Denver Broncos vs. Chicago Bears: What's the Game Plan for Denver?

In the midst of a two-game slide, the Denver Broncos (7-2) are looking to get back on the winning track against a surging Chicago Bears (4-5) team. Not only will they have to defeat their former head coach and quarterback to accomplish that, the Broncos will have to do so with a backup quarterback making his first career start.

At one time, Jay Cutler was pegged as the quarterback of the future in Denver when the Broncos selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. How appropriate is it, then, when you consider that the Broncos will be looking to see if the quarterback starting this Sunday can lead them into the future?

While getting a victory will of course be the primary goal, determining whether or not Brock Osweiler is in fact the quarterback of the future will be a close second.

Osweiler will take the reins, while Peyton Manning will rest his ailments. In fact, Manning will not even make the trip to Chicago with the team, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.

Though the Broncos could have a real decision to make at the quarterback position if Osweiler performs well, the team needs to take things one game at a time with him.

There should be plenty of interest surrounding Osweiler and his offense, but the Broncos will also have to worry about slowing down an offense that just put up 37 points and 397 yards against a solid St. Louis Rams defense.

Here, we'll talk about how the Broncos can have success on both sides of the ball in this game.

Offensive Game Plan

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

What the Broncos lose in experience with Manning sidelined, they gain in youth, mobility and arm strength. In fact, with Osweiler, head coach Gary Kubiak should be able to run more of the offense he is accustomed to running.

But against the Bears, the Broncos should not plan to throw the ball 40 times—as they often do with Manning. The Bears come into the game ranked No. 4 in the league against the pass. Playing at Soldier Field, the Broncos have had a tough time throwing the ball with Manning against this team.

But Osweiler brings a new dimension to the passing game. He is quicker, and as a result, Kubiak may dial up the bootleg more in this game, particularly if the Broncos can get the running game working.

Though the Bears rank as one of the best teams in the league against the pass, Pro Football Focus has starting safety Antrell Rolle ranked No. 42 in the league in terms of pass coverage. His counterpart, rookie Adrian Amos, comes in at No. 48.

With that being the case, tight ends Owen Daniels and Vernon Davis could make some plays in this game. Look for Kubiak to try to create a one-on-one matchup against one of these safeties off a bootleg. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Davis catch a deep ball in this one. According to Pro Football Talk, Kubiak is quite comfortable with Osweiler's abilities:

"

Gary Kubiak "comfortable doing anything" with Brock Osweiler https://t.co/rMqkyjNfYA

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 19, 2015"

As for the running game, that needs to be Denver's primary plan of attack. While the Bears are stingy against the pass, at least on paper, only six teams in the entire league allow more yards per game on the ground. Opponents of the Bears are averaging 118.6 yards rushing per game.

To take pressure off of Osweiler, the Broncos need to be committed to running the ball in this game. The offensive line needs to pull together to create running lanes for C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman, because if the Broncos run the ball only 16 times in this game—as they did against Kansas City last week—they'll likely be on the wrong end of the final score.

In order to get Osweiler off to a solid start, Denver must first establish the running game. Both Anderson and Hillman are capable of gaining big chunks of yardage against the Bears defense, but Chicago has to have a reason to bring extra defenders up toward the line of scrimmage to defend.

Otherwise, Chicago will just sit back in coverage and wait on throws, like teams have done all season against Manning.

In addition to a sound running game, Osweiler will benefit from having multiple players produce in the passing game. On the season, Manning has completed 102 passes to Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. He has completed 91 passes to the rest of the team.

Osweiler would benefit from a guy like Bennie Fowler or Andre Caldwell stepping up in the passing game, particularly if Sanders is unable to play.

Defensive Game Plan

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The Broncos will be going up against former offensive coordinator Adam Gase. The team's familiarity with Gase could give it some insight into how to attack this Bears squad, but rest assured, Wade Phillips will need to be disciplined in his approach. 

The Bears have allowed just 16 sacks on the season, so sending constant pressure at a guy with an arm like Cutler's may not be the best idea. Instead, Phillips will need to pick his spots carefully.

The Broncos must also be ready to defend the dump-off pass from Cutler. He loves to throw to his running backs, and when he's not tossing it up to Alshon Jeffery, he's usually throwing it to one of them. Chicago running backs have tallied 38 receptions on the season.

This will make inside linebackers Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan key players in this game. Sticking with the running back on passing plays will be up to one of them in most cases.

Cutler loves to focus on one receiver, and he's not afraid to throw four or five passes in a row to the same guy. The Broncos need to make Cutler throw the ball to the second and third reads in the progression. This is where Cutler becomes far more inaccurate.

If the Broncos can take Jeffery and the dump-off pass away on most passing downs, Cutler will have a long day against Denver's defense. However, the secondary will have to be ready for that challenge. Cutler is generally not afraid to make any throw, and none of Denver's defensive backs will intimidate him.

With all of that said, Denver could be fortunate, as it may not have to deal with two of Chicago's biggest offensive weapons. Jeffery is officially listed as questionable for this game, as is running back Matt Forte, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com.

Key Players and Matchups to Watch

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Andre Caldwell: Caldwell has had a quiet season and a quiet career, for the most part, in Denver. Could a change at quarterback make him more relevant? Backup quarterbacks often have better chemistry with receivers further down the depth chart. For that reason, Caldwell could be a factor with Osweiler under center. 

Osweiler and Caldwell hooked up two times last Sunday for 13 yards and a touchdown.

Shane Ray: Denver defensive end DeMarcus Ware has officially been ruled out for this game, as reported by Legwold. That means extra opportunities for the rookie Shane Ray. He and Shaquil Barrett will be key in Denver's pass rush.

Denver Secondary vs. Chicago Tight Ends: We talked about Denver slowing down Jeffery and taking away the dump-off passes to running backs, but Chicago still has one of the league's best tight ends in Martellus Bennett. 

But the Bears also have Zach Miller, who has come out of nowhere in recent games. Miller has caught seven passes for 130 yards and three touchdowns over the last two weeks. Denver safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart could have their hands full with these two.

Prediction

This is a tough game to call with it being Osweiler's first start, but what we should expect is to see some new wrinkles on offense. 

Chicago has found its game in the last two weeks, and Cutler has the Bears playing well and moving into playoff contention. With Cutler and John Fox looking to stick it to their former team, this could end up being a tough game for Denver.

Having to go into Chicago, Osweiler may run into some tough sledding. But as has been the case many times this season, Denver's defense will come up with several key stops. That will help allow Osweiler to win in his first start in a low-scoring affair.

Final Prediction: Broncos 16, Bears 13