Broncos vs. Colts: Full Indianapolis Game Preview

The schedule has been cruel to the Indianapolis Colts this season. After winning three straight games against AFC South foes, the franchise has dropped three consecutive contests against the undefeated New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, with a game against the New Orleans Saints wedged in between.

Now, heading into Week 9 tied for the division lead with the Houston Texans and desperately needing a win to restart the season, the Colts have the unenviable task of facing off against the undefeated Denver Broncos.

Another loss could send the Colts limping into their bye week with a 3-6 record and not a lot of time left in the season to salvage whatever playoff hopes the team had.

Beating Denver could be the spark the team needs, but it is arguably the toughest task Indianapolis has faced, with former franchise quarterback Peyton Manning finding his form last week and the Broncos defense serving as the best in the league.

Let’s take a look at Indy’s matchup with the Broncos this Sunday.

Viewing Info

Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis

Date: Sunday, Nov. 8

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Week 8 Results and Recap

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Team	Record
Indianapolis Colts	3-5
Houston Texans	3-5
Jacksonville Jaguars	2-5
Tennessee Titans	1-6

Monday night against the undefeated Panthers was a case study in the Indianapolis Colts this season. Early turnovers led to a Panthers lead that looked completely insurmountable, only for the team to battle back into contention but still come up short when the clock hit zero.

Falling behind by 17 in the fourth quarter should have signaled the end for the Colts, but then something miraculous happened. Indianapolis looked like the team we all expected it to be.

Andrew Luck, who put up the worst performance of his career in the opening three quarters, suddenly returned to the player he had been through three seasons, and the Colts battled back to force overtime, with a big assist going to the much-maligned defense.

A win wasn’t in the cards though, as the Panthers forced one final Luck interception in the extra period and kicked a long field goal to secure the win and drop Indianapolis to 3-5 on the season.

Tied with Houston atop the AFC South standings after the loss, the Colts have the solace of not only being on top of the division but holding a tiebreaker over each of their rivals right now. It isn’t a strong hold, but until someone dethrones Indianapolis, it is still very much in the playoff race.

News and Notes

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Say goodbye to Pep Hamilton...

While it was not surprising following the team’s start to the season and the general lack of flair shown on the offensive side of the ball, the firing of offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton was still a huge change for a Colts team that has underperformed.

Despite coming into the year with an MVP candidate, a pair of newly signed veteran superstars and a bevy of young talented pass-catchers, the Colts rank No. 16 in yards per game and No. 20 in points per game—stats that are inflated because of the team’s constant late comebacks.

According to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, Luck was upset with the news but is ready to move on and try to improve the team’s fortunes this season.

"I’ve got so much respect for him...It’s tough," Luck said. "No one feels sorry for you (though) in this league. You find that out pretty quickly. It’s on us as players to make sure we are all on the same page...and go out and try to get a win. That falls on us."

...And hello to Robert Chudzinski

Fortunately, Indianapolis was quick in naming his successor in special assistant coach Rob Chudzinski. Formerly the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers at points and the head coach of the Browns for a season, Chudzinski brings experience and will hope to be the factor that turns the season around for the Colts.

According to Josh Wilson of SB Nation, head coach Chuck Pagano admitted the firing of Hamilton was not a “knee-jerk reaction” but added that he was grateful of Chudzinski for being ready to answer the call:

"

The timing is very, very difficult. I’m very grateful that Chud would take over and do this, because I don’t think, not everybody would accept the responsibility and do that considering the timing. So as far as coming in and putting in a whole new offense and things like that, that would be ludicrous, to say the least, and not fair to our players, and our coaches for that matter. So it’s a credit to Chud and the red of the guys for taking this on, taking this responsibility on. Again, we’re just going to try to clean things up that need to be cleaned up, fine tune some things, simplify, and give these guys a chance to go out there and execute at a high level, and not think but just play.

"

Latest Injury News

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Player	Position	Injury	Status
Darius Butler	CB	Foot	Limited
Vontae Davis	CB	Rest	DNP
Phillip Dorsett	WR	Ankle	DNP
Winston Guy	S	Shoulder	Full Practice
T.Y. Hilton	WR	Foot	DNP
Khaled Holmes	C/G	Neck	Limited
Nate Irving	LB	Knee	DNP
D’Qwell Jackson	LB	Rest	DNP
Andre Johnson	WR	Rest	DNP
Andrew Luck	QB	Ankle	Limited
Robert Mathis	LB	Rest	DNP

Following a couple of weeks with a relatively light injury report, the Colts find themselves in a tough situation with a number of top contributors missing some or all of practice Wednesday.

Just a week after the Colts received criticism for failing to list Andrew Luck on an injury report for a rib injury that may or may not have existed, the star quarterback finds himself back on the injury report heading into the clash with the Denver Broncos this Sunday.

Though he was limited in practice with an injured ankle, the odds of Luck missing the game are slim, but any chance to break out of this funk with time on the practice field is valuable, so a limited training regime could have a big impact moving forward.

The other big name on the injury report is T.Y. Hilton, who temporarily left Monday’s game before making a return despite being his injured foot. Things will be clearer as the week drags on, but losing the wide receiver could make beating the league’s top defense nearly impossible.

Starting center Khaled Holmes returned to practice after missing the Panthers game, although his status is unknown for Sunday, and slot corner Darius Butler was also limited. Both players could provide big boosts if they are able to go against Denver.

All injury reports via Colts.com.

Key Matchups

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Peyton Manning and Broncos wide receivers vs. Colts secondary

Peyton Manning hadn’t looked like himself all season. One of the greatest to ever play the position, the veteran quarterback was finally showing his age; the Broncos were winning in spite of him, not because of him.

But just as everyone started to doubt Manning, he decided it was time to turn things around, putting up his best performance of the season against the Green Bay Packers. Now the Broncos get to face off against the Indianapolis Colts in a matchup that seems far from fair.

The defensive backs for Indianapolis had their best game of the season against the Panthers but still looked vulnerable and should have a rough go of it against the likes of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. If the Colts don’t improve in the secondary, it could be another long day for the struggling franchise.

Andrew Luck vs. himself

There is something going on with Luck this season. Once considered one of the league’s top quarterbacks, the former No. 1 overall pick has thrown 12 interceptions in six games this season and is far from the player he was in his first three seasons in the league.

Whether his issue is physical, as in the much-publicized rib issues that may or may not exist, or even in his own head, Luck can’t keep turning the ball over if the Colts are going to turn the season around.

Denver ranks No. 4 in the league in turnover differential, while the Colts are tied with Detroit for last place. Chances are Luck’s turnovers won’t let up this week, even though winning the turnover battle might be the only way Indianapolis can realistically beat the Broncos.

Matchup X-Factor

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

RB Frank Gore

The Broncos have been blessed by a defense without weakness this season. Even when Peyton Manning is struggling, the defense has been more than up to the task of dragging the team to win after win.

At the opposite end of the spectrum you find the Indianapolis Colts offense, which has been nothing short of embarrassing throughout most of the season. Andrew Luck has turned the ball over more than any other quarterback in the league, forcing the team to play from behind and artificially pad stats with late comebacks.

But while there is no easy way to go about taking on the Broncos defense—just look at the Packers last week—the unit is ever so slightly more vulnerable against the run than the pass. If the Colts are going to pull off the monumental upset, it will fall to Frank Gore to get a foothold on the ground.

When Indianapolis has won this year, Gore has typically delivered a strong performance, while the opposite is true in the losses where the Colts have fallen behind early. If the team sticks with the veteran running back and doesn’t lean exclusively on Luck even when the going gets tough, it could be the difference between victory and defeat.

Old habits die hard though, and even after changing offensive coordinators, Luck will likely be the focal point of the offense once again. Gore has been criminally underutilized this season, and unless that stops this week, it will be difficult for Indianapolis to shock the Broncos.

Prediction: Broncos 35, Colts 14

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

A lot went right for the Indianapolis Colts in their Monday night defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers.

The defense looked functional for the first time this season. Andrew Luck proved that he still has the ability to lead late comebacks and look like an elite quarterback. The offensive line didn’t play nearly as poorly as many expected it to.

But despite all the positives, the Colts still lost and now face an even tougher task in the form of the Denver Broncos. With Denver sporting the league’s best defense and a revitalized Peyton Manning, there doesn’t appear to be much hope for Indianapolis to hand the Broncos their first defeat of the season.

Even if Indianapolis is able to slow down Manning and the offense, there haven’t been any signs this year that the Colts are capable of scoring on a defense as good as Denver’s.

If Manning gets going early and Luck’s turnover woes continue, this game could get out of hand quickly. Unlike weeks past, the chances of a late comeback are slim against this defense. The Colts could be set to lose a big one at home.

Prediction: Broncos 35, Colts 14