengals, picking up a combined 187 total yards and a touchdown on 34 total touches.

If Richardson is spending time with the punt coverage unit, don't expect the Colts to use him on offense this Sunday.

Jim Fassel: Luck Will Be NFL's Greatest QB

I talked earlier this week about the current state of Luck's legacy and how far he's come in just three seasons. The potential is there for the third-year quarterback to become an all-time great, but a former head coach believes that Luck will go down as the greatest.

Former New York Giants head coach Jim Fassel wasn't shy when talking about Luck on The Coaches Show on Tuesday, believing that one day the former No. 1 overall pick will be considered the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.

"He'll go down as the greatest quarterback of all time," Fassel said, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. "The numbers he has already put up as a young quarterback, far superior to anybody else that came in the league in their first four, five or six years the numbers he's put up. If he keeps at that pace ... Whoa!"

Luck still has a very long way to go before he can be put into that conversation, and he'll likely need a couple of Super Bowl rings to go along with those lofty numbers. However, considering the strides he's made in just three seasons, Luck has the potential to surpass the likes of Manning and Joe Montana by the end of his career.

Hugh Thornton Placed on Injured Reserve

After placing Gosder Cherilus on injured reserve before last week's game, it looks like they'll be without yet another starting offensive lineman for the rest of the playoffs.

According to Mike Wilkening from Pro Football Talk, the Colts officially placed Hugh Thornton on injured reserve Tuesday. Thornton had missed five of the previous six games, so the Colts had already been playing without him, but they were still holding out hope that he would return.

The offensive line continues to have trouble finding a consistent starting lineup, but last week's group was able to hold its own. Lance Louis still isn't an ideal starting option, however, so we'll see how he holds up against the Broncos defensive line.

Injury Report

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Player	Position	Injury Status
Jerrell Freeman	ILB	Full
Jonotthan Harrison	C	Full
Andrew Jackson	ILB	Full
D'Qwell Jackson	ILB	Full
Henoc Muamba	ILB	Full
A.Q. Shipley	C	Full
Greg Toler	CB	Limited
Erik Walden	OLB	Full

Note: All injury statuses are from Thursday's practice, via Colts.com.

For the first time in a long while, the Colts had some good news on the injury front. All 53 players on their active roster were able to practice on Thursday, with only Greg Toler being limited due to a knee injury. Still, Toler will need to be as close to 100 percent as possible before Sunday, because the Colts will need help covering the likes of Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas.

A few players that missed last week look ready to go this week, including A.Q. Shipley. Shipley has moved around a bit after starting the season at center, so it will be interesting to see where, or if, the Colts decide to play him.

Other than that, there's little else to note on this week's injury front, and the Colts are hoping that is a positive sign as they prepare to play the Broncos.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

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Colts Offensive Line vs. Von Miller

There are a number of players on the Broncos defense that the Colts will have to keep an eye on, but none can make an impact quite like Von Miller.

After tearing his ACL at the end of last season, Miller has returned in full force, picking up 14 sacks during the regular season while hurrying opposing quarterbacks 47 times, the most among 4-3 outside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

With DeMarcus Ware also rushing the passer, Miller is able to move around and attack from different positions, making him a difficult player to plan against.

Luck was sacked 27 times and hit countless more in the regular season. While he was sacked just once last week against the Bengals, Cincinnati doesn't have the kind of pass rush that the Broncos do. If the Colts offensive line is going to keep Luck upright on Sunday, stopping Miller would go a long way.

Colts Pass Rush vs. Peyton Manning

Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky versus Manning might as well be the matchup to watch this week, as it will be up to him to find ways to get regular pressure in the former Colts quarterback's face.

The Colts haven't had a true pass-rusher without Robert Mathis this season, yet they still ranked tied for ninth with 41 sacks in the regular season. A lot of that is because of Manusky, who has been able to draw up blitz schemes to generate pressure.

Those blitz schemes will need to work in Denver to throw Manning off. This season, Manning's numbers have dropped considerably when throwing under pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. His passer rating drops from 106.1 down to 82.5 with pressure in his face, completing just 51.3 percent of his passes with just 6.1 yards per attempt, compared to 69.7 percent and 8.4 yards per attempt with a clean pocket.

It's been difficult for the Colts to bring pressure against top-tier quarterbacks this season, but they'll have to find a way to do so in order to get Manning to make mistakes.

T.Y. Hilton vs. Chris Harris Jr.

In terms of individual matchups, there might not be a more exciting one to watch in this upcoming game than T.Y. Hilton going up against Chris Harris Jr. Both were selected to their first Pro Bowl this season, emerging as some of the best players at their respective positions.

Now, both Hilton and Harris will be trying to gain an edge against each other. Hilton had a career year in 2014, catching 82 passes for 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games. Meanwhile, Harris looked like a true shutdown corner, allowing just a 47.8 passer rating when thrown against while earning the highest grade from Pro Football Focus among cornerbacks.

Hilton is coming off one of the worst games of his career, dropping multiple passes while getting six receptions despite being targeted 15 times. However, we've seen previously that Hilton can turn things around and take over when he needs to, so we'll see if he can get past Harris when the stakes are at their absolute highest.

Colts' X-Factor of the Week: Dwayne Allen

Denver will likely be planning to contain Coby Fleener in the passing game this week, but there's a chance that they could be overlooking Dwayne Allen in the process. Allen was dealing with injuries at the end of the year and is still getting back into the flow of things, but this might be his chance to break out once again.

The Broncos defense is one of the best in the league, but their linebackers outside of Miller are suspect, particularly in pass coverage. According to Football Outsiders, the Broncos rank 13th in covering opposing tight ends compared to fifth and second, respectively, in covering No. 1 and No. 2 wide receivers.

Along with his impact in the passing game, Allen can be a valuable run-blocker. However, his efforts were usually wasted on Richardson in the regular season. With Allen opening up lanes for Herron and Tipton, the running game might be able to get going to a degree.

Before missing time, Allen looked like perhaps the best all-around tight end in the NFL, and he'll have a chance to prove that once again on Sunday.

Prediction

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Colts fans don't need to be told just how big this game is. Not only would a win bring the Colts to the AFC Championship Game for the first time in the Luck era, but it would also come against the former quarterback that brought Indianapolis a Super Bowl.

Call it a gut feeling, but the Colts have a legitimate shot on Sunday.

Manning didn't look like the same player during the last quarter of the regular season, throwing just three touchdowns and six interceptions. His arm strength isn't what it once was, and while he had another week of rest with the first-round bye, he could still have a hard time putting some heat behind his throws.

If Manning's arm strength isn't there, the Colts will need to focus on stopping C.J. Anderson and the running game, which the Broncos haven't been afraid to rely on as of late. Players like Jerrell Freeman and Arthur Jones, who are both healthy and starting to pick it up at the right time, will be key in plugging up rushing lanes for a team that has the seventh-ranked rushing offense, according to Football Outsiders.

On the other side of the ball, the Colts are obviously going to need some more magic from Luck. Last week, Luck looked as in sync as he has all year, missing on very few throws. I'd expect him to have that same kind of play this week, but with his receivers dropping fewer passes. 

A lot might come down to the Colts' running game. If Herron can break off some big runs and establish some sort of balance for the Colts offense, some big passing plays might open up for Luck using play action. Of course, it will be no easy task running through a defensive line with names like Terrance Knighton, Malik Jackson and DeMarcus Ware, but Herron has the explosiveness and vision to pick up yards.

With Luck under center, the Colts are never out of a game. I might be crazy for this prediction, but I think the Colts want this game more, and the Broncos might be overlooking what they rightfully believe to be a weaker team. Anything can happen in the playoffs, and it's been a while since we've seen a magical fourth-quarter comeback from Luck.

That might just change on Sunday.

Prediction: Colts 31, Broncos 28