INDIANAPOLIS – You could spend weeks analyzing all the storylines for Sunday's tilt between the undefeated Broncos and the 3-5 Colts.
Out in Denver, Peyton Manning is sticking to the script, but his teammates aren't naive to the extra motivation coming on Sunday for No. 18.
What are the Broncos saying about Sunday's road matchup versus the Colts?**
QUARTERBACK PEYTON MANNINGOn if is this is just another game**
"Obviously we have played there a couple years ago. There's been so much change here. Every week, we're trying to get more comfortable with all the changes here. We're, every week, concentrating on trying to get things on the same page here and adjusting to who we're playing each week. That's really kind of all the focus is on. There's plenty to focus on from those two standpoints." On the play of Robert Mathis
"Sure, yeah. Robert is making a lot of plays. I've always said about Robert, when you combine his ability with that type of work ethic and that type of want to that's why he's such a special player. He sure looks good out there."On Matt Hasselbeck
"Yeah, obviously Matt's dad and my dad played together at Minnesota. Then of course I've really gotten to know him better since being in the NFL together for 18 years playing against each other or seeing him at a Pro Bowl. He played great those two games. I really have great respect for the way he performed in that game against Houston. We got to watch that on Thursday night. You can't speak for him, but it just sounded like he sure didn't feel well. To go out and play like that was very impressive to watch. I've always had a lot of respect for Matt, the way he's taken care of himself. You don't play football at this age if you don't have a great work ethic and a great commitment to taking care of yourself. He's done a heck of a job of that for sure."On first time he met Andrew Luck
"Oh yeah, it would have been at the football camp. He came as a camper, but I can't say I recall that. When he was coming as a senior at Stanford, he came down to the camp like all those quarterbacks do. He was just extremely impressive as a player and of course like I said, my dad has known his dad for a long time. Just a great guy as well."
On the impact he had on the city of Indianapolis off the field
"It's hard for me to speak to that. It's a great city, great people, just like here in Denver—great community. They love their sports and the sports teams are a big part of the community. I've been real fortunate to play for two football teams and two cities in communities that are very connected. The Colts always did a great job serving the community there when I was there. They encouraged that. They emphasized that—[former Colts Head Coach] Tony Dungy down the line. It's the same way here in Denver. We've got a lot of guys doing a lot of great things in the community, as well. I've been real fortunate from that standpoint."
**RUNNING BACK C.J. ANDERSON
On if Sunday's game in Indianapolis has more meaning after the playoff loss last season
"Yeah, I want to win for 1-8 [Manning] for that reason. I think we want to do it as a team for that reason. We understand how 18 became 18 in that [city]. There's just so much history with him throwing touchdown passes and breaking records over there, and he understands that, and he understands that the crowd loves him, but they'll hate him for that 60 minutes."
INSIDE LINEBACKER BRANDON MARSHALLOn if Sunday's game in Indianapolis has more meaning after the playoff loss last season**
"Maybe for some guys, but not for me. I just want to go out there and get this win. I really want to get this win for Peyton. For 18 because for him to get a win against his old team in their stadium, I think, would be huge for him and it'll make him the all-time winningest quarterback in the league. That's who I'm playing for."On Manning potentially breaking Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre's win record
"It means a lot and for him to do it there, I think that would be crazy. I'm excited for this opportunity for us to get this win."On the play of Colts QB Andrew Luck
"If you watch the tape, their offense definitely gets better as the game goes on. They outscore all of their opponents in the fourth quarter, so this is a game where we have to be on our game throughout the whole game. He starts off slow—yes, he's been turnover prone and we'll have to capitalize on that, but we definitely can't sleep on them just because they're under .500 and he's been throwing interceptions. He definitely will throw touchdowns."
CORNERBACK CHRIS HARRIS JR.On the team turning its attention to playing Indianapolis
"We're playing a team that beat us out last year in the playoffs. It's a game that we definitely want to win badly."
On if he still thinks back to last year's postseason loss
"Definitely. Anytime you lose, it always leaves a bad taste in your mouth, a team that put you out. They beat us. I think we're 1-2 verses [Colts QB] Andrew Luck, so it's something that we definitely want to get this win bad."On if he thinks QB Peyton Manning will have increased motivation to win against the Colts
"Peyton is going to be pumped. That too—being able to get that win for him in Indy, that's huge. It's something I know that he probably wants very bad. He'll never say it to you all, he'll never say it to us, but we know that he wants to go home and get a win. It's important for us to do our job, give him the ball back a lot so we can give him a lot of opportunities to put up points."
TIGHT END VERNON DAVISOn playing against his brother, Colts CB Vontae Davis, on Sunday
"It will be pretty cool to have my whole family come and see me compete against my brother, but this game isn't really about me and my brother. It's bigger than that. It's about winning a game and just adding to what these guys have accomplished here before I arrived. That's all that it's about. That's my focus, that's my mindset and right now I'm just going to try to learn as much as I possibly can and get ready for Sunday."**
HEAD COACH GARY KUBIAK How do you prepare for the coordinator change as an opposing coach?**
"The personnel and how they go about things from that standpoint, that's not going to change. I mean, they've got so many weapons from last year and they've added some this year with Andre (Johnson). So this is about us playing our defense and doing the best that we possibly can. I think each and every week in this league there are adjustments and you see things you haven't seen and you have to adjust to. But our focus has got to be on what we do best and handling our business. We've got some penalties to cut down on and we know we've got our work cut out for us."On how well he knows Rob Chudzinski
"Well I know Chud personally back when he was at Miami in college. He'd come sit in some of our meetings when I was with (Mike) Shanahan so we go back from that standpoint. I know Wade (Phillips) coached with Chud before, I think in San Diego. I mean, in this business as coaches we all kind of cross paths at some point but I got a lot of respect for him and I know he does a great job. Like I said, we're just really trying to stay focused on ourselves and get ourselves ready to play."On the Colts defense
"First off, they play with tremendous effort. I'm very impressed with how they rally to the football and the job that they do. They create a lot of pressure on the quarterback. When you come play there it makes it even more difficult. I've always had a lot of respect for them and I've been in that building many, many times and had our work cut out for us from an offensive standpoint. I know this week won't be any different."On Andrew Luck
"Guys, I don't. I see the big arm, being able to make plays moving around. When you go out there and you throw for 200 yards on the road in one quarter as he did this past weekend, that scares the heck out of you. He's a great player, he's a great young man. He's having a great career and part of this league is playing in tough football games and he's been through eight of them this year, we've been through seven and that's part of it. We all stay the course and we keep going and we know that he'll definitely do that."On where Colts WR Andre Johnson ranks on the list of best players he's coached
"Oh gosh, he's way up there. I know that. He's one of my favorites that I've ever coached. He's a great person and the ultimate worker. What a career he's had. I'm just very proud of him still going and I'm looking forward to seeing him this weekend, but I'm very proud of him. I enjoyed coaching him."
