Arizona vs. Denver: Complete Week 5 Preview for Broncos
It's an early-season showdown this Sunday as the Denver Broncos (2-1) entertain the undefeated Arizona Cardinals (3-0) from Sports Authority Field in Denver.
The Broncos will face an NFC West opponent for the second consecutive game as both teams come off a bye in Week 4.
With the rematch from Super Bowl XLVIII with Seattle behind them, the Broncos can now turn their focus to the rest of the season with the goal of returning to the Big Game.
The Arizona Cardinals will provide a good test.
Arizona will come in with the No. 5 overall defense, while the Broncos have just the No. 23 total offense. With Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu and Antonio Cromartie on the other side of the field, Peyton Manning will have his work cut out for him on Sunday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET.
Here, we will take a closer look at this game with an injury report, key matchups and more.
Denver Broncos' Week 3 Recap
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The Broncos are coming off a bye in Week 4. The last time they took the field, they suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks.
Still, the Broncos have plenty to be encouraged about after the way they fought in Seattle, a place where only one road team has picked up a victory in the last 18 games there.
After falling behind 17-3, the Broncos rallied back behind some big plays by their defense and the clutch play of Peyton Manning. Jacob Tamme caught a touchdown pass from Manning with just 18 seconds left in the game to send it to overtime.
On the drive, Manning guided his team 80 yards in just 41 seconds. But where was that attacking offense the rest of the day?
In overtime, the Seahawks won the coin toss. Knowing a touchdown would win it, Russell Wilson and his team went for the throat. They capped off the only possession in overtime with a six-yard run by Marshawn Lynch.
The Broncos also turned the ball over twice and gave up more than 10 minutes in time of possession to the Seahawks. That helped spell defeat for the defending AFC champions.
While there are no moral victories in the NFL, the Broncos can take a lot away from this game. After the 43-8 drubbing they took against the same team in Super Bowl XLVIII, the Broncos had the Seahawks on the ropes in their own stadium.
Denver knows it can compete with Seattle now, and if these two teams share the same field again, the result may be different.
News and Notes
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Danny Trevathan to Make Season Debut
With an extra week of rest due to the bye week, linebacker Danny Trevathan appears to be ready to see his first action of the NFL season.
After suffering a leg injury in training camp, Trevathan was expected to miss between four and eight weeks.
Though Brandon Marshall has filled in nicely during his absence, having Trevathan back will be a huge boost for the Denver defense.
Trevathan brings an energy that the Broncos have been missing. He's one of the best tacklers on the team and is easily the best coverage linebacker on the roster.
Having him back puts the Broncos at full strength, something Arizona probably isn't thrilled about.
Peyton Manning Could Reach a Milestone
If you see Peyton Manning throw a touchdown pass on Sunday, you will see No. 500 of his legendary career.
"If Peyton Manning throws his 500th TD pass on Sunday it will be 51 games sooner than favre did it. #ARIvsDEN
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) October 2, 2014"
"When asked about it, obviously just trying to win this football game, but when asked about it, I have reflected on the great teammates and coaches that I've been with along the way, who have been a part of that," Manning told Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
Only Brett Favre has accomplished such a feat in the NFL, but anyone who has followed the career of Manning knows that he would gladly trade the milestone for a victory.
Demaryius Thomas Discusses Slow Start
After catching 186 passes over the course of the last two seasons, big things were expected from Demaryius Thomas entering the 2014 season.
He could still make up for a slow start, but as he recently explained to Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post, Thomas knows he can play much better.
"Key when looking at @DemaryiusT this season, his output down but 27 targets this yr compared to 28 after 3 games in '13 --catches will come.
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) October 1, 2014"
Thomas has just 13 receptions for 141 yards thus far this year. But the worst number on his stat line is the fact that he has dropped four passes in three games.
Thomas should break out of his funk on Sunday, even if he is matched up against Patrick Peterson. Manning will look his way often, hoping to get him rolling for the remainder of the season.
Thomas is in a funk, but he's still one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. If you used a high draft pick on him in your fantasy football league, don't panic just yet.
Injury Report
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| David Bruton | Safety | Questionable |
| Brandon McManus | Kicker | Probable |
| Danny Trevathan | Linebacker | Probable |
| Lerentee McCray | Linebacker | Questionable |
| Virgil Green | Tight End | Probable |
| Quinton Carter | Safety | Probable |
Injury report courtesy of CBSSports.com.
The only Broncos in jeopardy of missing this game are David Bruton and Lerentee McCray. As discussed earlier, Danny Trevathan intends to make his first appearance of the season, and that makes it easier to deal without McCray.
Brandon McManus has been nursing a groin injury, but he should be good to go on Sunday. It will likely be McManus' last game in Denver as Matt Prater is set to return from suspension in Week 6.
The Broncos have been one of the more fortunate teams throughout the early part of this season as far as injuries go, and on Sunday we should see a strong, well-rested unit ready to take on the Cardinals.
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X-Factor Players and Matchups to Watch
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Manny Ramirez, Orlando Franklin and Louis Vasquez vs. Dan Williams and Frostee Rucker
The Arizona Cardinals come into this game allowing just 71.7 yards per game on the ground, a large part of the reason why they are undefeated.
But that doesn't mean the Broncos should abandon the running game.
Manny Ramirez, Orlando Franklin and Louis Vasquez need to accept the challenge and get physical with the interior of the Arizona defensive line. The Cardinals employ a 3-4 defensive alignment, so they may also have linebackers Kevin Minter and Larry Foote to deal with at the line of scrimmage on certain downs.
In order to get the passing game going against the aggressive Cardinals defense, the Broncos need to put the ball in the hands of Montee Ball often. On short-yardage downs, C.J. Anderson would be a good weapon to pound at Arizona.
But it all starts with the middle of the offensive line. The battle in the trenches will be a key factor in this game.
Danny Trevathan vs. Andre Ellington
One of Arizona's best offensive weapons is running back Andre Ellington. The Cardinals will be aware that Danny Trevathan is coming off an injury, and they may look to get Ellington matched up in space on him.
"People need to remember the #AZCardinals are 9-0 when Andre Ellington carries 10 or more times. He is more important this week than Stanton
— Shaun Church (@NFLChurch) October 2, 2014"
Ellington had 39 receptions as a rookie and averaged 9.5 yards per catch. Though his numbers this season aren't on par with that (nine receptions, 5.6-yard average), he is clearly capable of making big plays.
Trevathan may get tested right away by having to chase the shifty Ellington all over the field.
Chris Harris and Bradley Roby vs. Michael Floyd and John Brown
Aqib Talib will likely match up against Larry Fitzgerald, so you can predict a quiet day for Fitzgerald. That means quarterback Drew Stanton will look elsewhere.
He has a pair of young targets with a wealth of playmaking ability.
Michael Floyd and John Brown have combined to make 20 receptions for 361 yards on the season. The rookie Brown has caught three touchdowns while Floyd is averaging 15.3 yards per catch and is a very serious deep threat.
Chris Harris and the rookie Bradley Roby need to be ready. Stanton will absolutely take shots with Floyd and Brown.
X-Factor Player: Wes Welker
The Broncos just have too many weapons on offense, even for a good defense such as Arizona. This will be the first time that fact is really put on display in 2014.
Peyton Manning will work the ball to Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, but it will be Wes Welker who the Cardinals will have no answer for.
Look for Welker to do what he does best and work the slot position, moving the chains on several critical third downs.
Welker should see a healthy diet of targets, catching around eight passes and finding the end zone once.
Prediction
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Though the Broncos don't face the Cardinals often, they have dominated them in the past. The teams have played nine times during the regular season, and Denver has only lost one of those meetings. In addition, the Broncos have outscored them by 119 points.
But this isn't the same Cardinals team, and this squad deserves respect.
The Cardinals are the only team to have beaten San Diego this season. They also picked up a huge divisional win against San Francisco.
Coming into Denver, the team may be looking at its biggest game since facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. Because of that, they will be extremely motivated.
The Cardinals also had a bye last week and will be every bit as rested as the Broncos. This is a team the Broncos can't overlook, even if they've never lost to them in Denver.
As reported by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Carson Palmer has not been ruled out for the game, but it does seem doubtful that he'll play due to the numbness that he is still experiencing in his shoulder.
"Carson Palmer remains in limbo while waiting for shoulder nerve to "wake": http://t.co/aiTAKE078E
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 2, 2014"
However, Drew Stanton has played well in his absence.
While the Cardinals may be one of only two remaining undefeated teams, they will need to play close to perfect to beat the Broncos at Sports Authority Field.
The Broncos will be looking to build off the near upset they pulled in Seattle and pile up the points against a stingy defense.
Prediction: Broncos 31, Cardinals 16
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