Dissecting Most Crucial Matchups in Broncos' Week 11 Contest with St. Louis Rams

The Denver Broncos (7-2) will travel to St. Louis to face the Rams (3-6) in the third game of a three-game road trip.

Denver looked good in a 41-17 win over the Oakland Raiders in Week 10, but the NFC West is as tough as any division in football. The Broncos will not be able to overlook Jeff Fisher's bunch.

Here, we will take a closer look at three key matchups in this game that could go a long way in determining who comes out victorious.

Denver Defensive End DeMarcus Ware vs. St. Louis Left Tackle Greg Robinson

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In his first season with the Broncos, DeMarcus Ware has played very well. He has totaled eight sacks while getting plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

He must be licking his chops knowing he'll be facing a rookie on Sunday.

Though Greg Robinson was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft, the Rams opted to start him out at guard and slowly acclimate him to the pro game. But when starting left tackle Jake Long went down with a season-ending injury, he was forced to slide over.

He won't face a tougher challenge than the one he'll see on Sunday.

Austin Davis, who began the year as St. Louis' third-string quarterback, will need all the time he can get in order to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers. That will be tough if Robinson can't fend off Ware.

According to SportingCharts.com, St. Louis has given up 3.33 sacks per game this season. Only the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars have given up more.

Denver Running Game vs. St. Louis Middle Linebacker James Laurinaitis

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After leaving the game in Week 10 versus Oakland with a foot injury, Ronnie Hillman will miss two to three weeks, forcing the Broncos to find production elsewhere from the running game.

The Broncos hope to have Montee Ball back in the lineup. But even if he is, we can expect to see C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson in the mix.

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pretty safe to say Montee Ball won't return for #Broncos this wk, Klis tells me Week 11 vs #Rams might be target date http://t.co/1ksa0RZu8U

— Cecil Lammey (@cecillammey) October 21, 2014"

Anderson is coming off the best performance of his career, as he gained 163 all-purpose yards against Oakland, including a 51-yard touchdown reception. 

On the opposite side of the ball, St. Louis linebacker James Laurinaitis will be tasked with shutting down the Denver running game. He is capable of doing it, too.

At some point, the Broncos need to establish a more physical identity on offense. Peyton Manning doesn't need to throw the ball 75 percent of the time. Regardless of who is in the backfield, Denver needs to line up and run the ball right at the middle of the defense.

It has a good test in front of it on Sunday. If the Broncos have Super Bowl aspirations, a more effective running game will be necessary.

Denver Wide Receiver Demaryius Thomas vs. St. Louis Cornerback E.J. Gaines

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Coming into this game, the Rams rank No. 13 in the league against the pass. They give up just over 234 yards per game. They've also allowed just 13 touchdown passes on the season. Only five teams have allowed less.

That number will be put to the test when they face Manning and his myriad of weapons on Sunday.

Manning has several targets to throw to, but Demaryius Thomas has been the recipient of 100 yards or more in the last six games for Denver. If he is to make it seven in a row, he will have to get the better of St. Louis cornerback E.J. Gaines.

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NFL WR Leaders (yards): 1 Antonio Brown 1070 2 Demaryius Thomas 1002 3 T.Y. Hilton 937 4 Golden Tate 909 5 Jordy Nelson 889

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 12, 2014"

Gaines, a rookie who the Rams selected in the sixth round of this year's draft, has had a great season. In fact, he's been as good as almost anyone on the St. Louis defense.

At just 5'10" and 190 pounds, he'd be giving up plenty of size to Thomas if the Rams decide to match him up against Denver's No. 1 wide receiver. However, his athleticism makes up for it.

Gaines has very good ball skills. On the season, he has one interception and 10 passes defensed. However, he is inexperienced. And if he goes against a veteran like Thomas, the Broncos have a big advantage.

Look for Manning and Thomas to beat Gaines on a deep vertical route in this game.