What to Expect from Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos Offense in Week 5

The Denver Broncos will be refreshed coming off their bye week, but they have a tough challenge sitting in front of them.

The Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals are one of just two remaining undefeated teams, and they know a win over Denver on the road could propel them into the elite ranks of the NFL. Like Denver, they will also be coming off their bye week.

That sets the stage for what could be one of the best games of the season, at least on paper. But can the Cardinals really match up with the high-powered Broncos?

To this point, the Broncos have yet to piece together a total team performance. Offensively, they haven't quite found their stride. Through three games, the Broncos have averaged 25 points per game—a far cry from the 37.8 they averaged throughout the 2013 regular season.

On Sunday, fans can expect to see the Broncos they have been waiting to see.

Still licking their wounds from an overtime loss in Week 3 to the Seattle Seahawks, the Broncos will seize the opportunity against another NFC West opponent.

The Cardinals have given up a paltry 15 points per game this season, and that includes wins over the San Diego Chargers, the 49ers" target="_blank">San Francisco 49ers and a New York Giants team that just put up 45 points last Thursday night.

The Broncos will be a challenge of a much different variety for the Cardinals, who will be without Daryl Washington, Darnell Dockett and John Abraham on defense.

The Cardinals are stingy against the run, giving up just 71.7 yards per game on the ground this season. Only three teams in the league have been better in that regard. The Broncos have yet to have a running back run for more than 67 yards in a single game this season, so don't look for that trend to change.

Statistic	Denver Offense Gets	Arizona Defense Gives Up
Receiving Yards per game	271.3	253.3
Yards per reception	11.0	10.0
Completion percentage	66.7	67.9
Third-down efficiency	42.1%	46.2%
TD passes	8	4
Points Per Game	25	15

However, despite a secondary that boasts big names such as Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, Peyton Manning will be able to exploit them through the air.

The Cardinals rank just No. 18 in the league against the pass this season, giving up 244.7 yards per game.

The Broncos will find success throwing the ball, and Manning will see that as an opportunity to get his top receiving target, Demaryius Thomas, on track.

Thomas has just 13 receptions for 141 yards on the season. That's an average of just 47 yards per game.

Manning knows that getting Thomas more involved in the offense is extremely important, so he should look his way often on Sunday.

As ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold reports, Thomas feels a personal improvement is necessary.

"I know I can be better, I know I can play better, I know I can do things better than I've done them so far," said Thomas.

The sooner Thomas can end his slump, the better. But he will be faced with a tough matchup against the Cardinals' Peterson.

Demaryius Thomas vs. Patrick Peterson

Peterson is one of the most talented, athletic cornerbacks in the NFL and one of the best coverage corners in many years.

But he still has his struggles.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

In Week 2 against the New York Giants, Rueben Randle had his way with Peterson at times. Randle caught four passes for 39 yards and a touchdown against Peterson on the day, but he could have had more if Eli Manning made some better throws.

Look for Thomas to be physical enough to gain separation from Peterson in order to make some big plays.

Manning should be able to take advantage of this with some back-shoulder throws.

If Peterson decides to play off Demaryius, there is always the bubble screen that Denver likes to throw to him. This is really one of the best plays in the Broncos' playbook, and nothing could get Demaryius rolling more than a big gain on one of them.

Coming off a week performance against Richard Sherman and Seattle (31 yards receiving), Thomas knows he needs to respond with a big game. Look for that to happen on Sunday.

Thomas should catch seven or eight passes for over 100 yards. He'll also find the end zone at least once.

Julius Thomas vs. Arizona Pass Defense

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

When facing the Broncos, it's always a case of pick your poison. Which weapons are you going to try and eliminate, knowing you can't take them all away?

Thomas is becoming one of the league's most difficult matchups, not just at the tight end position, but anywhere on the field.

Who is going to cover him for the Cardinals?

Arizona is allowing 10 yards per pass completion, and quarterbacks have completed 67.9 percent of their passes against it.

Against Manning, that will be a recipe for disaster.

Manning will be able to spot his big tight end several times in this game, as the Cardinals just don't have a player who can match up against him.

They could try Mathieu, but Thomas is just too strong for him. They could drop a linebacker into coverage, but Sam Acho and Kevin Minter don't have enough speed to keep up with him.

One player Arizona might try on Thomas is reserve linebacker Thomas Keiser. At 6'4", he has the size and athleticism to give Thomas problems.

How Will the Offense Look?

The Broncos may be coming off a loss, but they fought hard to come back and score 17 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime in Seattle. They will be able to use the momentum from that as well as the rest they gained from the bye week to create an explosion of offense on Sunday.

Coming into the game, the Broncos rank No. 31 in the NFL against the pass. That could mean a high-scoring affair, forcing Manning and the Broncos to put up a lot of points.

They will be up to the challenge, as Manning will get a big game out of the two players named Thomas on his team.