INDIANAPOLIS – Despite not being in the same division, the Colts and Broncos will now match up for a fifth time in the last four years this Sunday afternoon.
The furthest trip west for the Colts during the first half of the season is in Denver, a place the Colts have split meetings in with Andrew Luck at quarterback.
These Broncos do have some different features this time around.
Quarterback Trevor Siemian now has the reigns on the Denver offense.
With Peyton Manning retired and first-round pick Paxton Lynch not being thrown into the fire just yet, it's a 2015 seventh-round pick managing things at quarterback.
What we saw in Week One from Siemian was a quarterback not needing to force things down the field and relying on a ground attack that put up 148 rushing yards in their win over Carolina, the sixth most of any team last week.
So the quarterback is a very new face in Denver, but the defense is still bringing the same heat towards opposing quarterbacks.
Denver had three sacks of Cam Newton in Week One, with DeMarucs Ware (1.5 sacks) and Von Miller (1.0) closing things out in the Broncos' season-opening victory.
An edge presence of Ware and Miller, plus one of the louder stadiums in the NFL, will be the challenge for a Colts offensive line that protected well for a large majority of Week One.
Against Carolina, the Broncos did overcome a minus two number in the turnover category.
The biggest injury to watch this week for Denver surrounds Pro Bowl wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. In Week One, Thomas suffered a hip injury but Gary Kubiak said on Monday that he expects to have Thomas at practice this week.
A win on Sunday for the Colts would keep them from their third straight 0-2 start.
Denver comes into Week Two on a 10-day layoff after kicking off NFL's 2016 season last Thursday.
*2016 Record: *1-0, 1st in the AFC West.
*Head Coach: *Gary Kubiak, head coach (10th season as an NFL head coach, second overall in Denver, 74-68 overall regular season, 5-2 postseason record).
*2016 NFL Rankings: *Offense – Overall, 25th (307.0); Rushing, 6th (148.0); Passing, 29th (159.0). Defense – Overall, 14th (333.0); Rushing, 31st (157.0); Passing, 7th (176.0).
2016 Leading Passer: Trevor Siemian (18-of-26 comp., 178 yards, 69.2. pct., 1 TD, 2 INTs, 69.1 rating).
*2016 Leading Rusher: *C.J. Anderson (20 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD).
*2016 Leading Receiver: *Emmanuel Sanderson (5 receptions, 49 yards, 0 TDs).
2016 Leading Sacker: DeMarcus Ware (1.5).
2016 Turnover Breakdown: Minus 2 (tied for 29th in the NFL).
2016 NFL Draft Results: It was time to think about the future at quarterback in Denver. With Peyton Manning retiring, the Broncos traded up to the 26th overall pick in Round One and took big man Paxton Lynch out of Memphis. It appears the Broncos will wait on throwing Lynch into the rookie quarterback fire of the NFL. Outside of Lynch, the Broncos did take a running back (Utah's Devontae Booker) and a fullback (Nebraska's Andy Janovich) in the draft, two guys that got touches in Week One of the NFL.
2015 Review:With a dominant, dominant defense, the Broncos went unblemished until traveling to the Colts in Week Nine. The Colts then gave them their first loss of 2015. From then, the Broncos relied on their defense while the quarterback situation became a major topic. Denver secured home field for the playoffs and the defense didn't allow more than 18 points in their run to Super Bowl 50. It was the third Super Bowl championship for the franchise.
Last time in Playoffs: 2015 season. Defeated the Carolina Panthers, 24-10, in Super Bowl 50.
*Last time in Super Bowl: *2015 season. Defeated the Carolina Panthers, 24-10, in Super Bowl 50.
*Super Bowl Championships: *Three: 1997 (XXXII). 1998 (XXXIII). 2015 (50).
2016 Pro Bowl Selections: OLB-Von Miller, OLB-DeMarcus Ware, CB-Chris Harris, Jr. and CB-Aqib Talib.
