Preview Week Four: Broncos at Colts

by BigBlueShoe on Sep 28, 2007 5:07 PM EDT in Game Preview

Gary Brackett needs to remove the "Owned by Travis Henry" tag from his jersey.

It's a game TheSportsGuru at Mile High Report and I have had circled on our calendars since March. Again, the NFL season always seems to fly by. We're now already into Week Four, and teams are beginning to forge identities and establish position within their divisions and conferences.

Week Four: Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
Location: RCA Dome Indianapolis, IN
Kick-off time: 4:15 pm EDT
Broadcast: CBS

For the second week in a row, the Colts will face Mike Shanahan's offense. However, this time around mike Shanahan himself will run the offense instead of Gary Kubiak, Shanahan's former assistant, now the Head Coach of the Houston Texans. The Colts return to the RCA Dome for the first time in two and a half weeks. Their last home game sent the Saints into the spiraling hell they currently are in. In a few ways, this is like another home opener. The Thursday night game was prime time, big lights, and the world watching. Now, it feels like more of a real home opener rather than an NFL opener. I'm sure Indy is happy to be back in the dome after two tough road wins in hostile environments. Though Denver, and its fans, seem to be scratching their heads about this team, that doesn't make them less dangerous. Here are the keys:

Dwight Freeney. You can tell Dwight is annoyed. Three game in and only .5 sacks. He's been held on virtually every play by the last three teams, the New Orleans being the worst. This might be one of those games where Dwight explodes for three sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. Dwight's hungry. He's mad. He wants to do something. The funny thing about that is I think Dwight is playing some great football. He's pressuring the QB, making great tackles, and punishing ball carriers. The hard work is going to pay off, and I think it does in this game. Denver's got a good offensive line, and they like to roll their QBs on bootlegs to throw the ball. Cutler is good at this, but Dwight is one fast mofo. Dwight just might have himself a game.
Linebackers. Folks, Travis Henry owns the Colts defense. The price tag on Gary Brackett's jersey reads, "Property of Travis Henry, da Pimp of Indianapolis." In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the mothers of all of Travis Henry's children were WIVES of Colts' defenders; he owns them that big. If you watch videos interviews with Colts players on Colts.com, they gush about Travis Henry. Kelvin Hayden called him the most under-rated back in football. Make no mistake folks, Denver picked up Henry specifically because he is so good against the Colts. Last season, he ran for 123 yards in the first game against Indy and 93 yards in the second, averaging over 4.5 yards a rush. It still boggles my mind that Buffalo actually dumped this guy in favor of Willis McGahee, a man who can barely spell the word "b-u-f-f-a-l-o" let alone find the city on a map. Last year, Colts linebackers were terrible at bringing Henry down when he played for the Titans. This year, the LB corps is better, and both KO and the boys should lay the wood on Henry. Containing him and shutting down Denver's running game is vital for a win, just like last week against Houston.
Kick coverages. Can we please, for the love of God and sunny Jesus, cover the kicks and punts? Can Hunter Smith stop out-punting his coverages? I won't go into a Russ Purnell rant here, but this is, without question, THE weak link for the Colts. I'm on my knees, hoping, begging, pleading that this group, minus Roy Hall and maybe Clint Sessions, can do their friggin' job.

As always, I'm glad a great blogger like TheSportsGuru is covering the other team. You can view his game preview here. While the Broncos are still searching for an identity with their new coaches and players, they are still a pretty damn good football team. Just like the last three weeks, it doesn't get any easier for the Colts.

0 recs | Comment 10 comments

Story-email Email | Print |

Comments

Travis Henry

The Broncos aren't in the Colts division and we don't play them every year, so I don't know why they would sign Henry just because he destroys the Colts defense.

by Playoff Pride on Sep 28, 2007 5:56 PM EDT 0 recs

Wow ...

You guys have short memories. This was a great rivalry just 2-3 short years ago. Denver begain rebuilding, but has always played us tightly. Shanahan had specifically restructured the team several times to try and "get past" us. I wouldn't be surprised for BBS to find something that supports his statements about Henry at all. TH is a great back, and extremely underrated IMHO.

by PaytonMenning on Sep 28, 2007 10:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

eh

I remember going to the divisional playoff game in '04. We murdered the Broncos.

Go Colts!

by KingRichard on Sep 29, 2007 3:09 AM EDT up 0 recs

Playoffs

Because we have killed Denver in the playoffs.

by MasterRWayne on Sep 28, 2007 6:24 PM EDT 0 recs

So what

Thats not a smart way to make the Broncos into a championship team. Sure they MIGHT beat the Colts, but what about the Chargers, who swept Denver last year and the rest of the AFC.

Do you think Bill Polian started drafting players for the sole purpose of beating the Patriots? Hell no. Polian continued to draft players with speed and class and now he has a championship ring.

The Broncos have other teams to worry about than just the Colts. To assemble a team just to stop the Colts is rediculous unless that team is a division rival.

by Playoff Pride on Sep 30, 2007 12:51 AM EDT up 0 recs

That could be

one of the DUMBEST comments i've ever heard. Henry was not signed for the sole purpose of going against the Colts, WOW!

Titans Fan

by nvemvp23 on Sep 28, 2007 6:45 PM EDT 0 recs

Please

Please re-read the post and the comments. Where does it say that Travis Henry was signed for the "sole" reason of beating the Colts? I think it's implied that he was signed because he's an under-rated back, but his success against Indy is something I think Shanahan took note of. Remember, he traded for Champ Bailey and signed John Lynch specifically to stop the Colts offense after they annihilated Denver in the 2003 playoffs. Then, in the 2004 playoffs, the Colts did it again. Last year, Denver's defense got ZERO pressure on Peyton Manning in the regular season game last year. Denver had won 14 straight games at home leading up to that game. Peyton picked them apart, the Colts won the game, and Denver never recovered. They missed the playoffs last year, and their decent started after they lost to the Colts. Since then, they have fired their defensive coordinator, traded for another CB (Dre Bly), drafted pass rushers, signed DE Simeon Rice, and ran both Al Wilson and Jake Plummer outta Denver.

In short, the Broncos are once again rebuilding their team specifically to stop the Colts.

They've beaten everyone else, with special regard to New England. They, quite simply, OWN the Patriots. I think Shanahan feels the only team that is really in their way is Indy. Indy and Manning have long been a thorn in Shanahan's side. Manning is to Shanahan what Elway was to Schottenheimer.

Thus, getting a guy like Henry, who has had tremendous success against the Colts defense, logically makes sense. Look at Denver's recent history. They've traded AWAY good running backs, replaced them with no names, and those no names go on to rush for insane yardage. This past off-season, Denver broke with tradition. They signed a big free agent RB; a guy that just so happened to have success against a Denver rival: Indianapolis.

Again, just my opinion, but Travis Henry was signed to come up big in games like this. He was signed, in part, to beat the Colts. That's not the only reason, but I think it factored into the signing. You'll notice that Tennessee did not run the ball well against Indy in their loss two weeks ago.

It was pretty damn obvious that they miss Travis Henry.

Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Sep 29, 2007 1:23 PM EDT up 0 recs

Henry

Henry was signed in the hopes that it would give Denver an age in order to beat the Colts whom Denver would have to play in the playoffs at some point. I realize this idea is foreign to you because as a Titans fan it has been awhile since you have experienced playoff games.

by MasterRWayne on Sep 28, 2007 6:59 PM EDT 0 recs

going to the game

hey all. i've been a lurker on stempede blue for a year now, always enjoyed reading all the commentary and posts.

i'm going to the game this weekend (!) -- and I've only been to the RCA Dome once before, two years ago. (I'm from Texas, but currently in Ann Arbor, MI - been a colts fan since the 95 AFC championship game again the steelers)

Anyone have any practical going-to-the-game advice on cheap parking, cheap lunch, cheap post-game dinner, best route out of town after the game, etc? We're driving in Sunday morning, leaving same night.

thanks!

eric in ann arbor

by headache on Sep 29, 2007 8:11 AM EDT 0 recs

Broncos Record Vs Superbowl Champs

On NFL insider last night, they made the interesting point that the Broncos have won their last 4 reg season matches against the reigning Superbowl champs (Steelers, Patriots, Patriots, & Buccs) in their matchups following the previous superbowl. Not that it should make any difference to their approach, etc, but ya gotta wonder if it's a psychological boost for the Broncos. At any rate, I think the Colts will take 'em, but they'll have to come back from a deficit to do it.

May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.

by juperee on Sep 30, 2007 3:09 PM EDT 0 recs