Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots: Complete Week 9 Preview for Denver
In what could be considered the game of the week, the Denver Broncos (6-1) will travel to Gillette Stadium to battle the New England Patriots (6-2) on Sunday.
In a rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game, the two teams will meet in the midst of multiple-game winning streaks. Both teams have won four games in a row.
That adds a lot of intrigue to a game that will feature both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. The Broncos lead the all-time series 28-20, but New England has won four of the last five meetings.
According to Odds Shark, the Broncos are currently a four-point favorite, despite being on the road.
"This is just the fifth time since 2002 that the #Patriots are home underdogs. 3 of previous 4 were were against Peyton Manning.
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) October 30, 2014"
For more on this game, including an injury report for the Broncos as well as key matchups to watch, read on.
Week 8 Recap
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When the Broncos face the New England Patriots in Week 9, they will do so after having the previous 10 days off. That is because the team played on Thursday night in Week 8.
In that game, the Broncos earned an impressive win over division rival San Diego, beating the Chargers 35-21.
The Broncos put up 425 yards of offense in the game, with Ronnie Hillman putting together another 100-yard rushing performance. The team also went 8-of-13 on third-down conversions.
Defensively, the Broncos put pressure on Philip Rivers for much of the night and also collected two interceptions against him.
They also got the best of San Diego's rushing attack, holding the Chargers to 61 yards on 15 carries. One of the main reasons Denver lost to San Diego in December of last season was due to the fact that the Broncos couldn't stop the running game.
The win gave them sole possession of first place in the AFC West, as they improved their record to 6-1 on the season.
This victory had to give fans plenty of encouragement after they watched the team put together a complete effort against one of the league's better teams.
News and Notes
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Welker Feels He Is Weak Link of Offense
Is Wes Welker the weak link of the Denver Bronco offense? He sure seems to think so, telling The Boston Globe that he feels like he is just that.
From a statistical standpoint, it's easy to discount Welker this season. After all, he's caught only 19 passes, while Julius Thomas has 30 receptions. Demariyus Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders each have 47.
But make no mistake: Welker can still contribute in the NFL and will be an important player down the stretch for Denver. Ten of his receptions this season have gone for a first down.
He could figure into the game plan in a big way against his former team, New England, on Sunday.
Cognizant of the fact that Darrelle Revis is lined up at cornerback for the Patriots, Peyton Manning could choose to utilize Welker on some short underneath routes.
Von Miller Named AFC Defensive Player of the Month
In what should come as no surprise, Von Miller has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, according to David DeChant of the team's official website.
"In the last 17 yrs, only twice has an NFL player had 7+sacks and 3+run tackles for a loss in a month: @Millerlite40 in Oct. '14 & Nov. '12.
— Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) October 30, 2014"
While the league had many great defenders to choose from, Miller stood out after having seven sacks during the month. He has also had a sack in six consecutive games.
This is great news for the team and its fans, who may have questioned whether Miller could return to the level of play that allowed him to become the 2011 Rookie of the Year after he missed much of last season.
Those questions can be put to rest.
Broncos Add Arena League Player to Practice Squad
The Broncos made a minor transaction this week, signing wide receiver Douglas McNeil to their practice squad.
McNeil has yet to play in the NFL after attending Bowie State University. He also spent some time at Virginia Tech.
"WR Douglas McNeil on signing w #Broncos after playing in Arena League "I worked out, and then I was in John Elway's office. It was surreal."
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) October 30, 2014"
Professionally, McNeil has played in the Arena League as a member of the Portland Thunder. He caught 66 passes for 858 yards and 18 touchdowns in the 2014 season.
Though McNeil has a lot to prove in order to make the main roster, he will be an interesting player to keep an eye on.
Injury Report
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| Montee Ball | Running Back | Groin | Questionable |
| Lamin Barrow | Linebacker | Concussion | Questionable |
| Omar Bolden | Cornerback | Concussion | Questionable |
| Quinton Carter | Safety | Hamstring | Questionable |
| Brandon McManus | Kicker | Groin | Probable |
| Chris Harris | Cornerback | Knee | Probable |
| Ronnie Hillman | Running Back | Shoulder | Questionable |
| Steven Johnson | Linebacker | Ankle | Questionable |
| Juwan Thompson | Running Back | Knee | Probable |
All injury statuses courtesy of CBS Sports.
This is probably the lengthiest injury report the Broncos have issued all season, at least in regard to players who could miss the game.
The biggest name to appear on this list is Ronnie Hillman, who has played very well for the Broncos in the absence of Montee Ball.
Hillman has been limited in practice with a shoulder injury but says he'll play on Sunday, according to ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold.
Losing Hillman for any amount of time would be a tough blow for the Broncos, who are still awaiting the return of Ball. Juwan Thompson could see extended work in this game.
Lamin Barrow and Omar Bolden could easily be held out of the game due to recent concussions, and safety Quinton Carter is also listed as questionable due to an issue with his hamstring.
Carter could be useful in this game as the Broncos will need all hands on deck to face New England's big tight end, Rob Gronkowski.
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X-Factor and Key Matchups to Watch
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Demaryius Thomas vs. Darrelle Revis
This should be a great battle between one of the league's best receivers and one of the best defensive backs to ever play the game.
Darrelle Revis has been very good this season and is starting to show signs of the Revis of old. But will that force Peyton Manning to stay away?
In Denver's last three games, Demaryius Thomas has caught 26 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. But against New England in Week 12 last season, he was held to just four receptions for 41 yards.
Revis will play tight coverage on Thomas, forcing him to make tough catches. Manning may choose to look off Thomas and find Wes Welker or Julius Thomas in the middle of the field.
Manny Ramirez vs. Vince Wilfork
The Broncos are going to need to get the running game going on Sunday. In order for that to happen, they need to move defensive tackle Vince Wilfork off the ball.
That's a lot easier said than done when it comes to the massive veteran who eats up running backs at the line of scrimmage.
In the middle of the Denver offensive line, center Manny Ramirez will be faced with going against Wilfork, but he'll need help from guards Louis Vasquez and Orlando Franklin.
The Broncos need to have a balanced attack to deal with the elements of a tough contest on the road. Handling Wilfork at the line of scrimmage will be imperative.
T.J. Ward vs. Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is starting to turn it on—just ask the Chicago Bears.
He caught nine passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns as the Patriots thumped Chicago in Week 8. Tom Brady and the New England offense would probably like to keep feeding him the ball.
Though many teams in the league don't have a single player on the roster who can cover Gronkowski, the Broncos just might.
Last season, as a member of the Cleveland Browns, Ward delivered this hit on Gronkowski, which ultimately ended the season for the big tight end.
Ward has yet to have a breakout performance in Denver. However, keeping Gronkowski in check would go a long way toward that.
"T.J. Ward isn't too sorry about his hit on Gronk last year. "It's a dog-eat-dog world between those hashes." http://t.co/wFmg4Q8eL3
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) October 29, 2014"
But don't think Gronkowski and the Patriots have forgotten that hit. They may throw the ball toward their big tight end often. Ward needs to be ready.
X-Factor: Wes Welker
With all of the talk about him being the weak link of the offense and the fact that he is facing his former team, look for Wes Welker to come out very motivated on Sunday.
Manning will look for him often across the middle of the field. Welker, one of the best slot receivers in NFL history, will benefit from those targets.
Look for him to have his best game of the season on Sunday and put together an impressive stat line in the process.
Prediction
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The storylines in this game are endless. Manning versus Brady. An AFC Championship Game rematch. The fact that Aqib Talib now plays for the Broncos.
Simply put, this should be one of the best games of the 2014 season. There's also a distinct possibility that these two teams could meet again for the chance to go to the Super Bowl.
A win here would be huge in the grand scheme of things, especially when it comes to home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Because of that, expect to see both teams throw heavy punches at the other, looking to impose their will in this game.
Manning and his team have had 10 days of rest, and that could end up being the difference. While it won't be easy by any means, look for the Broncos to pull away in the fourth quarter after a hard-fought contest.
Prediction: Broncos 35, Patriots 23
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