The Tantalizing Ten: Broncos Divisional Round Edition
Intro: Each week, we will take a look at 10 players that will have a big impact in the game. Who are the "Tantalizing Ten" when the Colts hit the road for Sunday’s Divisional Round matchup with the Broncos?
Hilton finished the Wild Card round with six catches for 108 yards and it could have been much more than that. His hamstring looked fine in getting behind the Bengals secondary and that will be necessary once again this week against an elite corner duo. There's no denying that the pressure Hilton put on Cincinnati opened things up for Boom Herron catching 10 balls out of the backfield.
While the Broncos attack has been more run heavy in the second half of the year, Manning is the one that operates that offense. Manning has dealt with a thigh injury over last month of the year and hasn't put up the same numbers he did earlier this season. In listening to Colts defenders talk this week, interior pressure at Manning is a must.
Matchups like Sunday are why the Colts gave Davis the type of contract they did this offseason. With the variety in pass catchers Denver has, a player like Davis has to play at a Pro Bowl level. With Wes Welker back in Denver's lineup, that means Pro Bowler Demrayius Thomas will line up back at his normal outside receiver position. We've seen quarterbacks shy away from Davis side of the field in 2014 but I doubt you will see much of that from Manning on Sunday.
No offensive tackle in the NFL played as many snaps as Castonzo this season. For all the shifting around the rest of the line, Castonzo has been that bookend on Andrew Luck's blindside. Immediately after the win over the Bengals, Castonzo talked about how he was already thinking about Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware coming off the edge this weekend in Denver.
Coming off a game in which his head coach called the best of Luck's career, the Pro Bowler now tries to duplicate that on the road. Luck will see a Broncos defense with five Pro Bowlers and arguably the league's top cornerback duo in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris. A clean sheet from Luck on Sunday should allow for the Colts to have a chance come late Sunday evening.
Thomas gave the Colts fits in the opener with three red-zone touchdowns in the first half. He put up 12 touchdowns just past the halfway point of the year but an ankle injury in early November has slowed him since. The Broncos haven't been the same red zone force as they were earlier in the year with Thomas not catching one touchdown in the past seven weeks.
It's unfair to put just one player under the "pass rush" responsibility so this encompasses the entire group. The stat has been labored on over and over again in 2014 but it's hard to escape. In the Colts five losses this season, they've produced just two sacks. The sacks are the tangible results of pressure but just applying some of that discomfort has to be consistent on Sunday.
Boom Herron was the beneficiary of Andrew Luck hitting his check downs throughout the Wild Card win over the Bengals. Herron gives the Colts the closest thing they have to an Ahmad Bradshaw in terms of being able to impact the game outside of just running the football. Rush attempts for Herron might not be a high priority again this weekend, but his presence is still needed for Luck to avoid forcing balls down field, yet still moving the chains.
Against the Bengals, there's little question Freeman played his finest game of the season. He was the sideline-to-sideline player that the Colts have seen so often in 2012 and 2013. With a healthy tight end in Julius Thomas, Freeman will certainly be counted on to match up against him.
The Colts patchwork offensive line had a very solid performance in the team's Wild Card victory. The challenge takes a serious step up this weekend with a pair of Pro Bowl rushers in Miller and DeMarcus Ware. That duo is one of just three in the NFL with double-digit sacks on the year.
