Week 14

Broncos Preview

Denver Broncos (8-4) vs. Indianapolis Colts (12-0)

One team is playing for perfection, the other to keep pace in the AFC wildcard race while chasing down San Diego in the AFC West. While Sunday’s game is an important one, it’s not a do-or-die one for either team. Indianapolis (12-0) has all but locked up home-field advantage in the AFC. The Colts have already won the AFC South and can be seeded no lower than third. But a perfect season and a 21-game regular-season winning streak hangs in the balance. For Denver, with winnable home games against Oakland and Kansas City still on the schedule and a key road game at Philadelphia in two weeks that is more important as far as tiebreakers go, Denver can afford a loss here. But riding a modest two-game winning streak and a resurgent ground game, the Broncos are primed to end Peyton Manning and the Colts’ winning streak this weekend.

KEY MATCHUPS:

_QB Peyton Manning, WR Reggie Wayne vs. CB Champ Bailey.

Teams, surprisingly, have challenged perennial Pro Bowler Bailey all season. Manning and Wayne won’t be any different. Manning tops the league with 3,685 passing yards, Wayne is fifth in receiver yardage with 1,035 and the Colts have the league’s top-ranked passing offense at nearly 303 yards per game. The key to this could be how Denver’s secondary, especially Andre Goodman and Ty Law, does against young WRs Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie on the other side. In particular, Garcon, who has 17 catches for 307 yards in the past three games -- nearly twice as many yards as Wayne.

_Broncos’ run game vs. Colts’ run game.

On one side you have Knowshon Moreno, the top rookie rusher in the league with 774 yards rushing, and teammate Correll Buckhalter. On the other is Joseph Addai and the 32nd, and worst, rushing offense in the league. When you have Peyton Manning at QB, I guess you don’t have to run the ball as much as other teams, but it would help. It certainly has helped Denver in recent weeks as the Broncos, with wins over the N.Y. Giants and Kansas City, ended a four-game losing streak, primarily because of the running game. If Denver can control the clock and keep Manning off the field it could be key to scoring a huge AFC victory.

_Broncos OT Tyler Polumbus vs. DE’s Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

While the Broncos have Elvis Dumervil and his 15 sacks, the Colts have Freeney and Mathis, who’ve combined for 20 sacks and six forced fumbles. Be it Freeney or Mathis, whomever ends up opposite of Polumbus, who jumps into the starting lineup with Ryan Harris out for the season with a toe injury, will pose a threat. It could be a boost to Indianapolis’ middle-of-the-pack defense while challenging Kyle Orton and Denver’s 19th-ranked passing offense.

FANTASY PICK RB Knowshon Moreno. The rookie from Georgia has averaged 88 yards rushing the past four weeks and scored three of his five rushing touchdowns in Denver’s last two games, both wins. He’ll have to adjust to Tyler Polumbus playing right tackle instead of Ryan Harris, but with Indianapolis’ mediocre run defense on the opposite side Moreno could be in line for his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. INJURY REPORT OT Ryan Harris (toe) was placed on injured reserve earlier this season, ending his season. Tyler Polumbus will start in his place. Safety David Bruton (thigh) didn’t participate in practice Wednesday, while Josh Barrett (shoulder), Brian Dawkins (ankle) and Kyle Orton (ankle) all will be ready for the Colts. --- MICHAEL HICKS.