Miami Dolphins vs. Denver Broncos: Complete Week 12 Preview for Denver
Week 12 in the NFL will feature a critical battle of AFC contenders. While the Denver Broncos (7-3) have dropped two of their last three games, the Miami Dolphins (6-4) have won four of their last five.
They are definitely two teams trending in opposite directions.
The Broncos will look to reverse that on Sunday as they will play their first game in the friendly confines of Sports Authority Field since Oct. 23.
The Broncos will have to slow down Ryan Tannehill, who has played well this season, throwing 17 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions. The Dolphins will also bring the league's No. 2 defense into the game.
"Big plays will be hard to come by for #Broncos vs. #Dolphins defense this week. No team has given more QBs problems than MIami this year.
— Ryan Riddle (@Ryan_Riddle) November 20, 2014"
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since October 2011, an 18-15 Denver victory. However, Miami holds and 11-5-1 advantage in the all-time series.
For more on this matchup, including an injury report for Denver as well as key matchups to look for, read on.
Week 11 Recap
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The Broncos suffered what was easily their most disappointing loss of the season in Week 12, ending up on the wrong end of a 22-7 score against the St. Louis Rams.
The Broncos appeared to be exposed in the game, as the Rams were the much more physical team.
Offensively, the Rams used rookie running back Tre Mason to pound the ball right at the Broncos. He finished with 113 yards rushing in the game. When Denver had the ball, the Rams pushed the Broncos offensive line around and pestered Peyton Manning all game.
In addition, St. Louis had the ball for nearly 12 more minutes than Denver. Though they only scored 22 points, it was a complete domination. For Denver, it was as bad as any performance the team has had during the Manning era.
News and Notes
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Chris Harris, Broncos Reach Impasse in Contract Talks
This coming offseason will be very key for the future of the Denver Broncos. They have several key players that are set to become free agents, including Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas and Wes Welker.
But Chris Harris is also on that list as well, and he will be an unrestricted free agent.
As important as those aforementioned players are, the Broncos must find a way to retain Harris. There isn't much he doesn't do well as a cornerback in today's NFL, and the team should reward him for his level of play.
But ESPN's Josina Anderson, citing a league source, tweeted that talks between the two sides have "stalled a bit":
"An NFL source tells me that contract extension talks b/w the Denver Broncos & CB Chris Harris have "stalled (cont) http://t.co/TK8ZOG5wSC
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) November 19, 2014"
The Broncos would be wise not to let Harris hit the open market. A wide variety of potential suitors would likely come calling, and they would quickly find themselves in a bidding war that could have been avoided.
Broncos Don't Appreciate Criticism of Offensive Line
The Broncos are growing tired and irritated of the criticism that their offensive line has been getting from the national media.
The Associated Press' Arnie Stapleton reported that head coach John Fox and many of the players have heard enough about how poorly the offensive line has performed
"I'd remind everybody, we're like the No. 2 offense in the National Football League. We lead the league — we're No. 1 in sacks allowed. I think sometimes we lose sight of kind of where we are. We're 7-3. That's the O-line that's 7-3 as well as the rest of the team.
"
That may be, but would Fox be able to deny the fact that St. Louis completely overpowered those five players last Sunday? Would he be able to deny the success that Seattle had attacking Denver up front in the Super Bowl?
It's good to see Fox show passion and defend his players, but it would make the fans feel much better if the Broncos weren't so overmatched every time they face a physical opponent.
Four Former Broncos Named Hall of Fame Semifinalists
Per CBS Sports' John Breech, the NFL announced its list of Hall of Fame semifinalists this week, and of the 26 names on the list, four players were huge contributors in Denver Broncos history.
Karl Mecklenburg, Terrell Davis, Steve Atwater and John Lynch will all be under consideration to reach Canton.
Mecklenburg and Atwater are two of the greatest defensive players in team history and there is a good chance Denver would have never won any Super Bowls to this point if not for Davis.
But John Lynch might have the best chance to get in.
Aside from his time in Denver, Lynch was also part of one of the best defenses in NFL history when he was part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that won a Super Bowl following the 2002 season.
He also remains in the limelight, currently working as a broadcaster for the league. So while players like Atwater and Mecklenburg can get lost in the shuffle, Lynch may stay fresh on the minds of voters because they still see and hear from him.
Most Denver fans would agree that all four players are more than deserving of a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Injury Report
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| Virgil Green | Tight End | Calf | Questionable |
| Montee Ball | Running Back | Groin | Questionable |
| Quinton Carter | Safety | Knee | Questionable |
| David Bruton | Safety | Ankle | Probable |
| Steven Johnson | Linebacker | Ankle | Probable |
| Ronnie Hillman | Running Back | Foot | Questionable |
| Emmanuel Sanders | Wide Receiver | Concussion | Questionable |
| Julius Thomas | Tight End | Ankle | Questionable |
| Juwan Thompson | Running Back | Knee | Probable |
All injury statuses courtesy of CBS Sports.
Though the injury report lists them as just questionable, running backs Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball will not be available for this game. That means Denver will need to get production from deep on the depth chart at the running back position.
C.J. Anderson has been good in recent games, but the Broncos need to get Juwan Thompson on the field as well.
However, the key players to keep an eye on are Julius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. If one or both are unavailable, it will be a major blow to Denver's passing game.
According to Andrew Mason of the team's official website, Sanders and Thomas were both on the field for practice on Thursday, but only as spectators.
Sanders will have to pass the league's concussion protocol in order get on the field Sunday. If Thomas is unable to play, the Broncos will have to insert Jacob Tamme into the starting lineup. Though Peyton Manning trusts Tamme, they didn't make a good connection against St. Louis.
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X-Factor Players and Key Matchups to Watch
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Louis Vasquez vs. Olivier Vernon
With all of the talk about the offensive line, you know Miami has been paying attention. They've seen the tape and probably feel they can get the best of Denver's line as well.
They may be right.
On the year, Miami ranks right near the top of the league in team sacks, registering a total of 30 on the season. Only two teams have more than that.
The Broncos will have their work cut out for them, especially with Cameron Wake—one of the league's premiere pass-rushers—on the other side of the field.
Louis Vasquez has been playing the right tackle position for Denver the last two games. If he lines up there on Sunday, he will have to deal with the emerging Olivier Vernon.
Vernon has combined with Wake to give the Dolphins a great pair of bookend pass-rushers, and he has 17 sacks in his last 26 games.
That will be a tough challenge for Vasquez—or whoever lines up at right tackle.
C.J. Anderson vs. Miami Linebackers
C.J. Anderson will be as important as any player on Denver's roster for this game, both as a runner and a receiver.
Miami linebackers Koa Misi and Philip Wheeler will have eyes on him all day.
Anderson needs to get to the second level in the running game and get extra yards by making guys miss. Of course, getting to the second level is contingent on the offensive line opening holes.
But as he has been in the last two games, Anderson may be even more important in the passing game.
He was open repeatedly against St. Louis, and if Miami is going to leave the short checkdown passes open, then Peyton Manning needs to take them.
If Anderson can gain some separation, he could make some big plays, as he is too quick for the Miami linebackers and could turn a short pass into a gain of 10 yards or more.
Demaryius Thomas vs. Brent Grimes
Looking at this matchup on paper, you'd think it would be one the Broncos could exploit. Thomas is 6'3", while Grimes is only 5'10".
Thomas should be able to use his size and strength to dominate Grimes, right? That won't happen.
Grimes is one of the craftiest cornerbacks in the NFL and Thomas will face one of his toughest matchups of the season. But if the Broncos are without Julius Thomas and/or Emmanuel Sanders, Manning will have to lean heavily on his No. 1 wide receiver.
Grimes will be up to the challenge, just as he was in Week 10 when Miami took on the Detroit Lions. He went up and made an incredible one-handed interception on a ball intended for Calvin Johnson that appeared to be a sure touchdown.
Broncos' X-Factor: Cody Latimer
This is an easy choice, only because there will never be a better time to break out this year's second-round draft pick, Cody Latimer.
After Sanders and Julius Thomas left last week's game against St. Louis, the Denver offense struggled mightily with Jacob Tamme and Andre Caldwell in their place.
Knowing that, the coaching staff can't continue to make Latimer inactive. Instead, they need to take advantage of his skill set and the fact that no team has really seen any tape on him.
This would be a great way to catch a hot team like Miami off guard.
Prediction
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The Miami Dolphins are a team with playoff aspirations, and they have a golden opportunity sitting in front of them this week. A victory in Denver would be the franchise's biggest win in years.
On the other hand, the Broncos are a team that is reeling after their loss in St. Louis. And with the way the New England Patriots are playing, they have to realize that any hope for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is slowly fading away.
In order to win this game, the Broncos must be more balanced on offense and be willing to stick with the running game even if it doesn't succeed initially.
Miami can deal a serious blow to Denver's Super Bowl aspirations, but knowing that, the Broncos will play like a team with their backs against the wall and pull out a very hard-fought win at home.
Prediction: Broncos 27, Dolphins 23
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