Denver Broncos blocking adversity with their new-look offensive line By Mike Klis The Denver Post October 19, 2013

Not to suggest the Broncos' offensive line is getting thin, but even their fat guys look skinny.

No, wait. This is serious.

The offensive line responsible for protecting the NFL's hottest quarterback has gone from the usual "next man up" to the unusual stratagem of moving men over.

A right guard by trade, Manny Ramirez has been starting at center. Another right guard by trade, Louis Vasquez, will make his first NFL start at tackle Sunday night against Peyton Manning's former team, the Indianapolis Colts. All-pro left tackle Ryan Clady has been scooting around on a wheelie device that props up his heavily casted left foot. As Clady rolls off until next year, he has been replaced by Chris Clark, who never made a start at left tackle in his first five NFL seasons.

Lining up against all of this front-line shifting and substituting at Lucas Oil Stadium will be NFL sack leader Robert Mathis of the Colts.

"We are playing a tough team on the road, possibly undermanned," Manning said.

For their Week 7 game in Indianapolis, the Broncos will employ Operation Orlando. Right tackle Orlando Franklin is the latest Broncos blocker to go down with an injury. After mauling his Jacksonville defender a couple of yards into the end zone on Knowshon Moreno's 1-yard touchdown run last weekend, Franklin had his left leg dumped on by another Jaguars player who was knocked down by a Joel Dreessen block.

Franklin left the Jacksonville game with knee and ankle sprains — injuries that kept him out of practice this week and makes him doubtful to play Sunday on Lucas Oil Stadium's artificial turf. To finish out the Jacksonville game, Vasquez moved from right guard to right tackle. Chris Kuper moved into the right guard slot, where he has been a starter since the end of the Mike Shanahan era.

Ordinarily, dipping deep into the depth chart to plug the front line leads to problems. Not so much with the way Manning operates his offense. Between his quick releases and varied snap counts, Manning has seemingly taken the pass rush out of the game.

In fact, entering Week 7, Manning had posted the rare statistical double of leading the league in pass attempts (240) while taking the fewest sacks (five). For all of the hits Denver's offensive line has taken, Manning has taken very few.

"You've got to give Peyton a ton of credit for that," Kuper said. "He does a ton of studying and keeps whoever's in there on the same page. And there's no doubt, the guys who have been there have done a great job. I mean, those guys have played. All of us have played."

True, but not everybody is playing at their intended position. Entering this season, Ramirez had 26 starts in his NFL career — 13 at right guard, 13 at left guard. But then starting center J.D. Walton went down in June. First alternate Dan Koppen followed with a season-ending injury in July.

And so Ramirez was no longer a guard, but a center.

The Broncos paid Clady a near-record $15 million this year to solidify the all-important blindside protection for Manning. But then Clady went down with a foot injury that required season-ending surgery, creating an opportunity for Clark to play.

The Broncos signed Vasquez, a free agent at the time, to a contract that made him one of the NFL's highest-paid guards. He was ranked among the league's top pass-protection guards through the first five games this season, as graded by Pro Football Focus.

Vasquez's first 60 starts in the NFL were made at guard. Start No. 61 will be made at right tackle.

Front line of musical chairs

From the starting offensive line the Broncos had projected during the offseason, only left guard Zane Beadles will be playing at his intended position Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos' offensive line as it was supposed to be, and what it is now:

Pos.ProjectedNowLT Ryan CladyChris ClarkLG Zane BeadlesBeadlesC J.D. WaltonManny RamirezRG Louis VasquezChris KuperRT Orlando Franklin Vasquez

After serving six-game suspension, Broncos star Von Miller good to go Joan Niesen The Denver Post October 19, 2013

Broncos linebacker Von Miller will be a starter in Indianapolis on Sunday in his first game since completing his six-game suspension.

Coach John Fox declined to announce Denver's entire starting lineup Friday, but he did confirm that Miller will play with the first-string defense against the Colts.

"He's had a great week in practice," Fox said. "Obviously he has a lot of energy. He has fresh legs, and he's very excited about playing. I think his teammates are excited about watching."

Miller set a Broncos record last season with 18½ sacks. He has 30 sacks in 31 games overall.

Injury report. Offensive tackle Orlando Franklin didn't participate in Denver's practice Friday and is listed as

doubtful to play Sunday on the team's injury report. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard was limited and is listed as questionable. All of their teammates, including defensive end Robert Ayers, practiced at full speed.

Woodyard said Thursday that he will play against the Colts.

Irsay update. Colts owner Jim Irsay continued his week-long Twitter diatribe — with a twist, posting Pearl Jam lyrics. "Nothing's changed, but the surrounding (expletive) ... that has grown," the tweet read. It's an excerpt from the song "Off He Goes."

Yet another dig at Peyton Manning?

In a more uplifting tweet, Irsay posted Friday that the IU Simon Cancer Center, which treated Colts coach Chuck Pagano last year, will be accepting donations Sunday outside Lucas Oil Stadium.

Safety first. The highlight of the media-viewing portion of Friday's practice was a contest among the secondary in which players had to catch passes one-handed. Fail, and be forced to sit cross-legged on the sideline and watch. David Bruton, a safety, won convincingly.

The players who were involved with the drill were given photographs of themselves sitting cross-legged on the sideline after practice.

Landry update. Colts safety LaRon Landry, who has missed the past four weeks because of a high ankle sprain, will play against the Broncos.

The Colts have the 11th-best defense in the NFL, despite playing short-handed for much of the season.

With Landry's return, the Colts will have their starting unit together for the first time since they lost 24-20 to Miami in Week 2. In the two games he has been able to play this season, Landry has a total of 26 tackles.

Fox likes the way Von Miller has prepared for Indianapolis By Irv Moss The Denver Post October 18, 2013

If Broncos coach John Fox was a betting man, he'd wager that linebacker Von Miller will be in his team's starting lineup Sunday night in Indianapolis against the Colts.

But that was as official as he would go Friday after the Broncos completed practice at Dove Valley.

"He (Miller) had a good week of practice with a lot of energy," Fox said of Miller, who is coming off a six-game suspension levied by the NFL. "We're not announcing our starting lineup, but I'd wager he's going to start."

Fox also issued an injury report, listing offensive tackle Orlando Franklin as doubtful and linebacker Wesley Woodyard as limited and questionable. He said whether Woodyard plays will probably be a game-time decision. Franklin didn't participate in practice this week due to knee and ankle injuries. Fox said everyone else is listed as probable and ready to go.

As for the motives of Colts owner Jim Irsay, who will honor Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning before the game Sunday night, Fox said he wasn't sure. Asked if he thought Irsay was attempting to divide the concentration of Manning, who played for the Colts 14 years before coming Denver, Fox said he had made his comments earlier in the week and would talk only about the game.

Earlier in the week Fox criticized Irsay for comments that Manning compiled "Star Wars" statistics but the franchise needed to change its philosophy somewhat to win more than one Super Bowl.

Vasquez set to make his first start at tackle By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press October 18, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Louis Vasquez and Manny Ramirez were guards at Texas Tech together, a position neither of them will play in Peyton Manning's homecoming game Sunday night.

Ramirez is a first-year starter at center after injuries sidelined J.D. Walton and Dan Koppen and Vasquez is set to make his first career start at right guard in place of Orlando Franklin when the Denver Broncos (6-0) take on the Indianapolis Colts (4-2).

Vasquez slid over when Franklin sprained his left knee and ankle in a pileup in the end zone against Jacksonville last week. That marked the first time Vasquez ever played at right tackle, although he filled in occasionally at left tackle in college.

Although all 60 of his NFL starts have come at guard, Vasquez took plenty of snaps in Franklin's spot last summer for this very scenario.

"Yeah, he's a big, physical guy. He's got long arms. He's athletic," coach John Fox said of the 6-foot-5, 335-pounder who will have his enormous hands full against Colts pass-rusher Robert Mathis.

Chris Kuper, whose career has been sidetracked by surgeries that left a jigsaw scar on his left ankle, filled in at right guard when Franklin went out, and the Broncos put together two drives that ended with Knowshon Moreno TD runs behind the makeshift line.

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase said the challenge facing Vasquez is he'll be blocking defenders "that are a lot smaller and a lot faster. When you're inside you can get your hands on them a lot quicker."

With journeyman Chris Clark his capable blindside defender ever since All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady went on IR with a foot injury a month ago, Manning has been sacked just twice.

Add the three sacks he took in the opener, and Manning has been sacked fewer times than any NFL quarterback who's started all of his team's games.

He realizes many of his old teammates would love to knock him down in his return.

"That's something, if I could avoid, I'd be in favor of it," Manning said, "but it would be a challenge. Like I said, we finished the game against Jacksonville with our right guard playing tackle. Our starting left tackle has been out for the season and we're playing in one of the loudest places to play, if not the loudest, against a great pass-rush team. We've got a great challenge from that standpoint."

Nobody has a bigger task than Vasquez, who declined to comment Friday when approached at his locker. However, he told Denver radio station 104.3 The Fan one day earlier than all his cross-training at right tackle last summer helped prepare him for this moment.

The Broncos are averaging 44 points a game, but Manning notes the offense is still a work in progress because he's still getting used to some of his new teammates and working behind his makeshift O-line.

"We got a lot of guys that are playing for the first time. We got a first-year center. Last week we finished the game with the right guard playing right tackle, so there's a lot on my plate from that standpoint and a lot on our team's plate that we still need to improve on," Manning said.

Notes: MLB Wesley Woodyard (shoulder stinger) was limited all week, but he insisted, "I'm playing Sunday." He missed last week's game after getting hurt at Dallas. ... Franklin missed practice all week but didn't have his walking boot Friday in the locker room.

Indy veterans hope to slow down Manning's Broncos By Michael Marot The Associated Press October 19, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne have seen Peyton Manning's high-flying act.

As longtime teammates, they played a part in Manning's gaudy stats, record-breaking quests and even the distracting pursuits of perfection.

This week, as outsiders, they will put all that inside knowledge to use as Andrew Luck and the Colts try to derail Manning and the unbeaten Broncos.

"You've got try to rattle him as much as you can," Mathis said.

It's never been easy for a veteran team like the Patriots to do, and it won't be any simpler for Luck's young Colts (4-2), who have never been through a week quite like this.

Manning's return to Indy has been hyped 24/7, helped along by Denver coach John Fox's criticism and the ensuing media outcry over comments made by Colts owner Jim Irsay — comments that were virtually identical to what he had been saying for months. There has been curiosity over how long and exactly what the Colts will do to honor Manning during pregame festivities. And, of course, everyone wants to know what will be going through Manning's masterful mind as he suits up in Lucas Oil Stadium's visiting locker room for the first time.

"For me to predict, I just can't give you an answer," Manning said, a tactful attempt to deflect attention from himself. "I guess I'll know a little more after the game."

What Wayne and Mathis know better than most is how good Manning can be.

Nobody has thrown more touchdown passes through six games (22) and no quarterback since 1950 has produced more double-digit winning streaks. Manning has officially done it five times, six when counting the four-game playoff run that led to his only Super Bowl title, a string the league does not count.

Denver's 17-game winning streak is tied for the fourth longest in NFL history.

Not long ago, Manning was doing all this in Indy.

Colts fans remember his record-breaking 2004 season with 49 TD passes, and Mathis and Wayne played key roles in Indy's league-record 23-game winning streak led by Manning in 2008-09. They were also around for the 13-0 start in 2005 when Indy's average winning margin was 16.3 points.

It's different this time.

Manning's Broncos (6-0) are on pace to shatter the NFL's single-season scoring record and, fair or not, many will watch Sunday night's game to see whether Luck can live up to the standards Manning established.

But if Mathis and Wayne learned anything from Manning, it's this: forget the sideshows.

"It's a big game to us just because every game is a big game. We're coming off a loss. We really feel like we didn't display our talents the way we should have last week," Wayne said. "We get another opportunity to change that over, to kind of change some thoughts in people's minds. ... I'm just ready to play."

Here are five things to watch Sunday night:

HEAD GAMES: Manning's ability to call plays at the line of scrimmage is second to none. Wayne, Mathis and Antoine Bethea saw Manning do it in practice and on games days for nearly a decade. Colts coach Chuck Pagano plans to take advantage of that expertise this weekend, but it's unclear how much it will help. Wayne told reporters this week that his insights would be irrelevant because Manning would "change it anyway." But watching the mind games between Manning and his ex-teammates should be one of the night's more intriguing matchups.

NO. 1 vs. NO. 1: The Luck-Manning showdown will be the feature attraction of Week 7, and with good reason. This is the first time in the common draft era that two quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall by the same franchise played for that team and later met in a game. John Elway and Jeff George were also taken No. 1 overall by the Colts and squared off four times, but Elway was traded to Denver without ever playing for the Colts. Manning and Luck also happen be two of the league's best.

KEEPING UP WITH THE BRONCOS: Denver's 44.2 points per game translates into more than 700 points over the 16-game schedule. At that rate, most opponents will be forced into playing catch-up. The trick for Indy will be controlling the ball. As the Colts have repeatedly said, they want this team to be more balanced between run and pass, and the addition of Trent Richardson should help that transformation. If the Colts control the clock, they could control the game.

FINAL IMPRESSIONS: Everybody knows about Manning's late-game heroics. But Luck has been every bit as good since coming into the league last season. His seventh fourth-quarter comebacks in 2012 set a rookie record and were tied for the most by any quarterback since 1970. Luck has produced two more fourth-quarter rallies this season, and this time he's getting some help from the defense, which has allowed just 13 points in the fourth quarter of the first six games.

HOME, SWEET, HOME: Indy has traditionally been one of the league's best home teams, and Luck has only added to the reputation by going 9-2 since last season. But Manning has been every bit as comfortable at Lucas Oil Stadium, which many credit him for getting the funding to build. Manning was 19-5 at the retractable-roof

stadium from 2008-10, and until last season, one of the Manning quarterbacks had won in Indy every season since 1998 (Eli won the Super Bowl in Indy after the 2011 season when Peyton sat out the year).

Could it happen this weekend? Stay tuned.

Broncos set for Miller, Woodyard in lineup By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 18, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It may not be the return most showed up at the Broncos complex to talk about this week, but the team finished out the practice week Friday feeling pretty good about the return they’ve been waiting to see. Linebacker Von Miller, who was back on the practice field Monday for the first time this season after a six-game suspension for violating the league’s substance policy, finished out the week well, Broncos coach John Fox said, and is on track to start against the Colts. “He’s had a great week of practice. Obviously he’s got a lot of energy, he’s got fresh legs,’’ Fox said. “He’s excited about playing and his teammates are excited about watching him.’’ Linebacker Wesley Woodyard (neck) also took part in Friday’s practice on a limited basis and was formally listed as questionable for the game. If Woodyard doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he is expected to play. “He’s definitely further ahead this week,’’ Fox said. As they have through practice this week, the Broncos will have to shuffle things in the offensive front because of right tackle Orlando Franklin’s injury. Franklin left Sunday’s game against the Jaguars with knee and ankle injuries. The ankle has been the biggest concern as he was held out of practice all week, including Friday. The Broncos listed him as doubtful and he is not expected to play Sunday with Louis Vasquez expected to line up at right tackle with Chris Kuper at right guard. Defensive end Robert Ayers (left shoulder), defensive end Shaun Phillips (hamstring) and defensive tackle Sylvester Williams (neck), were all limited in practice at some point this week, but participated fully Friday and are on track to play. Tight end Virgil Green (back), wide receiver Wes Welker (ankle), tight end Joel Dreessen (knee), wide receiver Eric Decker (shoulder), cornerback Champ Bailey (foot) and Kuper (ankle) all participated fully through the week and were listed as probable for the game. All are expected to play.

Double Coverage: Broncos at Colts By Jeff Legwold and Mike Wells ESPN.com October 18, 2013

There will always be games when a player returns, with his new team and wearing a new set of NFL colors, to the city where he once worked. Happens all the time. And then there is this week. When the former face of a franchise, a future Hall of Famer, returns, not as a legend in the final days of his career, but as a 37-year-old vying for the league's MVP award, having the season of his life with a Super Bowl hopeful. Peyton Manning returns to Indianapolis as the 6-0 Denver Broncos will meet the 4-2 Indianapolis Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium. ESPN.com Broncos team reporter Jeff Legwold and Colts team reporter Mike Wells break down this week's game. Legwold: Mike, let's get right to it. Manning. Colts. Indianapolis. There isn't much precedent in the league's history for a player of Manning's stature returning, playing as well as ever, to meet his former team. How has it played there? And just how many of the current Colts were even teammates with Manning?

Wells: As much as I hate to admit it, safety Antoine Bethea, a former Manning teammate, said it best inside the locker room in San Diego on Monday, “We see players come and go all the time,” and that the media will make a big deal about it. Bethea was the first Colt not named Jim Irsay to talk about Manning's return. Coach Chuck Pagano didn't even want to talk about it on Tuesday. There are only 11 players still on the roster from when Manning played here. The Colts respect Manning, but they also want to prove they've moved on and they can win without him. You've been around Manning for more than a season now. Do you get a sense that he'll be more pumped than what he is every weekend? Legwold: Manning has already been on the media merry-go-round earlier this season when he faced his brother Eli for the third and likely final time in his career. He didn't like it that much and said as much. I think he certainly will want to show, at least in some way, he appreciated his time with the Colts and that he enjoyed the successes there. In the end he will try to play it straight through the week. That said, when Manning arrived in Denver, those close to him said he was initially surprised the Colts actually released him, even though it made sense financially and for the overall direction of the franchise due to the uncertainty surrounding how he would recover from his neck surgeries. As one of the most competitive people in a league full of competitive people, there is likely a part of him that wants to show what he has left for a team that considers itself to be a Super Bowl contender. To that end, Andrew Luck has consistently seemed comfortable in his role as the

team's leader in the post-Manning era, how do you think he will handle all of this? And will he have some added adrenaline? Wells: Luck hasn't given any indication that he'll prepare for or approach the game any different. It obviously wasn't the same magnitude as what Sunday will be, but the second-year quarterback was put under the spotlight earlier this season when he returned to the Bay Area, where he starred at Stanford, to take on his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, and the San Francisco 49ers. Luck played within himself -– 17-of-26 for 159 yards --and I expect him to do the same thing this weekend. Don't be surprised if offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton tries to get Luck going early in front of the sold-out Lucas Oil Stadium crowd. But don't expect to see Luck throwing the ball 45 times unless the Colts dig themselves into a big hole.

Broncos at Colts: Stat of the Week 6

Peyton Manning will be the sixth quarterback in the Super Bowl era to face the team he led to the title game win on the road. The previous five went 4-1 in those games with Trent Dilfer's game loss against the Ravens as a Browns starter being the only loss. Jim McMahon, Jeff Hostetler, Kurt Warner and Brett Favre all got wins.

I was little surprised Broncos coach John Fox took exception to Colts owner Jim Irsay's comments to USA Today. Is that normal for Fox to respond the way he did? Legwold: From the Broncos' perspective, some in the organization see it as Irsay gladly reaping the benefits of the Colts' success with Manning at quarterback, including a new stadium that allowed the city to host a Super Bowl, and now acting as if one Super Bowl win in Manning's tenure sticks in his craw. Fox simply came to the defense of his player, something he does when he sees it as necessary and something that only strengthens his standing in the Broncos' locker room. Manning almost always takes the high road publicly in such things, as he did this week, but there isn't much question he has one of the game's longest memories when it comes to what's been written or said. Much of what is, or isn't said, this week won't matter much once the ball is snapped, but on the field what do you think the Colts' defensive plan will be against the Broncos' offense? Wells: Don't expect the Colts to sit back in a Cover 2 the way Jacksonville did. That's not defensive coordinator Greg Manusky's style. The cornerbacks will press up on the receivers and they'll continue to gamble to try to make a play. That may not be the right approach to take because as you know, Manning makes teams pay for their mistakes. It'll be interesting to see if Robert Mathis, another one of Manning's former teammates, is able to get off the edge and get to Manning. Mathis is tied for the league lead in sacks with 9.5. The area of concern for the

Colts is at linebacker. Linebacker Jerrell Freeman, the team's leading tackler, had to sit out the second half of last week's game at San Diego with a concussion. Speaking of linebackers, the Broncos will have Von Miller for the first time this season this weekend. Do you expect him to be rusty after being suspended for the first six games? Legwold: On the field that may be the biggest question of the week. Miller, under a provision added to the league's collective bargaining agreement in 2006, could attend team meetings during his suspension and work out at the team's strength and conditioning center. He could not practice or attend games. So, all of the on-field work he has done with the strength coaches has been a solo affair. The question will be if he stayed up to speed in the team's defensive playbook – he says he has. He is an impact rusher, a "game-wrecker" as Pagano likes to say (Pagano is a Boulder, Colo., native). Miller's adrenaline will be off the charts, especially early in the game. It wouldn't be a shock for the Colts to test him with a little misdirection early to see if he's up to the challenge. But Miller should have an impact in the pass rush, especially if his conditioning is as good as he says it is. A lot of folks here are interested to know how Pagano has done healthwise this season following last year's cancer treatments. How important is he to the team's success? Wells: The fact that Pagano was able to overcome cancer to be back on the sideline coaching at the end of last season is a remarkable story in itself. The players like how he motivates them and is constantly positive. I don't think there are many head coaches in the NFL who would think about heading over to Lowe's (he ended up having somebody else go for him) to purchase mousetraps as a reminder for his team not to overlook winless Jacksonville after beating San Francisco the week before. So much is said about Denver's passing game, but what about its rushing game? Can it be effective the same way San Diego was last week? Legwold: Much of the Chargers' offense comes from first-year head coach Mike McCoy -- the Broncos' offensive coordinator last season. Denver certainly noted the success the Chargers had running at the heart of the Colts' defense, especially with a zone run scheme. For all of the talk about how much the Broncos throw the ball, and they throw it with purpose in any down-and-distance situation, they are still fifth in the league in carries with 180, or 30 per game. With Manning at quarterback, with this coaching staff, they will always be pass-first, but offensive coordinator Adam Gase's mentor in the league was Mike Martz. And Martz's high-flying offenses always had a major run-game component. With the Colts' run game, and with Luck 20th among the league's starters in pass attempts, is there an element of having a system in place that doesn't require Luck to have to do everything for the team to win?

Wells: Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, who held that same role at Stanford with Luck, is big into being a run-first team. The Colts have stuck to that mindset through the first six games. But it'll be interesting if Hamilton loosens things on the offense this season after the Colts ran for a season-low 74 yards last week at San Diego. Luck gives the Colts the best chance to win. They'll need Luck's arm to beat the Broncos because Manning & Co. are going to put points -- a lot of them -- on the board this week. It's hard to imagine the Colts will be able to run the ball well enough to keep Manning on the sidelines looking antsy to get back on the field. Passing the ball is probably a good idea since the Broncos are last in the league in defending the pass (338 yards a game). Why have the Broncos defended the pass so poorly? Legwold: Some of it, especially over the first four games of the season, was a good bit of stat padding late in blowouts by opposing offenses. But there is an element that is a personnel issue as well. Elvis Dumervil left in free agency after the fax fiasco in the offseason, Miller was suspended and Champ Bailey missed five games after injuring his left foot in the preseason. That's 17 Pro Bowl appearances from guys who were in the lineup last season when the Broncos tied for the league lead in sacks. And they have had some sacks -- 17 thus far -- but those plays have often been clustered near the end of games with the Broncos having built 20-point leads. They haven't consistently pressured opposing passers this season and as a result some of those quarterbacks are finding some openings against a steady diet of man coverage in the Broncos' secondary. They know they have to get to Luck this weekend or he will pick away at them. That should do it, enjoy the game.

Predictions

The final word on Sunday's matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium:

MATCHUP ANALYSIS

Mike Wells: There will be a lot of emotion inside Lucas Oil Stadium -- from the players and fans -- on Sunday. The Colts will be amped up, especially since they've yet to lose back-to-back games under Pagano, but they don't have enough on offense to keep up with Denver and the defense (no defense in the league actually) isn't good enough to slow Manning down. Broncos 38, Colts 27

Jeff Legwold: The Broncos have had their defensive issues this season and Colts QB Andrew Luck should find some room to work at times. But in the end Von Miller's return to the lineup and Peyton Manning's return to Indy will added up to a Broncos' win. Broncos 41, Colts 28

Life is hard in football as The Next Guy By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 18, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- To find a franchise quarterback, to mine the biggest of football diamonds, is hard. As in once-in-a-career difficult and only if you’re lucky. To find the keystone to build a franchise around is no small thing in the NFL, as the constant search for The Guy who can lead the way to where the victories and trophies are found always seems to be underway. But, in the end, it still may not be as hard as life as The Next Guy, or if the search isn’t successful, The Next Guys. A search John Elway, the Broncos top football executive and Hall of Fame quarterback, calls “one, in this day and age, you have to succeed at. You have to find the guy who can lead your football team. If you don’t you’re going to have a hard time doing the things you want to do as an organization.’’ Elway was The Guy for the Broncos, his standing in the Rocky Mountain region still unrivaled, as the two Super Bowl trophies won in the last two years of his playing career sit in the lobby of the building he still works in. And after he finished his career on the field, Elway didn’t retire to some far off golf course. He remained in Denver operating his businesses, including a restaurant that bears his name, an Arena Football League team and generally is never very far out of sight, or out of mind, of the quarterbacks who had to follow him or the fans who kept hoping to see it happen once again. A list that included Brian Griese, Jake Plummer and Jay Cutler before Elway the executive signed Peyton Manning in 2012. “It was probably difficult at times,’’ Elway said this week. “There are always expectations. When you have a quarterback play for a long time and there’s always hope. That’s what a quarterback does, he gives fans hope that they can win a world championship. To me that’s what most fans want -- they want to win a world championship. When you have a guy who’s the quarterback who’s giving them, year in, year out, hope to win football games, to be a good football team, then all of a sudden you go to the unknown, it can be hard for everybody.’’ It’s why Sunday’s game is the rarest of events. Not only did the Colts move from one franchise quarterback, in Manning, to a player they believe is another in Andrew Luck, the two will be on the same field. And they are not both 30-somethings as Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young were when they met as former teammates in the 1994 season as Montana’s Chiefs faced Young’s 49ers.

This is more Brett Favre facing Aaron Rodgers in 2009. For Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium is past and future, hope and history, all mashed together in one place, something the level-headed Luck has accepted as part of his job. “When you have a guy that was so successful for so long at a team you come in and you see ‘OK, what are some things I can learn from him in talking to Reggie Wayne about preparation or some of the coaches that were here?’" Luck said. "But I never viewed it as having to replace Peyton. I viewed it as a great opportunity to play football and get paid to do it and get to play quarterback. How cool is that?’’ Most personnel executives in the league would say Luck is a rarity in that regard and as the years have gone by history is littered with quarterbacks who weren’t as skilled as the Colts’ 24-year-old both on the field and in the public eye. For his part Plummer sits in the team’s record book with the all-time best winning percentage for quarterbacks who started at least 25 games for Denver. Plummer, who was signed in free agency by former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan in 2003, went 39-15 (.722) in regular-season games for the team. But even he, with that success and three playoff trips, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game in the 2005 season, lived in Elway’s shadow. “[Brian] Griese, before me, probably had it a lot tougher than I did in some ways. I think Brian took the brunt of it,’’ Plummer said. “But I think you have to kind of accept it, you can’t change history, you can’t change who did what. I never thought I had to be John Elway or duplicate what he did. … Of course you think about it in the big picture, it’s John Elway, you want to give him the credit he deserves, the respect he deserves and at the same time you have to really focus on doing the best you can do, as you, for your team.’’ Ironically, Plummer said, it was Elway who gave him a key piece of advice along the way. “He said just play hard, just play with all your heart, and people will see that,’’ Plummer said. “That’s how I always tried to play.’’ But it plays out in every NFL outpost, the most vivid when a quarterback who earns the gold jacket that comes with enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is compared with those who follow him. And there is the case of Brock Osweiler, a second-round pick in the 2012 draft, whose boss is a Hall of Fame quarterback, who sits with another future Hall of Famer in Manning each day in the team’s meeting rooms. Osweiler has said, “I just try to soak it all up. There is no better place for a quarterback to learn how to be a quarterback in this league.’’ But there will be more big shoes to fill in more places, those who follow Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Rodgers, and yes, Manning a second time.

“It’s just because everybody seems to want comparison all the time,’’ Plummer said. “Comparisons, in anything, are not what it’s about, I don’t think whether we’re talking about football or not. But let a kid be like he is, let a kid be what he becomes. It would probably be easier for everybody.’’

Broncos' spring plans now in play up front By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com October 18, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- There is a white board hanging in Dave Magazu's office inside the Denver Broncos complex. Sometimes, the long-time offensive line coach will write the future on it. He will write a plan for a rainy day, some just-in-case ideas for the inevitable sprains, breaks and strains that come his group's way. "In the summer, before OTAs, I might have 15 different lineups written on my board," Magazu said. "You try to make the parts interchangeable." Good thing. The Broncos, with the highest-scoring offense in the history of the league over a season's first six weeks and with a 37-year-old future Hall of Famer at quarterback, are fairly deep into Magazu's magic marker musings already. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- There is a white board hanging in Dave Magazu's office inside the Denver Broncos complex. Sometimes, the long-time offensive line coach will write the future on it. He will write a plan for a rainy day, some just-in-case ideas for the inevitable sprains, breaks and strains that come his group's way. "In the summer, before OTAs, I might have 15 different lineups written on my board," Magazu said. "You try to make the parts interchangeable." Good thing. The Broncos, with the highest-scoring offense in the history of the league over a season's first six weeks and with a 37-year-old future Hall of Famer at quarterback, are fairly deep into Magazu's magic marker musings already. And many of the mix-and-match combinations they ran in their offseason practices and training camp have come to fruition. "It's not something you do at the drop of a hat, but it's best to be ready for things," Magazu said. "You have to start doing some planning in the spring." Manny Ramirez, who had never started a game in his NFL career at center, was moved there during offseason workouts and has been the Broncos' starter since. Left tackle Ryan Clady, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who had not missed a game in his career until this season, suffered a season-ending foot injury in September, so that put backup Chris Clark at left tackle. Then right tackle Orlando Franklin suffered left knee and ankle injuries -- the team

has said the ankle injury is more serious at this point -- on a third-quarter touchdown run by Knowshon Moreno last Sunday. The Broncos were forced to dip into those plans again. They moved right guard Louis Vasquez, who had started to practice at tackle just weeks after he signed with the Broncos in free agency, into Franklin's spot. And Chris Kuper, who has spent almost two years battling back from a dislocated ankle he suffered in the 2011 regular-season finale and an infection that followed this offseason, was moved into the right guard spot where he had been a starter previously in his career. "I'm not even sure [Vasquez] has even played tackle before," Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning said following a 35-19 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. "I don't think it's too much technique as much as it all looks different," Broncos coach John Fox said of the cross-training up front. "It's like moving safety to corner or inside linebacker to outside linebacker, it's just the plays come at you from different angles and stuff looks different. So, guys go down during the season -- we've had our share -- but knock on wood, those guys step in." Ramirez said he's prepared to do whatever the team requests. "My thinking has always been I'll play wherever they want me to," Ramirez said. "The more places you can play, the better your chances of playing. The more you can do." Beyond the threat of injuries, Magazu said part of the issue is the Broncos routinely keep just seven offensive linemen available on their 46-player gameday roster. That means the two backups have to be ready to play at more than one spot. So, the Broncos will kick the tires in the offseason, try tackles at guard, guards at center, centers at guard, just to see who can, or can't have a little more added to their job description. "It's a long process, and it doesn't always work," Magazu said. "Sometimes, you take a guy and you try some things and you watch and it's pretty clear it's not going to be something that works out. And it goes the other way sometimes, too. You take a guy you don't think is going to be able to do something and you give him a couple reps, and it's there. It makes them more valuable. But seven guys on game day is a nightmare. I've been with John [Fox] forever and if I could promise him nobody would get hurt, he'd keep five up. He wants 20 DBs, 14 [defensive] linemen." So far, however, it has worked much of the time. Manning is still the least sacked starter in the league, in part because the veteran quarterback has done his part well and adjusted having been the quickest quarterback in the league to get rid of the ball much of the time. Overall, the Broncos have surrendered just five sacks in six games combined and three of those came in the season opener against the

Ravens. The Giants, Cowboys and Jaguars did not sack Manning. The Colts, however, will likely be the most aggressive defense the Broncos have faced in a season when opponents have rushed four players or fewer at Manning on 70 percent of his dropbacks. Indianapolis outside linebacker Robert Mathis is tied for the league lead in sacks with 9.5. The Broncos also have two games remaining this season with the NFL's sack leader -- the Kansas City Chiefs. "We're playing in one of the loudest places to play, if not the loudest, against a great pass-rush team," Manning said. "We've got a great challenge from that standpoint."n. "It's not something you do at the drop of a hat, but it's best to be ready for things," Magazu said. "You have to start doing some planning in the spring." Manny Ramirez, who had never started a game in his NFL career at center, was moved there during offseason workouts and has been the Broncos' starter since. Left tackle Ryan Clady, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who had not missed a game in his career until this season, suffered a season-ending foot injury in September, so that put backup Chris Clark at left tackle. Then right tackle Orlando Franklin suffered left knee and ankle injuries -- the team has said the ankle injury is more serious at this point -- on a third-quarter touchdown run by Knowshon Moreno last Sunday. The Broncos were forced to dip into those plans again. They moved right guard Louis Vasquez, who had started to practice at tackle just weeks after he signed with the Broncos in free agency, into Franklin's spot. And Chris Kuper, who has spent almost two years battling back from a dislocated ankle he suffered in the 2011 regular-season finale and an infection that followed this offseason, was moved into the right guard spot where he had been a starter previously in his career. "I'm not even sure [Vasquez] has even played tackle before," Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning said following a 35-19 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. "I don't think it's too much technique as much as it all looks different," Broncos coach John Fox said of the cross-training up front. "It's like moving safety to corner or inside linebacker to outside linebacker, it's just the plays come at you from different angles and stuff looks different. So, guys go down during the season -- we've had our share -- but knock on wood, those guys step in." Ramirez said he's prepared to do whatever the team requests. "My thinking has always been I'll play wherever they want me to," Ramirez said.

"The more places you can play, the better your chances of playing. The more you can do." Beyond the threat of injuries, Magazu said part of the issue is the Broncos routinely keep just seven offensive linemen available on their 46-player gameday roster. That means the two backups have to be ready to play at more than one spot. So, the Broncos will kick the tires in the offseason, try tackles at guard, guards at center, centers at guard, just to see who can, or can't have a little more added to their job description. "It's a long process, and it doesn't always work," Magazu said. "Sometimes, you take a guy and you try some things and you watch and it's pretty clear it's not going to be something that works out. And it goes the other way sometimes, too. You take a guy you don't think is going to be able to do something and you give him a couple reps, and it's there. It makes them more valuable. But seven guys on game day is a nightmare. I've been with John [Fox] forever and if I could promise him nobody would get hurt, he'd keep five up. He wants 20 DBs, 14 [defensive] linemen." So far, however, it has worked much of the time. Manning is still the least sacked starter in the league, in part because the veteran quarterback has done his part well and adjusted having been the quickest quarterback in the league to get rid of the ball much of the time. Overall, the Broncos have surrendered just five sacks in six games combined and three of those came in the season opener against the Ravens. The Giants, Cowboys and Jaguars did not sack Manning. The Colts, however, will likely be the most aggressive defense the Broncos have faced in a season when opponents have rushed four players or fewer at Manning on 70 percent of his dropbacks. Indianapolis outside linebacker Robert Mathis is tied for the league lead in sacks with 9.5. The Broncos also have two games remaining this season with the NFL's sack leader -- the Kansas City Chiefs. "We're playing in one of the loudest places to play, if not the loudest, against a great pass-rush team," Manning said. "We've got a great challenge from that standpoint."

Colts next to try to slow Manning down By Mike Wells ESPN.com October 18, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS -- Greg Manusky had bags under his eyes and his voice was raspy as he stood at the podium addressing the media Thursday afternoon. If you didn’t know the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator had been battling a cold, you would think he looked and sounded like that because he hadn’t slept for several days because he had consumed all hours trying to figure out a way to slow down a Peyton Manning offense that has left defenses looking foolish and frustrated. “It’s always hard trying to get as much information to see what he does and what he’s looking at and how to disrupt him as much as you can,” Manusky said. “But yeah, it’s hard.” The Broncos have yet to be slowed down on offense this season. The closest any team has come to slowing the Broncos down -- if you want to call it that -- came Sept. 23 when Oakland limited them to 10 points in the second half. Denver, Manning in particular, has set the standard offensively this season. Per game, the Broncos lead the league in scoring (44.2), total yards (476) and passing yards (360.7). Manning has thrown 22 touchdowns, two interceptions and he’s only been sacked five times. The Broncos have four receivers with at least 31 catches this season. Now it’s understandable why Manusky likely hasn’t slept since he got off the plane from San Diego early Tuesday morning. “You’re looking at an offense, you look at the stat sheet and they’re ranked one at just about every category,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “It’s a challenge. We’re going to put our time in regardless. We just know that the challenge is a great one cause they’ve got a great one coming in here. First-ballot Hall of Famer (Manning) under center and all that stuff. Great wideouts, runners, offensive line. Across the board, it’s going to be a huge challenge.” There isn’t a defense Manning hasn’t seen in his career. You may be able to rattle him early, but he’s the mastermind of getting ahead of the defense because of his ability to adjust accordingly. Colts fans spent 13 seasons (he was injured in his final season) watching Manning walk up to the line of scrimmage and make the proper changes based off how the defense was playing. That will be the case again on Sunday. Pagano wouldn’t give the slightest hint on

how they plan to attempt to slow the former Colt down. Pagano joked that he should just head over to the Broncos’ team hotel in Indianapolis and leave their defensive plan at the front desk for them if he talked about their scheme. “Everybody knows Peyton,” safety LaRon Landry said. “Great quarterback, one of the best. You really have to be sound in your coverage, give different looks, disguises. For us, it’s all about what we create, what we do on the back end and just disguising and playing sound coverage. Peyton is going to be Peyton. He’s going to make some plays, we have to respond.” The Broncos can’t be knocked because they’ve done their job by winning. It should be noted, though, that the combined record of their six opponents is 11-25 this season. The Colts have been solid defensively for most of the season, but the 11th best unit in the league picked a bad time to have a setback. The San Diego Chargers had the ball for 38 minutes and 31 seconds and were 7-of-14 on third down against the Colts on Monday. Just imagine how many points Manning can put up if given that much time with the ball. The Broncos only need the ball about 31 minutes a game to average their 44 points a game. “You want to play against the best,” Colts safety Antoine Bethea said. “That’s every week. Every week as competitors in the NFL, you want to play against the best. You got beat the best to be the best. It’s going to be fun.”

Peyton vs. Luck debate? Laughable By Skip Bayless ESPN.com October 18, 2013

Understand, this isn't 20/20 hindsight. From the day Peyton Manning let Jim Irsay get away with lovingly easing him out the door in that terribly awkward news conference, I said on "First Take" the Colts owner was making an all-time big mistake.

Now, my conviction has doubled. Not only do I believe Andrew Luck is being overwhelmingly oversold as a Canton candidate -- the Best of the Young Quarterbacks, even The Next Peyton -- but Peyton Manning is playing quarterback at an Einstein/Shakespeare/Mozart level never before imagined and appears healthy and happy enough to do so for three more seasons beyond this one.

Right now, to me, Luck or Peyton is a laughable argument -- though it has turned into by far the most polarizing NFL debate. Peyton obviously would have given Irsay a better chance to win a Super Bowl last season and this one, and I say for the next three. This is a win-now business. A Peyton in the hand is worth five young Lucks in the bush no matter how great Luck might become after Peyton retires.

BUT … this week Irsay finally (and shockingly) made a valid point for why he dumped Peyton. Well, he made it for a day before doing lots of damage-control waffling in a tweet, then in interviews, then (as reported by NFL Network) in a call to Peyton to clarify, reportedly unreturned.

But in an interview with ESPN contributor Jarrett Bell, which Bell used in his Tuesday USA Today column, Irsay went for Peyton's jugular, taking aim at the one glaring negative on Peyton's NFL résumé.

He's 9-11 in the postseason -- and the 11 losses are the most all time. Worse, in the Super Bowl era, Peyton has by far the most first-game playoff losses -- eight. Tied for second are Joe Montana, Warren Moon, Bob Griese and Dave Krieg with four each.

You've got me here, Jim. Peyton, the Greatest Regular-Season Quarterback Ever, often hasn't cashed in on the high seeds he earned through the season's first 16 games.

(In Peyton's defense, though, he did lift Indy to two Super Bowls. The Colts managed to get to the first one -- and win Irsay his ring -- after being down 21-3 to Tom Brady & Co. at Indy in the AFC title game. Peyton did throw for 349 yards as the Colts stormed back to beat New England 38-34. And last January, Peyton did his part in Denver to eliminate the eventual champs, the Ravens. With 7:11 left, Peyton threw the 17-yard TD pass that gave Denver a 35-28 lead. If safety Rahim

Moore hadn't misplayed Joe Flacco's desperate heave -- which resulted in a tying 70-yard TD pass with 31 seconds left -- it's very possible Peyton would've won his second Super Bowl ring, for Broncos architect John Elway.)

Still, this week Irsay said in USA Today: "You make the playoffs 11 times (when Peyton was a Colt), and you're out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the 'Star Wars' numbers from Peyton … Mostly, you love this."

Irsay flashed his Super Bowl ring. Yet Irsay made sure to point out that in that playoff run "we ran the ball, we stopped the run. That's what won us the Super Bowl."

Much truth there, Jim. BUT … what I loved most was that Irsay finally quit hiding behind salary-cap excuses for not keeping Peyton and declared himself by declaring war.

Now, Jim, you own it: You ARE The Man Who Ran Peyton Manning Out of Town. Good luck getting Peyton to participate in your proposed pregame ceremony honoring him before he takes it out on your team Sunday night in the house that HE built, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Naturally, Broncos coach John Fox defended Peyton (who would never stoop to defend himself against Irsay) by calling Irsay's comment a cheap shot. And Irsay did backtrack Wednesday, basically saying he meant the Colts have changed their organizational approach post-Peyton, targeting more cap money for defense and special teams.

Not buying it.

Nor did I fall for Irsay's original spin to Colts fans that he simply couldn't afford to rebuild a 2-14 team around Peyton's enormous cap hit. Please. Peyton would've worked with Irsay just the way he worked with Elway, who somehow managed to keep adding valuable pieces around Peyton, who even restructured his deal last offseason to clear more cap room.

More important, we're talking about PEYTON MANNING. He turns spare parts into occasional stars (Blair White, Jacob Tamme). Imagine the draft-pick haul Irsay could have commanded for the Luck pick? The Redskins gave the Rams three first-round picks and a second-rounder for the No. 2 overall pick, with which Washington took Robert Griffin III. So, what then? Three firsts, two seconds and a third for the No. 1 overall?

Peyton sure would've had fun last season with all those rookie toys.

This week, former Colts coach and Irsay confidant Tony Dungy told the Denver Post he believes that if Irsay had it to do over, he would keep Peyton. Translation: Dungy believes Irsay knows he made a huge mistake.

Clearly Irsay bet against Peyton's long-term health after four neck procedures -- and lost. Remember the clashing stories during Super Bowl week in Indianapolis? "Peyton's Doctors Say He'll Be Better Than Ever." Yet: "Colts Doctors Doubtful."

During the recent Dallas game, Cowboys defensive end George Selvie grabbed Peyton's face mask and yanked his head almost 90 degrees backward. Peyton bounced right up and began orchestrating the next play. Yep, that neck must be stronger than ever.

Yet, even though I believe Irsay fears he made a monumental mistake -- dreads Peyton winning a couple of more Super Bowls in Denver -- I disagree with Dungy's conclusion. I do not think Irsay would've kept Peyton if he had known then what he knows now.

Irsay's self-promotional ego might even eclipse Jerry Jones'. I get a kick out of Jim, but he is a frustrated '60s rock star who owns original guitars that belonged to Elvis, George Harrison and Jerry Garcia, to name a few. No owner tweets as actively (and controversially) as look-at-me Jim. Jerry has a Twitter account but hasn't tweeted since April.

As Irsay reached his 50s -- he's now 54 -- I believe HE wanted to become the face of his franchise and prove he could recreate the Colts without the great Peyton Manning OR the great Bill Polian, his longtime general manager. So Irsay hired a first-time head coach (Chuck Pagano), a first-time GM (Ryan Grigson) and drafted the QB just about everybody said could make Irsay look smart for 15 years. Now, back to the second half of my issue with Peyton versus Luck: Are you SURE Luck will ever even approach Peyton's greatness?

Obviously Luck is only six games into his second pro season. But since the beginning of last season, Peyton has thrown 4.5 touchdowns per interception (first in the NFL) while Luck's 1.4 TD/INT ranks 22nd. Peyton has completed 70.2 percent of his passes (first) to Luck's 55.8 (31st).

This season, Luck has thrown seven TD passes to three interceptions for his 4-2 Colts. Peyton: 22/2 for the 6-0 Broncos. Luck is averaging 224 yards passing (26th) to Peyton's 363 (first). Luck nearly lost the home opener to Terrelle Pryor's Raiders and did lose at home to Ryan Tannehill's Dolphins.

Yes, Luck was beyond-his-years poised and efficient (17-of-26, 159 yards, 0 TD passes, 0 interceptions) in a 27-7 drubbing of the 49ers in San Francisco … after the Niners had been emotionally flattened in Seattle the previous Sunday night. But against Seattle in Indy, Luck made the fourth-quarter money throws to pull out an extremely impressive 34-28 win.

Even more impressive, that was Luck's ninth fourth-quarter comeback in 22 NFL starts. Last season, he helped pull off three late rallies, at Detroit and at home against Minnesota and Green Bay … though the Colts as a team were fueled all

season by the "ChuckStrong" emotion of winning for a new coach who was battling cancer.

In Luck's first playoff game, he had little chance at Baltimore in Ray Lewis' war-dancing return from triceps surgery. Luck: 28-of-54 for 288, no TDs and an interception. Ravens, 24-9.

Luck got off to a Peyton-esque postseason beginning with a first-round exit.

I made the pre-draft case RG III would turn out to be the better pro QB than Luck, and I certainly looked right last season. RG III: 20 TD passes to five interceptions (73.2 QBR) to Luck's 23/18 (65.2 QBR). Luck's 23 total turnovers ranked second in the NFL to Mark Sanchez. RG III opened his playoff debut with two straight TD drives against Seattle's defense but reinjured a knee that eventually was wrecked in the fourth quarter. Coming off major surgery, RG III hasn't yet found himself this season, but I'm not backing off my RG III-over-Luck prediction.

Are you SURE, Colts fans?

Yes, it's quite possible Peyton wouldn't have been quite as driven if Irsay had pledged undying allegiance to him. No doubt Irsay lit a bonfire under Peyton by cutting him, and now Peyton will approach this postseason with a new vengeance after Irsay ripped his playoff failures. If Denver wins this season's Super Bowl, Elway should send Irsay a ring.

But somehow I don't think Jim Irsay will mind all that much if he goes down in NFL history as The Man Who Ran Peyton Manning Out of Town. Heck, in this column alone, this is the 31st time I've typed the name Jim Irsay.

QBs forced to produce with less By John Clayton ESPN.com October 18, 2013

Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers join a growing list of quarterbacks who have to do more with less.

Ryan lost Julio Jones for the rest of the season and will be without Roddy White this week because of hamstring and ankle injuries. Rodgers has lost Randall Cobb for at least eight weeks and doesn't know whether James Jones will be able to play on a hyperextended knee.

The Packers, who have yet to play a full game without Cobb and Jones, are averaging 27.4 points and 450.2 yards. The Falcons talked Tony Gonzalez out of retirement and thought they had a Super Bowl-caliber offense. Now they are 1-4 and on the verge of being one of the league's biggest disappointments.

I can't remember a season when so many top quarterbacks have had to make do with depleted pass-catching units this early. The season is only seven weeks old, but the attrition rate has been remarkable.

Tom Brady might be 5-1, but his numbers are down. He has gone through the season without his five favorite targets from last year, and new addition Danny Amendola has continued his history of injuries.

The Patriots are scoring 14 fewer points a game than last season and averaging 79 fewer yards. The Baltimore Ravens traded Anquan Boldin to San Francisco, but the offense was hit hard when tight end Dennis Pitta went on injured reserve. Pressed for consistent weapons, Joe Flacco has seen Baltimore's scoring go down 2.5 points per game; the Ravens' yardage per game has dropped by 27.

The Boldin trade didn't give enough to the San Francisco 49ers' offense. Minus Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham, 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick has struggled in games when Boldin is covered and defenses do a good job of blanketing tight end Vernon Davis. Third and fourth options aren't up to par.

Leaguewide, passing yards and touchdown passes are at record levels, but a growing number of top quarterbacks are going to have to make adjustments.

Here are the 10 trends for NFL Week 7.

1. What do the Packers do if James Jones (questionable) can't play? Teams can adjust minus top slot receivers. The Seattle Seahawks, for example, have managed without Percy Harvin because Doug Baldwin is decent in the slot. Average slot

receivers get about 10 or 11 yards a catch, so the Packers can get by at that position until Cobb returns in around eight weeks. The bigger problem is losing an outside threat. If Jones can't play Sunday, the Packers could have major problems against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have a very good front seven along with a great coverage cornerback, Joe Haden. If Jones can't play and Haden blankets Jordy Nelson, Rodgers could struggle. The Packers can try more two-tight end sets and try to run the ball more. Where the Packers will be hurting is in coming up with big plays. This could mean a low-scoring game against the Browns. Packers coach Mike McCarthy will also need a solid effort from the defense, but that unit has had troubles. Nick Perry and Clay Matthews are out, and Brad Jones might not be able to play, so the 3-4 defense is down to one starting linebacker. This one won't be easy.

2. Adjustments in Atlanta: Coach Mike Smith has had a bye week to sort out the 1-4 mess of a start by the Falcons. It got messier when Julio Jones had his season end and White added a hamstring injury to go along with his high ankle sprain. Those injuries mean Ryan must rely more on Gonzalez and wide receiver Harry Douglas. But as bad as things are in Atlanta, the Falcons are fortunate to be playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are 0-5 and can't get anything done on offense. Mike Glennon has taken over at quarterback for an offense that is averaging only 12.8 points and 290 yards a game -- both second-worst only to Jacksonville. Even if the Falcons start slowly, Ryan will have plenty of time to get something going. But the Falcons don't have a lot of time to turn around the season. They are four games behind the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South and have virtually no margin of error if they want to get into the wild-card race.

3. Still a great rivalry: Until the Seahawks and 49ers emerged as the league's best rivalry, Baltimore-Pittsburgh was the most anticipated matchup. The teams dislike each other and take out their anger on the field. A 1-4 start by the Steelers, though, has made Sunday's tilt the least talked-about Ravens-Steelers game in years. The Ravens have been fighting through injuries and shaky offensive line play. Everything has gone wrong for the Steelers. The offensive line has been terrible. Ben Roethlisberger is still struggling in Todd Haley's offense. Key defensive players aren't making big plays. Heck, the Steelers had to wait until a Week 6 matchup against Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith to register their first turnovers of the season. But this game is in Pittsburgh and Steelers fans know this is a must-win. So do the Ravens. Should the Steelers lose, their season is all but over.

4. Quarterback transition: Houston and Minnesota are the hot spots for quarterback change. Houston coach Gary Kubiak is starting Case Keenum in place of Matt Schaub, who has a banged-up leg. The Texans have to go to Kansas City, which has 30 sacks in six games, so Keenum will be tested. The aggressive Chiefs defense pounded Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor last Sunday, which got Chiefs fans cheering loudly enough to set a world record for noise in an outdoor sports venue. Keenum will likely have trouble calling plays and avoiding delay-of-game penalties and false starts. For the Monday night game against the New York Giants, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier decided to go with Josh Freeman, which shouldn't surprise anyone. Freeman is a better athlete and has a stronger arm than the Vikings' other two

options -- Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel. But what if the change doesn't turn around the Vikings' 1-4 start? Frazier is coaching to keep his job, and ownership might be losing patience. There is also a lot of pressure on Freeman, whose career dropped off quickly over the past two seasons in Tampa Bay. Freeman is a free agent after the season and is playing to see whether he's going be paid like a future starter.

5. Interesting reunions: Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis is one of the headliners for the season. Manning made the Indianapolis Colts a playoff institution. The comments made by Colts owner Jim Irsay will make Manning more inspired to get a win, but the pregame ceremonies to honor him might be a problem. Manning is a perfectionist and doesn't like getting out of his routine. This week has already been a distraction for him. Under the radar is the reunion of Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and Bears QB Jay Cutler. When both were in Denver, Shanahan and Cutler thought they were headed for big things. Shanahan had built a talented offense around Cutler. All Shanahan had to do was build a decent defense, but he was fired after the 2008 season and Cutler was traded when Josh McDaniels came in as coach. As great as the Broncos are this season under Manning, you wonder how the team would have fared had it stayed with Shanahan and Cutler. Cutler is doing well in Chicago working with new coach Mark Trestman. Shanahan is patiently waiting for Robert Griffin III to get better each week coming off his knee reconstruction. Still, to this day, Cutler has high respect for what Shanahan taught him.

6. Contenders or pretenders? Heading into the season, many experts thought the Cincinnati Bengals could be the best team in the AFC North. Though a talented offense is underachieving to a degree by averaging 4.7 fewer points than a year ago, the Bengals lead the Ravens and Browns by a game in the division. They haven't disappointed. Over the next two weeks, the Detroit Lions have a chance to show whether they are true contenders in the NFC North. They host the Bengals this week and the Dallas Cowboys next week. A two-game sweep would put them at 6-2 and in great shape. Including those two games, the Lions have the easiest closing schedule in the NFL. The second half of the season has the Lions playing some of the league's biggest disappointments -- Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Minnesota and the Giants. They've even shown an ability to win on the road, something that has been a struggle for them through the years.

7. Closing out the AFC East race: The New England Patriots play at the New York Jets, while the Buffalo Bills visit the Miami Dolphins. A Patriots victory, though, could put them in a position to lock up the division early. They would be 3-0 in the division with a victory this week and host the Dolphins next week. The Jets have played better than most people expected, and they are catching the Patriots at a good time. The Pats' defense has lost Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo for the season, and Tommy Kelly has a sore knee. The Pats could be vulnerable to a running attack. If the Jets can muster any type of ground game, the Pats could have some difficulties. The Dolphins' biggest problem is pass protection. Ryan Tannehill has been sacked 24 times in five games and the Bills have shown they can mount a decent pass rush on occasion. Tackles Jonathan Martin and Tyson Clabo have

allowed a combined 11 of those sacks in five games. The Bills are staying with Thad Lewis at quarterback but are grooming Matt Flynn to fill in if there is an injury.

8. Figuring out the NFC East race: Elias has already determined this is the worst NFC East playoff race in more than a decade. The winner of the Philadelphia-Dallas game will have a 4-3 record and a one-game lead in the division. Elias noted that the last time an NFC East Division leader was only one game above .500 in sole possession of first place was 2001. That year the Eagles started 4-3 and finished 11-5 as the division winners. This is not to say the Eagles will win the division, but they have a decent chance of winning Sunday even with Nick Foles at quarterback. Chip Kelly's offense is putting up 449.8 yards a game. The Eagles are the first team since the merger to put up 1,600 passing yards and 1,050 rushing yards in the first six weeks of the season. The Cowboys probably will face Philadelphia without DeMarcus Ware, who has a groin injury. Dallas owner Jerry Jones invested heavily in the defensive line, but injuries have forced a lot of journeymen to fill out the four spots. For Kelly, this is an important game because the Eagles have a chance to end an eight-game losing streak at home.

9. Back to Jeff Fisher football: The Rams opened the season with a spread offense. They spent the first four games using three-receiver sets 46 plays a game. But a 1-3 start forced a change. Fisher, the Rams' coach, decided to go to more of a running type of offense. Over the past two weeks, the Rams spread the field with three receivers only 27 times. They've beaten the Jaguars and Houston Texans and have a chance to go over .500 if they can beat the Carolina Panthers. Sam Bradford has operated efficiently in a more conservative offense. Running against the Panthers might be tough, though. Carolina coach Ron Rivera has established a formidable front seven, and it's not like the Rams have a big, physical back to overpower anyone.

10. Enigmatic Chargers: Figuring out the San Diego Chargers is like figuring out the Cowboys. Both teams seem to be up one week and bafflingly bad the next. The Chargers might be turning the corner, though. Coming off an impressive win over the Colts to improve to 3-3, San Diego plays the winless Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach Mike McCoy has come up with smart ways to use Philip Rivers' throwing skills. Former coach Norv Turner had Rivers throw tough, long passes into tight coverage, and over the past couple of years, success was sporadic. This year, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Rivers is the league's best passer on balls that go at least 15 yards in the air. He's completing 53.3 percent of those throws; last year he was in the middle of the pack.

Bulked-up Von Miller ready to hunt Andrew Luck By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports October 18, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As Von Miller rejoins his teammates for his first road trip of the season this weekend, when the Denver Broncos travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts, he'll face the first dilemma of his return to football: Do his tailored suits, the required attire for team flights, still fit?

"I haven't worn anything like that in a while," Miller said this week, as he sat inside an empty locker at the Broncos' training facility.

As Miller chatted away, it was impossible not to realize just how the star pass rusher spent much of his time during the six weeks he was suspended by the NFL for violating the substance abuse policy. Clearly he was essentially living in the weight room, bulking up his upper body.

When Miller returned to practice earlier this week, he said he weighed 270 pounds. Last season, when he had 18½ sacks, Miller played at about 255 pounds, and that was nine more than his rookie weight in 2011.

Miller had been focused on gaining weight throughout the offseason and told reporters this spring he was at 260 pounds but still wanted to get bigger. The muscle-building plan intensified during his suspension, and Miller now says he's the biggest— and yet the fittest — he's ever been in his life.

In addition to the time spent with Broncos strength coach Luke Richesson, Miller said he worked to improve his cardiovascular conditioning through interval training and repeated short sprints to try and replicate the intensity of football plays.

"I felt a lot stronger, quicker and faster," Miller said. "It's not like I'm running 100 yards or 400 yards, so I definitely felt good."

Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio isn't concerned about how much Miller weighs or how big his shoulders are now. All Del Rio wants to see is if Miller still has the speed and flexibility and power that for two years made him one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL.

Del Rio has liked what he's seen so far in practice. But the real test will come Sunday, when Miller can go full-speed and try to sack Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who has impressive mobility and ability to escape the pocket.

"I do have a sack celebration up my sleeve," Miller said. "Hopefully I can get one."

Miller's return gives the Broncos a full complement of defensive players for the first time this season. Denver played its first five games without cornerback Champ Bailey, who returned from a foot injury last week but admitted he didn't play well against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Broncos also played last week without starting middle linebacker Wesley Woodyard (neck) and defensive end Robert Ayers (shoulder), who are both expected back Sunday night.

"It doesn't matter who's playing — we're still going to work the same kind of schedule and go through the same kind of grind. But obviously when you have your better players out there, you expect to play even better," Del Rio said.

"As far as defense, I feel like we got a good group of guys. We're going to be better as we go through the year. Some of the places where we're not playing so well now right now I feel very confident we'll continue to grow and play good defense as we go down the road here."

Miller's biggest impact should be on Denver's pass rush. The Broncos have 17 sacks without Miller, but now opposing offenses will have to adjust their blocking schemes to stop him. Denver can also alter the way it attacks opposing quarterbacks.

"Not to give away our game plan, but he does give us many more options to do different things on defense," Bailey said. "But you know, when you have a guy that talented you've got to find ways to make sure he's involved with every play. So he's going to be involved a lot."

Peyton Manning didn’t quote Pearl Jam because he’s too busy being undefeated By Mike Foss USA TODAY Sports October 18, 2013

Today’s big winner: Pearl Jam … and Peyton Manning

Never has grunge played such an influential role in an NFL game. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted out Pearl Jam lyrics from the song Off He Goes last night.

While Irsay didn’t provide context — because Jim Irsay — we can all safely assume he was referencing his ex-quarterback, Peyton Manning. Irsay has been lamenting the Colts’ time with Manning quite often in the days leading up the former QB’s return to Indianapolis. Manning and the Broncos face the Colts on Sunday.

Irsay told USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell that the Colts let Manning go to Denver because Indianapolis wanted another Super Bowl more than anything.

“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne),” Irsay told Bell, before flicking his Super Bowl XLI ring and saying, ”Mostly, you love this.”

You know what Manning has said in the days before his homecoming?

Nothing.

Manning has been silent and sober. The way you might expect a 15-year veteran and Super Bowl winning quarterback to be as he enters his former home of 14 years. Manning doesn’t need to puff his chest in retaliation. It’s one of the benefits of being 6-0 and on pace to throw between 59 and one-bajillion touchdowns.

You don’t get to 7-0 by flapping your gums and channeling Eddie Vedder.

Archie Manning 'trying to stay out of this mess' caused by Jim Irsay Jim Corbett USA TODAY Sports October 18, 2013

Archie Manning didn't want to bother son Peyton during a week tinged with controversy and emotion as the Denver Broncos quarterback prepares for Sunday's return to Indianapolis to face his original team, the Colts, for the first time since his March, 2012, release after 14 seasons with the franchise.

But then Archie's cell phone rang and, sure enough, Peyton was on the other end.

"He called early this morning and sounded real good. Peyton will handle himself," Archie Manning told USA TODAY Sports on Friday. "It will be a real hard game for him.

"But he'll handle it."

The patriarch of the league's first family of quarterbacks was asked why Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay would make such seemingly disparaging remarks when he expressed regret to USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell that the Colts didn't win more than one Super Bowl with Manning under center.

"Oh, I don't know," Archie Manning said. "I'm just trying to stay out of this mess."

Like his father, Peyton has chosen to take the high road. The Broncos quarterback declined to fire back earlier this week, saying only when asked by columnist Bob Kravitz of The Indianapolis Star if he bears any ill will or resentment toward the Colts: "To answer a question like that doesn't serve me well," Manning told Kravitz. "I feel like the question is based on the (Irsay) comments, so it's just easier not to answer anything along those lines."

Rather than feel anger about Irsay's remarks, Archie Manning is instead focused on the pride he feels for the two houses that his middle son (and the NFL's only four-time MVP) left as part of his legacy as the city of Indianapolis' most beloved sports star: Lucas Oil Stadium and Peyton Manning's Children's Hospital, for which Peyton has raised more than $7 million.

"That will always keep him going back to Indianapolis and seeing friends," Archie Manning said. "It's a good thing."

Andrew Luck is better now than Peyton Manning was then By Tim McGarry USA TODAY Sports October 18, 2013

Peyton Manning will return to Indianapolis for the Broncos-Colts game on Sunday night. Not surprisingly, all eyes will be on the quarterback matchup between Manning and Luck.

Andrew Luck has had some big shoes to fill in Indianapolis, and up to this point in his career, he’s done a pretty good job of meeting those expectations. Here’s a look at how Luck has fared in his first 22 regular season starts relative to Manning.

While Manning had a higher completion percentage and more touchdowns through his first 22 games, Luck’s overall numbers have been more impressive. Luck has more total passing yards, fewer interceptions, and, perhaps most importantly, Luck has 15 wins and a trip to the postseason.

While it’s difficult to compare two quarterbacks playing at different times and with different teammates, Manning and Luck were working with similar teams. For example, the Colts were 3-13 the season before they drafted Manning, and they were 2-14 the season before they drafted Luck. Manning had one offensive teammate make the Pro Bowl during his rookie season (Marshall Faulk), and Luck had one fellow offensive teammate make the Pro Bowl last season (Reggie Wayne).

At the end of the day, 22 games is a small sample size and Luck’s early success doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll have a better career than Manning. Still, people in Indianapolis have reason to be excited.

Remember When: Peyton Manning finally takes off in tough '98 season By Josh Katzowitz CBSSports.com October 18, 2013

As you should well know by now, Peyton Manning is going home to play this weekend. Well, what used to be home. Indianapolis, the place where he won a Super Bowl, threw for almost 55,000 yards in 14 years, passed for close to a bajillion touchdowns, and got knocked out in the first game of the playoffs more times than he'd care to remember.

But it wasn't always this way. That's to say Manning wasn't always the legend he'd come to be. Nope, in his first season with the Colts after they had taken him No. 1 overall in 1998, he was rather ... ordinary (by today's standards at least).

Compare, for instance, his first season with his successor Andrew Luck's rookie year.

Manning

Year Age Tm G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD Int Rate Sk 4QC GWD AV 1998 22 IND 16 16 3-13-0 326 575 56.7 3739 26 28 71.2 22 1 1 11

Luck

Year Age Tm Po

s G GS QBrec Cm

p Att Cmp% Yds T

D Int Rate Sk 4Q

C GWD

AV

2012* 23 IND

QB 16 16 11-5-

0 339 627 54.1 437

4 23 18 76.5

41 4 7 13

As you can see, Manning had a league-high 575 pass attempts -- to let you know how much of a passing league this is now, Luck's 627 was the fifth-most last season - and led the NFL in interceptions. And Luck had seven times more game-winning drives as Manning.

Of course, Manning would turn into a legend, one of the best quarterbacks of all time, but until Week 12 of his rookie season, he wasn't much better than, say, Brandon Weeden as a rookie.

But it was Nov. 28 when we began to get a glimpse of the Manning of the future (and our present). The Colts at the time were 2-9, and they were headed to play a mediocre Ravens team in Baltimore.

Behind Manning and running back Marshall Faulk, Indianapolis took a 24-10 lead late in the first half and maintained a 10-point advantage in the third quarter, but with Baltimore quarterback Jim Harbaugh (yes, that one) and running back Priest Holmes, the Ravens went on a 17-0 run in the fourth quarter to stun the Colts 38-31. Still, Manning had completed a career-best 64.3 percent of his passes for 357 yards (his highest total of the season), three touchdowns and one interception.

The next week, the Colts traveled to Atlanta, and built a lead against a Falcons squad that went 14-2 that season and won the NFC title. Helped by Manning's 70.4 completion percentage and two touchdowns, Indianapolis took a 21-7 lead in the second quarter. But Manning also tossed two interceptions and the Falcons dealt Indianapolis a devastating blow.

(I should know, because that was the first NFL game I ever covered. I was writing a feature on tackle Adam Meadows for my college newspaper, and after the game, I asked Manning the dumbest question imaginable as he was getting dressed. Despite his disappointment, Manning was nothing but gracious to me, and I've always appreciated that.)

And then, in Week 14 (finally!), Manning and the Colts got the victory when he completed 65 percent of his passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns as they knocked off the hapless Bengals in Indianapolis.In the process, he broke Charlie Conerly's record for touchdown passes by a rookie that had stood since 1948.

"I've never been big on individual records, but the fact that record was held so long by Charlie Conerly, that's a special thing," Manning said after the game. "I'd still trade it all for some more wins this season, but it's a nice honor."

Of course, all did not end well for the Colts that season, as you can read in the below AP story following the season finale.

Ten things from NFL Week 7 that intrigue me By Pete Prisco CBSSports.com October 18, 2013

Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis -- If it wasn't already going to be huge, the comments by Colts owner Jimmy Irsay only added to it. He dissed Manning, and you know Manning didn't like it, even if he didn't say so. The Colts plan to honor Manning before the game. I get the feeling they will be cursing him after it.

The return of Rob Gronkowski (we think) -- The word Friday was that Gronkowski, the Patriots' great tight end, was cleared to play this week against the Jets. But you never know with this saga. As he returns to the field from his forearm injury for the first time since last season, how rusty will he be? What will his impact be on the New England offense? If he plays, that is.

Texans quarterback Case Keenum is making his fist NFL start -- I spent time with Keenum at the NFL scouting combine in 2012 and came away impressed with his swagger. I also thought he looked good this summer in camp. Now we get a chance to see if he can do it in a game as he starts for the injured Matt Schaub this week at Kansas City. That's a tough place to play. But I think he will be just fine.

Josh Freeman taking over as the quarterback in Minnesota -- The Vikings need to find out if Freeman is their long-term answer. After being released by the Bucs, he gets his shot Monday night against the Giants. Freeman did throw 27 touchdown passes in 2012 for the Bucs, but his conflict with Greg Schiano led to his release. The Vikings need some down-the-field throws.

Buffalo's pass rush vs. the Dolphins offensive line -- The Bills have 21 sacks, eight by Mario Williams, while the Dolphins have given up 24 in five games. That's horrible. Miami is coming off a bye, so maybe that helped fix their troubles. I doubt it.

Colts DE Robert Mathis vs. Broncos LT Chris Clark and RT Louis Vasquez -- Mathis is tied for the NFL lead in sacks with 9 1/2. Clark took over for the injured Ryan Clady three weeks ago and has done a solid job. Mathis moves from the left side to the right side during games, so he will also work against Vasquez, who is moving from right guard to right tackle with Orlando Franklin out. Mathis has a good chance to get to Manning here.

Jets defense vs. Tom Brady -- The last time the Jets faced the Patriots in Week 2, they held Brady and the Pats to nine first downs -- and still lost. The Patriots have grown some on offense since then, and getting Gronkowski back will help. But the Jets defensive front is tough and they can get after Brady.

Eagles offense with Nick Foles vs. a banged-up Dallas defense -- Foles was impressive last week against Tampa Bay on the road. What if he follows up with another big game here against a hurting Dallas defense? Does Chip Kelly keep him as the starter? Or back to Mike Vick when his hamstring is healed?

Steelers-Ravens: Which offensive line will make strides? -- Both of these offenses have struggled because of their lines. In the past, they've been two physical teams, but the line struggles have hurt both offenses. Can either one get it going this week when they meet in Pittsburgh?

Can Cam Newton keep building on last week's performance -- Newton had his best day last week at Minnesota. Why? He was protected. The offensive line did a better job, and it showed. That line faces a tough Rams defensive line this week, so it will be interesting to see if they can keep it up.

Six for Sunday: Can Luck keep up? Can Chiefs catch sack record? By Pat Kirwan CBSSports.com October 18, 2013

Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis has no shortage of juicy storylines, but what about Andrew Luck? Trying to top the quarterback he replaced in Indy will be a huge test for the Colts' second-year passer.

And, speaking of quarterbacks, will we see better showings from the eight backups (including Brandon Weeden by default) starting in Week 7?

Let's get to the week's big storylines.

Can Luck go punch-for-punch with Peyton?

I believe Andrew Luck is already close to an elite QB and some day will be the best quarterback in the game. Right now he has the challenge of Peyton Manning coming to Indianapolis.

Colts owner Jim Irsay spiced up the game with his strange comments about Manning and the way the Colts were built in the Bill Polian era. Mr. Irsay was wrong on many levels, but none of his talk or the media coverage all week will mean anything when the game starts.

It really comes down to Luck and company being able to stay up with the Broncos machine. A bad offensive game for Denver is 35 points and an average day is 44 points. A Colts bad day on offense is 20 points and an average day is 24 points.

The Colts offense is going to have to play over their heads to stay up with the Broncos' scoring. It can be done but they are coming off a nine-point performance against the Chargers.

Look at these comparisons: Manning has 22 touchdown passes, while Luck has seven. Manning had seven touchdown passes in his first game. Manning averages 140 more passing yards per game than Luck. Manning throws an interception once for every 120 passes while Luck does it once for every 62. When it comes to sacks watch out. Manning is sacked once ever 49 pass plays and Luck once every 15.

Backup quarterbacks back at it

Last week seven teams sent a backup quarterback out as the starter and they went 1-6. The only one to win was Nick Foles of the Eagles, and he was playing Tampa Bay with replacement Mike Glennon under center.

This week we will see Josh Freeman for Minnesota, Mike Glennon for the Bucs in his first road game, Nick Foles once again in Philadelphia, former practice squad QB Thad Lewis for the Bills, Chad Henne for the Jags, Ryan Fitzpatrick for the Titans, Brandon Weeden by default for the Browns and Case Keenum for the Texans.

My guess is no more than two of these quarterbacks will find a way to win their game.

The New England no-huddle cranks up

The Patriots' no-huddle offense was the foundation of their attacking Tom Brady machine over the past few years, but it hit a roadblock in the first five weeks of the season when New England only used it on 17 plays in five games. It came alive last week with 45 snaps of no-huddle.

The Patriots run game is very effective in the no-huddle, especially on second downs. The return of Rob Gronkowski is a big boost to this package, and on the road against the Jets will limit how much scheme and substitutions Rex Ryan of the Jets can employ.

Can Falcons, Dolphins rebound after bye?

The Falcons and Dolphins return to action this week after licking their wounds. Miami lost two straight heading into the bye and gave up 64 points in those two games.

Cameron Wake returns for the Dolphins and that should go a long way to pressuring Bills QB Thad Lewis. The Falcons were starting to simply run out of players due to injury and are sitting with a 1-4 record in a year they were Super Bowl contenders.

Thank goodness the Falcons are not members of the AFC East because they lost three straight before the bye to teams from that division. Tampa Bay comes to town with a rookie QB in his first road game. There are no excuses for the Flacons now. Teams coming off a bye this year are 3-3.

Chiefs defense on a record-setting pace

I'm amazed at how people would rather tear down the Chiefs than simply accept they are playing very well and have a chance to break a number of records this year on their road to the playoffs.

The negative comments are always about Alex Smith. Granted, 80.5 percent of his pass attempts are less that 10 yards down field and only 4 percent of his passes are over 20 yards in the air, but he is winning and a few deep balls very early in the game would serve notice it's not all dink and dunk.

With 31 sacks already, Kansas City needs to average slightly more than four a game the rest of the way. Houston comes to town this week with a rookie QB, Case Keenum, with zero experience. At home the Chiefs average a sack every 8 1/2 pass attempts.

RG3 sounds like he's more itchy to run

Last week the Redskins let RG3 run early and he looked back in form. It sounds like he wants to run the pistol option more and get back to moving the chains with his feet. He ran for five first downs last week after only having two in his first four games. Last year he converted 40 times with his feet.

The interesting thing about RG3 and his running is this: In his 10 wins as the Redskins QB he ran 72 times for 512 yards and four touchdowns. In his 11 losses, he ran 80 times for 473 yards and three touchdowns.

Really there isn't much difference, but there is a very big difference when it comes to sacks. In his 10 wins RG3 was sacked just five times, or once every 50 pass plays. In his 11 losses he was sacked 27 times or once every 15 pass plays.

RG3 will be seeing more pressure calls from defenses, especially if the threat of the option isn't a factor.

NFL Week 7 Best Bets: Broncos, Bears on road; Giants finally win Jason La Canfora CBSSports.com October 18, 2013

Well, I'm still pretty mad at myself for staying too far under .500 for the season, but at least I've been OK in the best bets the past few weeks.

Week 6 was particularly nutso. The late games, with the Jaguars making a run in Denver and the Patriots' wild comeback over the Saints, definitely hurt. But, alas, time remains to rebound. And I've still been lights out on the Sunday night games, so at least I have that going for me.

Bears (pick 'em) at Redskins: I like Chicago to move the ball here, and I don't think the Redskins can keep pace. Last time these teams met DeAngelo Hall picked off Jay Cutler four times. That won't happen again. Washington's defense is still a mess and playing at home doesn't seem to be any particular advantage for the Redskins.

Washington doesn't generate enough pass rush to have me deeply concerned about Chicago's offensive line and Matt Forte in the screen game should be a gift that keeps on giving.

Broncos (-6½) at Colts: Why would anyone mess with Peyton Manning before a game like this? It was already the biggest game of the week and didn't need any additional hype or attention. Now you have a pissed off Manning coming in off a less-than-stellar outing last week, going back to the dome he built, and with Jim Irsay watching from that owner's box.

Bad move.

The Colts still can't find their offensive identity and I don't know that I would want to get into a race to 40 points with the Broncos here. The return of Von Miller should boost Denver's pass rush. After a couple of games that have been closer than expected the Broncos seem due for a more comfortable outing and result.

Giants (-3½) vs. Vikings: New York has to win a game, the Vikings are good for 30 points against a week, Josh Freeman is making his first start and Minnesota is reeling. I like this spot for New York to get right, cut down on the turnovers some and put up too many points for the Vikings to get close.

Vikings secondary is a mess and there will be open receivers running all over the place. Even if Adrian Peterson has a dominant game on the ground, the Vikings generally need a lot of plays to score. The Giants should be in quick-strike mode here.

Facing a familiar foe, NFL style By Kevin Lincoln FOX Sports October 18, 2013

This weekend, Peyton Manning will make his return to Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time since being released by the Indianapolis Colts, the team that he gave 14 seasons, two Super Bowl appearances, and one ring, prior to the 2012 season.

The narrative of Manning is, by this point, pretty familiar to anyone with knowledge of the NFL, or American culture in general: One of the greatest quarterbacks in football history (despite a sub-.500 playoff record) misses an entire season due to injury at the age of 35; his team, dismal without him, lands in the position to draft one of the rarest of prospects, a guy viewed almost unanimously as can’t-miss; Manning supposedly grants his team permission to do so; and, released, he migrates to the Denver Broncos to become the team’s first truly great passer since the retirement of John Elway.

The 6-0 Broncos’ visit to the 4-2 Colts isn’t only a nice little chapter in Manning’s narrative. It’s also an important battle for primacy in the AFC, which is increasingly looking like it’s the Broncos’ and the Kansas City Chiefs’ to lose.

As such, it provided plenty of fodder for Colts owner Jim Irsay to drop in a possibly snide remark, depending on how you read it, about Manning’s struggles in the playoffs as a Colt, and for Manning’s coach, John Fox, to fire back in his defense.

Unsurprisingly, Manning declined to get involved, meaning that his play on Sunday will be able to stand on its own as a comment on the situation — that, and how his replacement, Andrew Luck, performs against a defense that, two weeks ago, surrendered 506 yards and five touchdown passes to Tony Romo.

That raises an interesting question: How have some other homecomings played out for well-known NFL players who switched squads? Manning’s is sort of singular, because few have ever performed at such a high level for two separate teams — if Manning were to win the MVP this year, he’d be the first to do so for multiple franchises — but he’s not the only (future) Hall of Famer to be in this situation.

In his final season, 1994, Joe Montana’s Kansas City Chiefs — that just looks weird — played host to the San Francisco 49ers. Montana outdueled his replacement, Steve Young, going 19 for 31 with 203 yards and two touchdowns. Young went 24 for 34 for 288 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, and the Chiefs won, 24-17.

Emmitt Smith played running back until he was 35 years old, which is insane considering how few backs make it past 30 in today’s NFL. And the last two of those years were for the Cardinals.

In Week 5 of the 2003 season, Smith went back to Dallas and turned in an absolutely dismal performance, rushing for a grand total of minus-1 yard on six carries, catching two passes for 2 yards, and losing the game, 24-7 — though that last part’s hardly all on him. (The two quarterbacks in that game? Jeff Blake and Quincy Carter, who remarkably led the Cowboys to a 10-6 record that year.)

Jerry Rice didn’t face San Francisco until his second season with the Raiders, in 2002, when he was 40(!) years old. Rice went for 1,211 yards on 92 catches that season — as a 40-year-old! — so his performance against the 49ers was actually a supbar one, considering the rest of his games. But on its own, it doesn’t look bad at all: six catches for 74 yards, although the Raiders lost, 23-20. (His best game that season? Seven catches for 144 yards and a touchdown.)

Joe Namath never faced the Jets after joining the Los Angeles Rams, unfortunately. Did you know he played for the Rams? He sort of played for the Rams.

In hindsight, Terrell Owens’ two-season stint with the Philadelphia Eagles occupies a shockingly large place in his narrative — and he was remarkably effective with the Cowboys after that, going for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his three seasons — but it was with the 49ers that he really established his career.

He didn’t get a shot at San Francisco until his second season with the Eagles, but he made it count: Philly won 42-3 against a 49ers team that would eventually go 4-12, and T.O. had five receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

One more: Brett Favre didn’t play against the Packers during his first season away from the team as a New York Jet, but when he joined Green Bay’s division rival the Vikings at 39, he played host to them in Week 4.

It went well: the Packers won, 30-23; Favre went 24 for 31 for 271 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, enough to beat out Aaron Rodgers’ 26-for-37, 384-yard, two-TD-one-INT day.

When he finally went back to Lambeau, this time a 40-year-old, in Week 8, he was even better: 244 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, and another Minnesota win. (Once again, Rodgers was good, but not as good: 287 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions.)

Both Montana and Favre had tremendous games when they had to take on their old squads, and neither was as good at the time as Manning is now. Sunday should be fun.

Fox: 'I wager' Von Miler starts vs. Colts By The Sports Xchange/Yahoo! Sports October 18, 2013

Denver Broncos pass rusher Von Miller practiced again Friday, his third day of on-field work since a six-game substance-abuse suspension ended this week.

Coach John Fox said the team has a plan for Miller, whose presence will have an immediate impact at Indianapolis on Sunday for a defense that leads the league against the run, but is ranked dead last against the pass.

"I think it's probably fair to say he's going to start," said Fox. "We're probably not going to announce the starting lineup but I wager he's going to start."

Miller's defensive teammates are clearly happy to have him back on the field.

"Oh it's a lot different -- it's a lot better too," said safety Rahim Moore. "Having him on the field, his presence along, he can do so much. He can cover, rush the passer. (He is) a physical player, he can do it all -- make plays on the ball. He's a complete linebacker."

He's also a linebacker who had nothing else to do but work out and study his playbook the last six weeks. After practice Wednesday, Miller declared he was "in the best shape of my life."

"I felt a lot stronger, quicker and faster," Miller said. "It's not like I'm running 100 yards or 400 yards, so I definitely felt good. All the feedback I was getting from my teammates and everything, I definitely felt like it was good.

"There was a hurry-up period in there, which was tough, but that's what it's designed to be. It's designed to be tough. But the whole practice, I definitely feel like I practiced well."

--OT Orlando Franklin did not practice Friday and is expected to miss one to two weeks after suffering what Broncos coach John Fox termed as sprains of his left knee and ankle in the third quarter Sunday and was seen in a walking boot after the game and the next day, holding crutches. He's officially listed as doubtful.

--DT Sylvester Williams suffered a neck sprain against the Jaguars and was limited in practice three days later. Prior to the injury, Williams had been enjoying his best game as a pro, and finished with one quarterback hit and one tackle for a loss. He was listed as probable Friday.

--CB Champ Bailey practiced Friday and is probable after making his debut last week. Against the Jaguars, Bailey played 70 of 72 snaps, the most for any Broncos cornerback, and led them with three passes defensed.

--LB Wesley Woodyard practiced on a limited basis Friday, 12 days after suffering a neck injury against Dallas on Oct. 6. He did not practice or play in Week 6, and is listed as questionable.

--DE Robert Ayers returned to practice Wednesday after missing last week because of a shoulder injury. Ayers, who was full-go Friday, was hurt Oct. 6 against the Cowboys and did not practice in the days leading up to the Jacksonville game. He is listed as probable.

--DE Shaun Phillips (hamstring) was full practice Friday and is probable. Phillips led the Broncos with 5.5 sacks during Von Miller's absence.

Who wins if Andrew Luck was on the Broncos, and Peyton Manning was still in Indy? Find out here By Eric Edholm Shutdown Corner/Yahoo! Sports October 18, 2013 Want a new way to consider Sunday's big game between Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos and Andrew Luck's Indianapolis Colts? What if they switched places?

(And who doesn't love a good body swap plot, like "Face/Off," "The Hot Chick" or "Vice Versa," all cinematic classics?)

So John Ewing at Predictionmachine.com decided to run the analytics and see what a Manning-led Colts team would do versus a Luck-led Broncos squad. Fun stuff.

What he found is that although their statistics would not vary a lot, the win totals would be different.

Ewing ran 50,000 simulations of the game with the teams as they are in real life. The numbers say that the Broncos would win 67.0 percent of the time with an aggregate score of 33-26. Manning would complete an average of 66 percent of his passes for 312 yards, 3.2 touchdowns and 0.9 interceptions. Luck would complete 59 percent of his passes for 277 yards, 1.6 touchdowns and 0.9 interceptions.

But flip them around, and Ewing says it would be a much closer game. With Luck on the Broncos, they won 51 percent of the simulations, with 28-27 being the aggregate score. Luck's projected stats: 62 percent passing, 288 yards, 3.0 touchdowns and 0.9 interceptions. Manning's totals with the Colts would be 61 percent passing, 309 yards, 2.0 touchdowns, and 0.9 interceptions.

So Manning > Luck, right? So says Ewing and his computer. Manning's Broncos should win 13.3 games this season, but with Luck as their QB they'd only win 11.3. On the flip side, the simulation says Luck's Colts should win 9.3 games, but Manning would up that win total to 9.8.

But ... what about the dads?

Archie Manning and Oliver Luck have a lot in common. Not only are they both NFL quarterback alumni and fathers of famous quarterbacks (Eli: "Don't forget about me!"), but they also will be serving together on the College Football Playoff Committee. Also a bit of fun trivia: Archie and Oliver were teammates on the 1983 Houston Oilers. Oliver was 2-4 as a starter, and Archie — sad trombone — was 0-3. Of course, that was better than Gifford Nielsen, who was 0-7 that year for the

team. Gifford Nielsen also has no children playing in the "Sunday Night Football" game this week.

But what would happen if elder Manning and elder Luck loosened up the old wings (neither has thrown an NFL pass since the mid-1980s)?

Denver, with in-his-prime Archie Manning starting at quarterback, would win 67.3% of the time by an average score of 25-19. In an Archie vs. Oliver game, playing for their respective sons' current teams, the Broncos have a higher win percentage than when the sons play.

In such a fantasy scenario, Archie would complete 62 percent for 268 yards, 2.7 touchdowns, and 1.3 interceptions. Oliver would complete 58 percent of his passes for 238 yards, 1.4 touchdowns, and 1.4 interceptions. If 19070s Archie was the Broncos' quarterback this season (stick with us here), they'd win an average 10.4 and lose 5.6 games. The Colts, with 1980s Oliver, would average 7.0 wins and 9.0 losses.

So the Manning-Luck debate rages on. But one thing is for certain — and no offense, dads: The kids are just better than their old men. As gracious and deferential as Archie and Oliver are, they are sure to agree.

The weekly NFL spread picks; Broncos or Colts this week? By Frank Schwab Shutdown Corner/Yahoo! Sports October 18, 2013

The pesky little secret about the Denver Broncos' impressive 6-0 start is they have played a very weak schedule.

Maybe it's not much of a secret, especially to Chiefs fans who are happy to bring it up when you point out their team's poor schedule. The Broncos have played the 32nd strongest schedule in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders' metrics (the Chiefs are 31st, for those who are wondering).

That changes this week. Denver plays at a good Colts team on "Sunday Night Football." You may have heard this week that Denver's quarterback used to play in Indianapolis.

It's probably a good bet that Peyton Manning will play well in his return, but let's not forget about Andrew Luck's motivation in this battle. Luck wants to carve out his own legacy in Indianapolis (and he will) and beating Manning would look good on that resume. Not to mention that he has a pretty good squad around him, and a home crowd that will be fired up to see the Colts beat a 6-0 Broncos team, no matter who their quarterback is.

I think the Broncos win, but they're favored by 6.5 points, which is a lot. We'll finally get a chance to see how the Broncos do against some good competition.

Here are the rest of the picks (and, if you've seen my record, you obviously know it's for recreational purposes only):

Cardinals (+6.5) over Seattle (picked Thursday): That was a heck of a strong win by Seattle. I have a feeling this might come up again in the power rankings next Tuesday.

Buccaneers (+7) over Falcons: I know, Mike Glennon on the road. But this ain't the 2012 Falcons they're playing.

Lions (-2.5) over Bengals: Probably the second best game of the week. Two teams that we know are good, but still not quite ready to completely buy into either being legitimate contenders.

Bills (+8) over Dolphins: Buffalo quarterback Thad Lewis played pretty well against a tough defense last week. The rest of the team is coming along, too.

Jets (+3.5) over Patriots: You can't keep taking on injuries and not have it affect your team. And Rob Gronkowski's return is great, but he'll take some time to be Gronk again.

Cowboys (+3) over Eagles: Tony Romo should go nuts against that Eagles defense.

Bears (pick 'em) over Redskins: Not sure what Washington has shown to convince me they can beat a good team.

Rams (+6) over Panthers: Last week's win at Houston aside, the Rams still aren't good. But the Panthers' offense can't be trusted yet either.

Jaguars (+7.5) over Chargers: The Jags are on a roll covering the spread, so I can't ditch them now.

Titans (+4) over 49ers: The Titans are as good of a candidate as any to get the sixth seed in the AFC, provided they're still in the race by the time Jake Locker returns.

Browns (+10) over Packers: Way too many Green Bay injuries to lay double digits. And the Browns can play some defense. If Joe Haden takes out Jordy Nelson, who is Aaron Rodgers going to throw to? Jarrett Boykin?

Chiefs (-6) over Texans: If you're going to turn to Case Keenum, give him a better chance than making his debut in front of that crowd, against that defense.

Ravens (+1.5) over Steelers: This rivalry fell off the map fast.

Giants (-3.5) over Vikings: If New York can't beat the Vikings at home, who exactly is it going to beat this season?

Last week: 6-9 This season: 35-57-2

Archie Manning staying out of Irsay/Fox squabble By Chris Mascaro SI.com October 18, 2013

Just as his son did a couple days before, Archie Manning declined to respond to Colts owner Jim Irsay’s comments — and Broncos head coach John Fox’s retort calling the comments inappropriate — in which Irsay expressed regret that his team didn’t win more than one Super Bowl with Peyton at the helm.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Archie Manning told USA TODAY about why Irsay said what he did. “I’m just trying to stay out of this mess.”

However, the father and son have spoken about the game, Peyton’s first in Indianapolis as an opposing player, according to Archie.

“He called early this morning and sounded real good. Peyton will handle himself,” Archie said on Friday. “It will be a real hard game for him. But he’ll handle it.”

Archie added that Peyton’s legacy in Indianapolis could be seen in Lucas Oil Stadium, which opened in 2008, and the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, for which the quarterback has raised more than $7 million.

“That will always keep him going back to Indianapolis and seeing friends,” Archie said. “It’s a good thing.”

Peyton’s Broncos (6-0) take on the Colts (4-2) on Sunday night in one of the year’s most anticipated matchups. Manning threw 399 touchdown passes in 13 seasons for the Colts and has 22 touchdowns and two interceptions this year for Denver.

Peyton Versus His Past By Peter King MMQB/SI.com October 18, 2013

There is only one game this weekend, one game that will draw every football-loving eye in America to it Sunday night: Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts. And some non-football eyes too, because Americans just love seeing drama, and Revenge on ABC and The Good Wife on CBS won’t cut it. (Maybe Boardwalk Empire on HBO, but that’s why man created DVRs.)

Eyes will be on Colts owner Jim Irsay, who threw a Molotov cocktail on the emotions of Peyton Manning this week for suggesting the organization is more smartly run and better built without the financial anchor of a veteran franchise quarterback. Irsay also pointed out that Manning’s Colts were one-and-done in seven of 11 playoff years.

Eyes will be on the emotional Manning, who admitted this week he didn’t know how he’d react when he stepped on the field in The House That Peyton Built. (And if you think that storyline is overplayed—that Manning is the key reason Lucas Oil Stadium exists—I can tell you you’re crazy. Manning, and the success he keyed for a decade in Indianapolis, was the driving force behind the Colts getting their glitzy palace.)

Eyes will be on the moments. There are very few electric times in sports that you desperately want to see. No, HAVE to see. But Manning running onto the field, Manning during the in-stadium tribute (which is supposed to be a doozy), Irsay looking down from his box, crying people in the stands, scanning the stands for orange Manning jerseys, the occasional shot of Andrew (A Mellower Peyton Junior) Luck, and the game … I mean, this won’t be a singular moment you have to see. It’s 3 hours and 15 minutes of them. Woe be to FOX if there’s a Game 7 in the ALCS. The ratings would be swell in Boston and Detroit, but anywhere else? A very, very bad night for baseball drama, or any drama.

I’ve tried to think back at some of the great regular-season games in recent seasons. Denver and New England in Manning’s first post-Denver game against Tom Brady last year was good, but the Broncos and Patriots were both 2-2, so the event was fun but not must-see. Cowboys-Giants for the playoff spot to end 2011 was good. Lots of games end up being ridiculously good (Pack 51, Cards 45, 2009 Wild Card; Steelers 37, Pack 36 in 2009; the Denver-Dallas 99-pointer this month), but really … What game of recent vintage matches this one for story and football appeal?

“There’s gonna be a lot of weird feelings in the crowd Sunday night, I can promise you that,” said Jim Sorgi, the former Manning backup with the Colts who now is their radio color man. “The emotion will be raw. I went to my son’s football game

[in Indianapolis] the other day and found at least one mom who is going to be rooting for Peyton in this game [and not the Colts]. You’ll see some Peyton 18 jerseys in orange in the crowd. That’s because there’s still so much allegiance to the man who made us an NFL powerhouse.”

Sorgi is uniquely qualified to talk about Manning and Luck. How are they the same? How are they different?

“Their playing styles are different,” Sorgi said. “But the coaches tell me they’re checking now [changing plays] as much as they checked when Peyton played. No one studies like Peyton. But Andrew works very hard at it, too. What I really love about both of them is they never let one series affect the next one. When the series is over, no matter whether it ends in a touchdown, a punt or a turnover, they don’t care; it’s on to the next one. And the nine fourth-quarter comebacks by Andrew—who does that remind you of?”

The added bonus to this: Luck loved Manning as a kid. In eighth and ninth grade, Luck went to the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana, just hoping some of Peyton’s greatness would rub off on him. Apparently it did. Luck won’t be as emotional about this game as Manning will be. Who knows—that could end up being an edge.

“But,” said Sorgi, “knowing Peyton, at kickoff, all the other stuff will be gone, and he will have only one thing in mind—getting to 7-0 with the Broncos. I have never in my life seen any outside thing get in the way of football with him. But again, that seems to be the same with Andrew. He just plays, and he doesn’t let anything distract him either.”

I like Denver, but not for any reasons of vengeance. It’s just football. Manning’s playing better than any quarterback right now. And with Von Miller coming back from his six-game suspension this week, the Colts are going to have do things differently than the previous six Denver opponents did. In the wild 51-48 game, the Cowboys played with an empty backfield on 19 snaps. No way the Colts can do that now. They’ll have to keep an extra tight end or back in to account for the rangy Miller. And not only is Miller a terrific pass rusher, he’s also a great quarterback spy. Look for Denver to have figured out when Luck is most likely to abandon the pocket, and watch for Miller to wait cagily for Luck to make his move.

This is going to be an electric night and a very fun game. Thanks to Irsay’s words and the reverberations in two cities, the theater might be as good as the game.

Sound Bite of the Week

“Me and him have been on the whole page the whole time since the beginning, and the decision will be made eventually.”

—New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, to the media Thursday

Gronk once again threw tepid water on the confusing situation between him and Bill Belichick, and the status of Gronk’s forearm (it was announced Friday morning that Gronk is medically cleared to play). I’m not sure what “the whole page” is, but it fits in New England, where the less you say, and the more confusing you are, the better.

Player You Need to Know This Weekend

Peyton Hillis, running back, New York Giants (No. 44). The Giants have been struggling to run the ball well (what, exactly, have the Giants done well this season?), and their healthy incumbents this week to face the Minnesota Vikings are rookie Michael Cox and veteran Brandon Jacobs. So in comes Hillis, fresh from coaching a high school team in Tennessee, to provide another big body for the Giants to use. “It’s good to finally get another opportunity,” said Hillis, who was stuck behind Jamaal Charles in Kansas City last year and Doug Martin in Tampa Bay this summer before being cut. “In the past couple of years I really haven’t had a shot.” If you dress for the Giants and play running back, you’ll get a shot. Because playing running back for the Giants has been a license to get hurt.

Ten Things I’ll Be Watching for This Weekend

1. Sunday night in Indianapolis. The Manning Bowl outshines them all this weekend.

2. The pregame show game-within-the-game in Indianapolis. FOX, ESPN, CBS and NFL Network have approximately 3,439 hours of programming to fill Sunday morning/early afternoon. It’ll be fun to see who knows what about mad Manning or irked Irsay or peeved Polian or dubious Dungy. This has really escalated quite nicely during the week, after owner Jim Irsay said the Colts had a smarter football model post-Peyton.

3. Josh Freeman’s redemption tour begins. Freeman, who had a disastrous last 10 starts for the Bucs, will pilot the slumping Vikings against the defensively challenged Giants. It’s one reason to watch Monday Night Football, featuring teams that are a combined 1-10.

4. Tony Gonzalez will not be traded—as of now. We’re 10 days from the trading deadline, and Gonzalez appears to want to play out the string in Atlanta (barring a stunning turnaround by the disappointing and injured Falcons) rather than be traded to a contender. “I want to be with these guys,” Gonzalez said Thursday. Whatever you say.

5. The Wideout Bowl in Detroit. Calvin Johnson versus A.J. Green … and without great corners to cover them. Could be a touchdown-fest—and I don’t mean by Joseph (Sent Me A Selfie) Fauria.

6. The Don’t Take Out The Garbage Bowl in New Jersey. Fitting, isn’t it, that a game of this title is played in Tony Soprano’s waste-management backyard? Rex Ryan

told his players to put their full concentration of beating the Patriots at home this week, and that includes no chores or other distracting evening pastimes (nudge, nudge). Nothing can stand in the way of beating the Patriots! I would advise Rex to see if he could do something about that Brady guy while he’s at it.

7. Case Keenum’s first NFL start. Let’s see. The NCAA’s all-time touchdown-passing leader (155) hasn’t started a football game in 21 months, his final game at the University of Houston. He has the 2-4 Texans’ 2013 fate in his hands due to Matt Schaub’s inefficiency and injury, and Keenum’s big chance will come at unbeaten Kansas City. A team, by the way, that had 10 sacks last week and has more sacks in six weeks than it had all last season. Wear the Kevlar flak jacket, kid.

8. The Rivalry That Used To Rock. The Ravens and Steelers meet Sunday in Pittsburgh, and they’re a combined 4-7. Yikes. Even a year ago at this time, this was the best rivalry in football. Now it’s a nice game between two teams desperate to stay relevant.

9. Nick Foles tries to win the job for good. Michael Vick was a 53 percent passer this year before popping a hammy and giving way to Nick Foles, who doesn’t have the wheels but does have the accuracy—67 percent in his game and a half in relief of Vick, with five touchdowns, no turnovers and only two sacks. A good start against Dallas, and Foles won’t have to look over his shoulder at Vick. He’ll likely win the job.

10. The rushing race. Quietly, LeSean McCoy is running away with it; he has a 99-yard lead over Arian Foster, and Adrian Peterson is 148 yards off the pace (but has played one fewer game, thanks to a Week 5 bye). This is as boring a year for the backs as I can recall. In three of his six games this year, McCoy’s been held under 75 yards. Just not an electric back in the league so far.

Emotions Are Torn, But the Jersey Is Intact By Angie Six MMQB/SI.com October 18, 2013

I came to love the game through Peyton Manning, but I know who I’ll be rooting for when he returns to Indy on Sunday night

Editor’s Note: Angie Six is a writer, mother, blogger and Indianapolis Colts fan living in central Indiana. The MMQB asked her to speak for the fans of Indiana as they prepare for quarterback Peyton Manning’s visit Sunday with his new team, the Denver Broncos.

INDIANAPOLIS — Carefully tucked away on the top shelf of my bedroom closet, my Peyton Manning Colts jersey keeps company with my wedding dress. Some might find it odd that a sports jersey many fans had tossed in the Goodwill pile long ago would instead find a place next to a timeless memento. It makes perfect sense to me, though. The blue number 18 jersey is a keepsake of how I fell in love with football, in the same way the dress is a keepsake from the day I declared my love for my husband.

I was 9 years old when the Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis in the middle of the night. I couldn’t comprehend what a big deal it was, couldn’t fathom what it would mean to lose anything in sports that could cause so much heartache. Sports and my family didn’t mix; we barely played any and we watched them even less.

In college I fell in love with a sports fan, and his enthusiasm was contagious. Love will make you do crazy things, like root for the Cleveland Indians and bang on the glass at hockey games. I still didn’t love sports, but I loved a boy, and that’s all it took. Shortly after I wore that wedding dress, we moved to Tennessee. It was 1997, we were in the middle of SEC country, and a kid named Peyton Manning was king.

I became smitten with Peyton that year, a feeling that only intensified when the Colts chose him as their number one pick in the draft. I was on the brink of becoming a football fan, and he led the way. It was the perfect storm: I was starting to enjoy football, but I needed a team, and I needed a player I could feel good rooting for. Peyton and the Colts were the answer. There was something about the guy I couldn’t resist. His dorkiness, his antics at the line of scrimmage, his work ethic, those commercials. I watched football just to watch him, and suddenly found myself caring about the rules, the players, and other teams. But it was mostly about Peyton.

Peyton is the big brother who left for college when you were a kid. You missed him liked crazy, but you can’t wait to show him how big and strong you got.

I returned home to Indy a few years later, just in time for Peyton and the Colts to hit their stride. I was pregnant the year the Colts made their first Super Bowl run. I hiked my pregnant self to the nosebleed seats in the RCA Dome for the AFC Championship Game. Some babies get Beethoven in utero; mine got 55,000 sports fans yelling at Tom Brady. Earlier in the season I told my husband that if the Colts won the Super Bowl we would name the baby Peyton. He laughed and agreed, never thinking they would actually pull it off. Try as I might, I couldn’t persuade him to name the baby after Peyton. Instead he allowed me the next best thing. Our son, Eli, was born just as the Super Bowl champions returned to training camp.

I knew the Peyton Manning era would eventually come to an end, but I never imagined it would play out as it did. The 2011 season was painful, watching Peyton on the sidelines, sitting through loss after loss, reading between Irsay’s and Manning’s cryptic lines. I sat on the couch with my husband, wearing my Manning jersey, and cried as Peyton told us goodbye. I took the jersey off that night and haven’t worn it since.

These days I cheer for the Colts and the Broncos. The Colts are my team, but Peyton gave me football, and I never tire of watching his gift. Rooting for both teams has never been a problem … until now. This weekend Peyton returns to Indianapolis for the first time, and just beneath the excitement for a stellar matchup lies a tangled mess of bittersweet emotions.

Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz wrote a piece last week reporting on fans who sold their tickets because it would be “too emotional” to attend the game. I understand completely. I know in my heart that Irsay made the right move. I know that, considering the circumstances, things couldn’t have worked out better for everyone involved. I hate to use the term “blessed” to describe anything football-related, but it’s the best way to describe how I feel as a Colts fan. To go from the Peyton era to Andrew Luck? Unbelievable. No one else could’ve come to Indy and put my broken heart at ease. I love watching Andrew Luck play, and I’m filled with hope for the years we have ahead of us. But I still get emotional when I think about Peyton leaving, that we didn’t have a chance to let him finish a glorious career here.

Dammit, now I’m crying again.

Come Sunday, my loyalty is with the Colts. Peyton is the big brother who left for college when you were a kid. Now he’s back. You missed him like crazy, but you can’t wait to show him how big and strong you got while he was gone. You want to wrestle him, pin him to the ground, and then hug it out.

It’s impossible to go anywhere in Indianapolis this week without the game coming up in conversation. The general consensus around town is that we’re glad to see Peyton playing, happy to show him one last time what he means to this city. We’re

looking forward to a classy tribute for a guy who never showed us anything less. We wish Irsay would step away from Twitter just this once. But more than anything, we want to see this young, dedicated, nose-to-the-grindstone team of ours win. Lucas Oil Stadium may be the house that Peyton built, but he doesn’t live here anymore.

I hope we see so many more games with Peyton and Andrew battling it out that it doesn’t even register as a storyline anymore. I would love to see Peyton win another Super Bowl; I just want to see us win more. Peyton made me a football fan, and for that he’ll always have a special place on my closet shelf and my heart. Special games call for special measures, though, and so this week I finally bought myself a new jersey. Turns out there was an empty space in my closet just waiting for Andrew Luck.

Sunday Slate: Analyzing the Week 7 Matchups By Andy Benoit MMQB/SI.com October 18, 2013

Let’s go past the obvious storylines and take a deeper dive into every Sunday game in Week 7:

(All times Eastern; click on teams for more information on the matchup)

New England Patriots (5-1) at New York Jets (3-3), 1 p.m, CBS

Stevan Ridley is out of the doghouse, off the injured last and back atop New England’s backfield rotation. It shouldn’t be much of a rotation moving forward; Ridley, with his short area agility and quickness, plus his corner-turning speed, is clearly New England’s best running back. That was obvious in the win over New Orleans, where he amassed 96 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

We might not see Ridley much on the ground this week. Though the Patriots have a very good run-blocking front five (Logan Mankins, the fulcrum of most of their man-blocking designs, has been far and away the best guard in football this season), Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick know the Jets’ interior front five is next to impossible to run against. Muhammad Wilkerson can wreck plays from anywhere. First-round rookie Sheldon Richardson is getting better by the week. Like Wilkerson, he amplifies his country strength with terrific suddenness off the snap. Lining up alongside these two is undrafted second-year pro Damon Harrison, who has been dynamic enough to supplant a very good starting nose tackle in Kenrick Ellis. Then factor in the speed of inside linebackers David Harris and Demario Davis. Suddenly, smoke screens, quick slants and other run-game proxies seem like a no-brainer. Expect the Patriots to spend a lot of time in spread sets Sunday.

On the other side of the ball, expect the Jets to attack hard inside, both on the ground and through the air. New England’s interior run defense has dropped dramatically since losing Vince Wilfork. Now it is minus top linebacker Jerod Mayo (IR, pectoral surgery). Brandon Spikes has seen more playing time since Wilfork went down. Spikes brings much-needed physicality between the tackles. In fact, he’s vicious enough to make up for Mayo’s absence in run defense. What Spikes doesn’t have is Mayo’s speed and fluidity in space, which hinders him against the pass.

The question is whether the Jets can exploit this. Kellen Winslow’s suspension leaves them thin at tight end (Jeff Cumberland is still learning the game’s nuances; Konrad Reuland doesn’t have enough athleticism). Santonio Holmes’s injury leaves the Jets banal at wide receiver (Stephen Hill can run deep routes but little else;

Jeremy Kerley can run flat routes but little else). Geno Smith is not a good multi-read passer at this point, so whatever the Jets design will hinge on receivers winning individual matchups. That’s tough.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) at Atlanta Falcons (1-4), 1 p.m., FOX

It’s officially fair to ask: why did the Bucs trade for Darrelle Revis? After playing zone coverage almost exclusively in their first four games, the Bucs last week went up against an Eagles offense that had floundered against the press-man coverage of the Chiefs, Broncos and even, at times, Giants. The Bucs, however, stuck with their Cover 2 and 3 zones. Revis is a fine zone corner, but he must be frustrated. There have been cases where it’s looked like he’s been beat but, really, it was just the principles of the scheme getting beat.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) at Detroit Lions (4-2), 1 p.m., CBS

The Lions seem for real, but their offense was not very sharp against a solid Browns defense last Sunday. Matthew Stafford struggled to pinpoint his ball placement on moving targets in the first half. Calvin Johnson, less than 100 percent, played only half the snaps and was culpable for a few incompletions on challenging passes he normally hauls in with relative ease. Wideouts Ryan Broyles and Kris Durham also failed to snag some difficult but makeable catches. In the running game, take out Reggie Bush’s well-blocked 39-yard scamper and Detroit mustered less than three yards per carry. So why is this encouraging for the Lions? Because through all these hiccups, they were still able to do just enough to win. They stuck with the ground game, which, mundane as it was, at least kept their third downs manageable. And Stafford never got impatient. The Lions would not have scrapped out this sort of road victory in past years.

Buffalo Bills (2-4) at Miami Dolphins (3-2), 1 p.m., CBS

Teams have been eager to attack Buffalo deep this season. Miami signed Mike Wallace precisely to do just that. However, the weak pass-blocking of offensive tackles Jonathan Martin and Tyson Clabo might prevent the Fins from stretching the field this Sunday. New Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has been very creative and aggressive with his pressure concepts; he’ll undoubtedly use interior pressure threats to create one-on-one scenarios on the edges. Pettine does not have an elite pass rusher to scheme around, but he has a decent enough bull-rusher in Mario Williams. Though Clabo is the lesser athlete up front, look for Pettine to try to get Williams matched on Martin. The second-year lineman has been painfully vulnerable against power moves.

Dallas Cowboys (3-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-3), 1 p.m., FOX

Taking Flight

Look out for Fletcher Cox. The second-year lineman is developing into quite the pass rusher, Greg A. Bedard notes.

Let’s wait and see how Nick Foles does this Sunday before declaring him the man for the job. Foles was impressive off the bench in Week 5, but that was against an iffy Giants defense that spent the week preparing for the totally different style of Michael Vick. Foles was even more impressive in Week 6, but that was against a zone-based Bucs defense. The Cowboys’ scheme is zone-based … on the inside. Outside (where a lot of Chip Kelly’s route combinations emanate), Monte Kiffin has used press-man concepts with talented corners Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne and, in the base 4-3, Orlando Scandrick. Philly’s wide receivers, particularly Riley Cooper, cannot consistently get off press coverage. Which means Foles will not have the benefit this week of seeing consistently synchronized routes when dropping back.

Chicago Bears (4-2) at Washington Redskins (1-4), 1 p.m., FOX

It’s time to put Julius Peppers on a milk carton. Not only does the Pro Bowl veteran have meager numbers (one sack, eight tackles), he has not drawn as many double teams or been as disruptive with penetration or run-anchoring this first month and a half. When you watch Bears film, it’s easy to forget Peppers is even out there.

St. Louis Rams (3-3) at Caroilna Panthers (2-3), 1 p.m., FOX

Two weeks in a row, the Rams have gone back to basics with a run-oriented game plan that puts less pressure on Sam Bradford and his receivers. Will they stick with that against a Carolina linebacking corps that might be the fastest in football? Will they even have the ball enough to try? The lopsided score at Houston last week masked the continued atrociousness of St. Louis’s defense against the run. This D could not get off the field against Arian Foster’s outside running. Carolina has a different style of rushing attack than Houston—it features more man-blocking and misdirection concepts—but so far, every style has been successful against a St. Louis defense that’s allowing an NFC-high 130 yards per game on the ground.

San Diego Chargers (3-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6), 1 p.m., CBS

Jacksonville’s secondary played well enough to win at Denver. Unfortunately, Jacksonville’s pass rush disappeared after the first quarter. No secondary can hold up in Cover 2 behind an anemic rush. Personnel-wise, San Diego has the type of front five that pass rushes come back to life against. But Mike McCoy and Philip Rivers know this, which is why they’ve featured so much quick-timing passes. That approach has allowed the Chargers to survive the losses of starting wideouts Malcolm Floyd and Danario Alexander. Both are mismatch creators, but primarily downfield and on the outside. This passing game leans more on underneath routes, which remaining wideouts Vincent Brown, Eddie Royal and burgeoning rookie Keenan Allen can all run.

San Francisco 49ers (4-2) at Tennessee Titans (3-3), 4:05 p.m, FOX

The absence of Aldon Smith has certainly taken some of the bite out of San Francisco’s patented four-man rush. In recent weeks, however, Smith’s

replacement, third-round rookie Corey Lemonier, has offered glimmers of hope. Lemonier plays upright but still flashes ability to transition from speed to power. He had a huge sack-safety against the Cardinals last week and was disruptive enough to warrant chip-block attention at other times. Of course, he was working against undrafted left tackle Bradley Sowell, who was making just his second career start. We’ll see how disruptive Lemonier can be this week going up against a steady technician like ninth-year vet Michael Roos.

Cleveland Browns (3-3) at Green Bay Packers (3-2), 4:25 p.m., CBS

The loss of Randall Cobb hurts bad—and it will show this week. Cleveland’s secondary is rapidly ascending. Joe Haden, though not quite as sharp the past two games, is an elite shutdown corner. He matches up well to Jordy Nelson. Athletic No. 2 corner Buster Skrine might be the league’s most improved player. After struggling last season and early this season, he is getting more and more comfortable, and has regularly shown off his superb closing quickness. Skrine will be a challenge for James Jones (who is battling a knee injury and might not even play). No. 3 corner Christopher Owens is coming off arguably his best game as a Brown, but he might not have to do much against undrafted second-year wideout Jarrett Boykins, who last week showed a marked knack for beating himself. Boykin must tighten up his timing on underneath routes against off-coverage. Otherwise, Aaron Rodgers will lose trust in him like he did in the second half at Baltimore.

Houston Texans (2-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-0), 4:25 p.m., CBS

Arrowhead is the last place an offense goes to get back on track. The undrafted Case Keenum will have a challenge, to say the least. If Keenum’s pocket crumbles (which it will against a Chiefs defense that had 10 sacks a week ago), Keenum must have the poise to look for his check down early. The Chiefs love to blitz faster defensive backs from deeper levels, which is where a young quarterback can really be fooled.

Baltimore Ravens (3-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4), 4:25 p.m, CBS

More Colts-Broncos

This week's game features the two best quarterbacks in the league this year. Yes, Andrew Luck is already that good, Andy Benoit writes.

Meanwhile, the Colts weren't the only team impacted by Peyton's departure. In all, his exit from Indy impacted 11 teams, says Andrew Brandt.

This rivalry should produce another epic defensive struggle Sunday, not so much because both defenses have been sound, but because neither offense can run the ball or pass protect. The Ravens ground game has been a particularly tough watch the past two weeks.

Denver Broncos (6-0) at Indianapolis Colts (4-2), 8:30 p.m., NBC

After taking in all your criticism on Twitter, I still think Andrew Luck is the second best quarterback in football this year. Just because Luck plays in a power-run-oriented offense doesn’t mean he’s on a short leash. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. Luck is asked to make very tough, multi-progression reads and throws week in and week out. He makes them extremely well.

The Playbook: Previewing Broncos-Colts, Eagles-Cowboys, more Week 7 games By Chris Burke & Doug Farrar SI.com October 18, 2013

Chris Burke and Doug Farrar get you ready for the weekend with The Playbook, a detailed weekly preview that gives you everything you need to know about the upcoming slate of games.

Main Events

Denver (6-0) at Indianapolis (4-2) — 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC: It’s a game TV networks dream about. NBC won the battle for the Peyton Manning-Andrew Luck showdown, slotting this one for Sunday night.

Manning’s highly anticipated return to Indianapolis already had folks abuzz without Colts owner Jim Irsay adding fuel to the fire. He did so anyway, with a comment that we may or may not have taken the wrong way.

“We’ve changed our model a little bit,” Irsay said of his franchise’s post-Manning approach, before pointing to his Super Bowl ring, “because we wanted more than one of these.”

Manning has refused to address that comment — or the response from his current coach, John Fox. It no doubt will be in the back of his mind as he takes aim against his former team for the first time.

The Broncos may have been caught looking ahead to Sunday’s showdown last week, a sleepy 35-19 win over Jacksonville. The Colts definitely appeared to be readying for Week 7, an approach that cost them in a disappointing Week 6 setback at San Diego. Rather remarkably, though, the 4-2 Colts still have a one-game cushion in the AFC South, while the 6-0 Broncos are mired in a first-place tie with the Chiefs.

Denver will be celebrating the return of Von Miller from a six-game suspension. He may be just what an ailing defense needs (Denver allowed 48 points to Dallas in its last road game). The Broncos do have the league’s stingiest run defense … but it may be because they currently boast an NFL-worst pass D. Luck will test the latter all over the field, while Trent Richardson will try to grind out what he can against the former.

As for Manning, he continues to be on record-setting pace this season, even with an interception in each of the past two weeks. Indianapolis could not get Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ offense off the field last week, so there is definite cause for

concern with the Broncos’ incredible cache of talent rolling through town Sunday night. – CB

Dallas (3-3) at Philadelphia (3-3) — 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX: If there’s one guy who has to be nervous about this game, it’s Cowboys defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. The venerated veteran coach had problems with wide-open offenses when he was USC’s defensive coordinator from 2010 through ’12, and the offenses put together by Oregon’s Chip Kelly really gave him fits. Kelly’s Ducks totaled 62 points and 730 total yards against Kiffin’s defense in their meeting in 2012, and that wasn’t much worse than the average over those three seasons — 50 points and 601 yards per game in three meetings.

“They’re just good,” Kiffin said of Kelly and the staff he’s now put together in Philadelphia. “Chip Kelly is the best. Some coaches talk a lot, but they don’t put it on tape. Coach Kelly puts it on tape. They know what they’re doing.”

However, Kelly said this week Kiffin isn’t running the same schemes in Dallas that he remembers from the Pac-12.

“He does a really good job of mixing things up. They play a good amount of man, man-free and they mix in some Cover-2 in there and play a lot of three-deep, four-under. So he gives you a lot of problems in terms of how he presents it.”

Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis has his own issues to deal with. While Philadelphia leads the league in rushing and is coming around in the passing game, no team has given up more passing yards than the Eagles’ 2,521, and only the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed more points than Philly’s 179.

So, it’s fair enough to expect a barnburner at Lincoln Financial Field. As such, the game may swing on which quarterback is able to drop the final hammer in a furious scoring contest. Tony Romo is coming off a wild two-game swing in which he set a franchise record with 506 yards and five touchdowns against the Denver Broncos one week before managing just 170 yards and one score the next against Washington’s generally porous defense. With Michael Vick’s hamstring still an issue, Dallas’ defense will see Nick Foles, who had perhaps the best game of his young career last Sunday against Tampa Bay — 22-of-31 passes for 296 yards, three touchdowns, no picks and a rushing touchdown against a Buccaneers defense that has been surprisingly good at times. – DF

Cincinnati (4-2) at Detroit (4-2) — 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS: There are a ton of similarities in the roster of these two teams, both of whom are trying to find a way to get over the top within their own divisions, as well as in the NFL landscape as a whole.

The Bengals defense is built around its front, starting with Geno Atkins (one of five former Georgia Bulldogs set to start in this game, by the way, along with Matthew Stafford, Kris Durham, A.J. Green and Clint Boling). Offensively, they have a

dominant star at wide receiver in Green, flanked by an improving run game and an off-and-on quarterback.

That’s pretty much the exact recipe at play in Detroit, too. The Lions D-line garners much of the Motor City’s attention — Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley have developed into a top-flight duo, while rookie DE Ziggy Ansah has shown flashes of brilliance. And on offense, of course, the world revolves around Calvin Johnson, who has been battling a lingering knee injury.

But the real successes for these 4-2 teams have come courtesy of the complementary pieces. The Bengals actually boast one of the most under-the-radar secondaries in the league, plus have seen the RB duo of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Gio Bernard take huge strides in recent weeks. Detroit, meanwhile, offers up Reggie Bush at RB and turned to Durham and undrafted rookie Joseph Fauria last week in Cleveland.

If there’s an X-Factor in this one, it may be a Lions’ linebacking corps that has far exceeded expectations in 2013. DeAndre Levy, a player the Lions essentially opted to re-sign over Justin Durant, is off to a Pro Bowl-worthy start — Pro Football Focus has him rated as the top 4-3 linebacker in football right now, way up from his No. 41 ranking in 2012. Levy, Stephen Tulloch and Ashlee Palmer will be responsible for trying to keep in check the Green-Ellis/Bernard duo and the Bengals’ 1-2 TE punch of Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert. – CB

Baltimore (3-3) at Pittsburgh (1-4) — 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS: For all the talk about Matt Schaub’s disastrous season, Joe Flacco hasn’t been much better — a 57.9 completion percentage to Schaub’s 64.4, 1,702 yards to Schaub’s 1,552, seven touchdowns to Schaub’s eight, and eight interceptions to Schaub’s nine. Yes, Schaub has Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, but Baltimore’s Torrey Smith has been the league’s best deep receiver all season. Flacco’s 342 passing yards and two touchdowns weren’t enough to take down the Green Bay Packers at M&T Bank Stadium last Sunday, but such a game could very well be the ticket to win against a reeling Steelers team whose offense has been on hold all season. It would help if the Ravens could figure out a way to get running back Ray Rice on track — the former fulcrum of Baltimore’s offense ran for a season-high 74 yards against the Miami Dolphins two weeks ago but managed just 34 yards on 14 carries against the Pack.

“He was banged up for a couple weeks, and this is really his first couple weeks back,” Flacco said this week of Rice, who has struggled with a hip flexor injury this season. “So, anytime you get a little banged up and aren’t 100 percent, you have to take a little bit of time before you can really expect to be back there and have full explosion.”

The Steelers will take any break they can get. They come into this game at 1-4, marking the first time in over a decade that neither team has a winning record when facing off in this usually great rivalry. The Steelers are also struggling to make anything happen on the ground, and the team’s usually spotty offensive line

play has been even more questionable than usual this season. Left tackle Levi Brown, recently acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, is already on injured reserve. That puts tackles Marcus Gilbert and Kelvin Beachum on the hot seat — not a good thing for Ben Roethlisberger.

“I don’t think records are as important in this game, from an intensity standpoint,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said this week. “If nothing else, I think it heightens it. There’s a certain sense of urgency based on the position that the team is in.”

The Steelers are in a position to either rise out of their worst start in 45 years, or watch their season tank far sooner than expected. – DF

Peyton Manning quiet ahead of Indy return; Week 7 storylines By Judy Battista NFL.com October 18, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- There is a picture of Peyton Manning in the rear corner of the Lucas Oil Stadium press box. It's of his back, and he appears to be about to emerge from a tunnel into bright sunshine, the horseshoe still on his helmet, his relationship with the Indianapolis Colts still bathed in light.

It is, aside from the numerous No. 18 jerseys that still dot the backs of fans in the stands and around Indianapolis, one of the few visible reminders of Manning's time with the Colts. The massive picture of him that hung against the façade of the building was pulled down in the days after he was released by the team 19 months ago. It is impossible not to notice that Andrew Luck now is one of the first faces you see when you land in Indianapolis: a floor-to-ceiling shot of his face hawking a brand of speakers is plastered on the wall as you exit the airport terminal.

Manning might prefer that the pictures alone explain the story of the changing of the Colts' guard as the Denver Broncos prepare to play his former team. Then he would not have to talk about how he expects to feel when he enters -- as a visitor -- the stadium whose existence he is almost entirely responsible for. But perhaps the most telling moment of Peyton Manning's you-can't-go-home-again week came Wednesday, when a reporter from Indianapolis asked if he was happy to see the Colts doing well.

For all of Manning's considerable media-relations gifts, even he can't always control his body language. He smiled when talking about how he has never lost touch with Indianapolis fans or with the children's hospital that bears his name, and how he remains close to many of his former teammates. He offered a nice bit of filibuster when he went off on tangents about his banged-up offensive line and how worried he is about Robert Mathis.

But when asked about seeing his former team having success, Manning's feelings betrayed him. He slumped slightly and looked at the ground for one of the very few times during the entire news conference. And he wouldn't answer.

"Well, I guess my focus is on the Broncos trying to be successful, and I'm trying to do my job to help them," he said.

But how about the Colts being competitive after all the changes they went through?

"I agree. So, does that help your story if I concur?"

It certainly tells part of the story. It was all subtlety with Manning, who would not engage in a war of words with Jim Irsay. If you expected him to go "idiot kicker" on the Colts owner, you were very disappointed -- and you probably haven't been paying much attention.

Manning had ample opportunity to smooth over the narrative this week, to let Irsay off the hook for the awkward comments the Colts owner made to USA Today about why he let the quarterback go, comments that made Irsay sound, perhaps inadvertently, ungrateful for the one Super Bowl they won together.

Manning did not do it. He was clipped in declining to address what Irsay had said. This, then, was about what Manning did not say and the way he did not say it.

There is little doubt Manning's departure from Indianapolis was wrenching and that it still rankles. You don't say something like "I've learned that in life you need to be at peace with other people's decisions that affect you, that you have no control over," without revealing that the bromide has been put to the test in the past 18 months.

But since joining the Broncos, Manning has assiduously avoided addressing his exit. Bill Polian, the man who drafted Manning and was fired by the Colts not long before Manning was released, believes it is far more difficult for the quarterback to play games against his brother, Eli, than to return to Lucas Oil Stadium and oppose his old team.

Still, it was hard to watch Manning this week and not come away thinking he's angry at Irsay's remarks. And that the response Manning most wants to make will come in the final score, which he would undoubtedly prefer to be lopsided, to provide the resounding rejoinder to the notion that the Colts' decision to release him and move on with Luck was best for all parties.

Irsay had expressed similar sentiments before, but Manning is a fierce competitor and it is easy to imagine how he must have felt when he heard of the latest comments. There is little doubt their relationship is strained. In an interview just before Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl that eventually was won by Manning's brother, when Irsay already had begun his housecleaning, Peyton volunteered in a conversation we had that he felt like he was walking around on eggshells, because he didn't know who would be fired next. A few days later, Irsay called Manning "a politician" for making remarks like that.

Manning remained close to some in the organization -- when he made a particularly good throw early in his first practices with the Broncos, he sent a video of it to the Colts trainers who had tended to him following his neck surgeries -- but Irsay obviously is not one of them.

Before Bill Belichick faced the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, he said he wished the Patriots were facing somebody else, because of the warm feelings he still had for the team that helped shape him. He recalled that whenever he took one

of his teams to play in the old Giants Stadium, he always felt like he should have been turning left -- where the Giants' home locker room was -- even though he had been turning right toward the visitors' room for so many seasons.

Maybe some of that wistfulness will visit Manning on Sunday, when he'll have to figure out where the visitors' locker room is in Indianapolis.

"How I'll feel walking into that stadium?" Manning said. "I can't tell you that right now. I'll probably know after the game. I probably may not tell you that after the game, either."

Fair enough.

There is one more picture that hangs in Indianapolis, one that might tell the story of what used to be as well as any other. It is of Peyton, Eli and their father, Archie. It has hung in Irsay's office for years, and it was still there this week. Like family photos after a bitter divorce, it is a reminder of happier times.

In addition to Manning's return to Indianapolis, here are 10 more things to ponder in Week 7:

1) Can the Patriots' defense hold up after a tidal wave of big injuries? Yes, tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared to play this Sunday. This is obviously a huge development for an offense that needs Gronk's help -- as discussed in this space last week -- but the Pats remain depleted on the other side of the ball. In New England's Week 2 win over the Jets, New York quarterback Geno Smith was intercepted three times in the fourth quarter. But the Patriots' defense was much healthier then, with defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, linebacker Jerod Mayo and cornerback Aqib Talib on the field. Wilfork already is gone to injured reserve, and Mayo, who played every down of the Week 2 game, joined him this week with a torn pectoral muscle. Talib injured his hip last week, and he is expected to miss the game, too. Can the Jets -- who own the 29th-ranked scoring offense, are coming off a six-point effort against the Pittsburgh Steelers and have the fourth-most turnovers in the league -- take advantage of those absences?

2) What will the Dallas-Philadelphia game tell us about those two teams -- and about the Eagles' quarterback conundrum? The Cowboys and Eagles share the NFC East lead at 3-3, but neither has a victory against an opponent with a winning record (Dallas' opponents are 4-13; Philadelphia's are 1-15). This is a particularly big game for Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who has a higher completion percentage, more touchdown passes and a higher passer rating than Michael Vick this season, but who still is not assured of keeping the job once Vick is healthy. By the way, of all NFL quarterbacks, Foles is completing the highest percentage of passes that go at least 11 yards downfield.

3) Is there any chance the Texans' tailspin will end against the Chiefs? It will be an uphill battle for Case Keenum in his first NFL start. His predecessors, Matt Schaub and T.J. Yates, combined to throw a pick-six in five consecutive games for Houston.

In the Texans' four losses, they have been outscored 125-45. Kansas City's defense, meanwhile, is ranked first in scoring defense (10.8 points per game) and sacks (31) and is tied for first in interceptions (10), fumble recoveries (eight) and defensive touchdowns (four).

4) How many points will the Bears score against the Redskins' defense? Chicago is averaging 28.7 points per game, third in the league, while Washington is 27th in scoring defense. The Bears have won three of their past four road games, but they haven't won at Washington since 2001.

5) Which team really did turn the corner last week -- the Rams or the Panthers? Sam Bradford and Cam Newton both posted the best passer ratings of their careers in Week 6. While Carolina received lots of attention for its aggressive approach on fourth down, St. Louis scored 38 points, the most for the franchise since 2006. The host Panthers are going for their first winning streak of the season, while the Rams are trying to win their second road game in a row.

6) Can the Giants get their first win of the season while Josh Freeman gets his first start as the Vikings' quarterback? Freeman will try to rebuild his career after his release from Tampa Bay, where he went 0-3 this season and compiled the worst completion percentage in the league (45.7). The Giants' defense (ranked 24th in the NFL) probably is more worried about Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, who already has more carries (102) and more yards (483) than he did through five games last season, when he finished with the second-most rushing yards in history.

7) Can anyone here run the ball? The Ravens and Steelers traditionally have one of the most physical rivalries in the game, but neither team can run this season. The Ravens are 27th in rushing yards, and Ray Rice is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry, almost 2 yards below his career average. The Steelers are even worse; they're ranked 31st in rushing yards, with an average of 61 yards per game. Coming off their first victory of the season, the Steelers might have a harder time getting going: The Ravens' rushing defense is ranked eighth in the league.

8) Will the reeling Bucs help the reeling Falcons turn around their season? Winless Tampa Bay will kick off a decidedly favorable stretch of the schedule for one-win Atlanta. Seven of the Falcons' remaining 11 games come against teams currently owning losing records.

9) Will the flurry of aerial assaults continue as the weather turns colder? The season already features the most passing yards per game through six weeks since 1960 (263.8 per team), as well as a total of 289 touchdown passes -- the most through six weeks in NFL history.

10) Will the Packers end the Browns' feel-good story? Cleveland's loss last week snapped a three-game winning streak -- and the Browns allowed 31 points in the process. Green Bay, which is second in total offense and has fielded a 100-yard rusher in three of its past four games, should test Cleveland's seventh-ranked rushing defense.

Why the Indianapolis Colts can beat Peyton Manning By Gregg Rosenthal NFL.com October 18, 2013

The Denver Broncos are not going to finish the regular season 16-0. They have to lose sometime, and this week's game in Indianapolis sets up as a logical place for a setback.

Each week, the Around The League crew makes our picks. And each Friday on the "Around The League Podcast," we defend our "hero picks" to the rest of the crew. (That's when one of us is on an island picking a team.)

My picking the Colts this week has received a lot of criticism from the masses, so I wanted to defend it right here:

1. The Broncos are off to one of the fastest starts by a team in the last 20 years, but they have not been dominant the last two weeks.

They won by three points in Dallas against a mediocre Cowboys team. The Broncos then let Jacksonville hang around in Denver. And a loss to the Colts would be that shocking?

2. The Colts are a young team that overachieves on defense. They are going to have some rough outings, like they did in San Diego last week. But they also are capable of smacking the 49ers around in San Francisco. The Colts are the only team to beat Seattle this year. They have done the "giant-killing" thing twice already.

3. The Broncos haven't faced an above-average defense since Week 1. The Colts don't have a ton of individual standouts outside of Robert Mathis, but they play well as a team. And Peyton Manning can't count on Lucas Oil Stadium being as quiet as a library when he has the ball. Then again, the key to beating the Broncos isn't necessarily defense. ...

4. Dallas had the best formula to beat the Broncos: Expose their defense. You need a quarterback that can go toe-to-toe with Manning. Yes, the Broncos' defense is different with Von Miller (and Champ Bailey) back in the lineup. But it's been a mediocre group this year, overall.

I have concerns that Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will try to take the air out of the ball, but Andrew Luck is very capable of engaging in a shootout.

5. And this is the part where I get a little mystical. Football is a sport for the young. Manning is doing incredible things at age 37. He's the best quarterback in the

league, and the Broncos are the best team overall. But there's a reason why teams don't go undefeated too often. It's nearly impossible.

Luck's time as the best quarterback in the league isn't here, but it's coming. He is still missing that signature, prime-time game that shows everyone just how good he is. It's time. Luck and these Colts don't know they aren't supposed to win this game.

NFL Media columnist Michael Silver threw out a crazy theory about the Jim Irsay-Peyton Manning controversy on Thursday night: Perhaps Irsay was trying to make this game feel bigger because Manning hasn't always been at his best in the biggest games.

I don't buy this theory, but it's interesting. There's no denying this game will mean a lot to Manning, and it's going to be emotional. He knows exactly what this game means.

The key part: Manning has worthy adversaries in Luck and the Colts' defense. This Colts team isn't quite what it was at Manning's peak, but it's getting there. This is their Super Bowl. They are ready to make some noise.

Justin Blackmon tops Making the Leap list for Week 7 By Chris Wesseling NFL.com October 18, 2013

The goal of our weekly "Making the Leap" watch is to highlight part-time players making the leap to difference-makers or unproven young talents ascending to key contributors. Once players have truly made the leap, they will graduate from this running list.

Our first five graduates are Harrison Smith, Jordan Cameron, Cameron Jordan, Jurrell Casey and Damon Harrison, all of whom have established themselves as Pro Bowl-caliber players. They've made the leap.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 prospects for Week 7.

1. Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver

2. Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers wide receiver

Since returning from suspension, Blackmon leads the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and yards from scrimmage. The difference this year is that he entered the season in tip-tip shape and new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch is taking advantage of his strong post-catch playmaking ability by getting the ball in his hands on slants and crossers.

Check out the highlight package of Allen to the right. NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell opined this week that Allen is a more advanced NFL receiver than Texans rookie DeAndre Hopkins. At this stage, he's also a more complete receiver, which is why he's already earned Philip Rivers' trust as a go-to target in key situations.

3. Kiko Alonso, Buffalo Bills linebacker

4. Sheldon Richardson, New York Jets defensive end

5. Eric Reid, San Francisco 49ers safety

Alonso and Richardson were Nos. 1 and 2 on our list of the NFL's top 15 rookies through six weeks. The athletic Alonso struggled in coverage against Giovani Bernard last week, but it's hard to imagine any linebacker hanging with one of the league's premier pass catchers out of the backfield.

Reid has actually been a playmaking upgrade on Dashon Goldson, who earned first-team All-Pro honors last year. The No. 15 overall pick is the rare big-hitting safety with above average range.

6. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers running back

7. Tim Wright, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end

While the Packers wide receiver corps has been thinned by injuries, the ground attack ranks second only to the Eagles with a per-carry average of 5.2 yards. Lacy is the first Packers rookie since John Brockington in 1971 to rush for at least 99 yards in back-to-back games.

Wright was a wide receiver under Greg Schiano at Rutgers, so it's no surprise that he moves extremely well for a tight end. He seems to have a strong rapport with Mike Glennon, catching 12 passes for 132 yards in the rookie's first two starts.

8. Dontari Poe, Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle

9. Marcus Cooper, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback

The Chiefs boast the NFL's best defense, leading the league in sacks, completion percentage, interceptions, passes defensed and fumble recoveries. After showing sticky coverage early in the season, Cooper has turned in clutch interceptions in back-to-back games.

10. Malik Jackson, Denver Broncos defensive tackle

Jackson was already on our radar as one of the league's most effective situational pass rushers among defensive tackles. He earned a spot on this list with a dominant three-play sequence featuring two sacks and a tackle for loss late in the third quarter of an unexpectedly close game versus the Jaguars.

Cold list: Brandon Weeden, Tavon Austin, Eric Fisher, Gino Gradkowski, Montee Ball, Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead, Shea McClellin

Watch list: Terrelle Pryor, Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill, Geno Smith, Kiko Alonso, Alterraun Verner, Junior Galette, Star Lotulelei, Ziggy Ansah, Tyrann Mathieu, Giovani Bernard, Zac Stacy, Khiry Robinson, Robert Woods, Alshon Jeffery, Denarius Moore, Josh Gordon, T.Y. Hilton, Andre Ellington, Jordan Reed, Joseph Fauria, Kyle Long, Cordy Glenn, Riley Reiff, Larry Warford, Travis Frederick, Michael Brockers, Chandler Jones, DeMario Davis, Zach Brown, Corey Lemonier, Jon Bostic, Kenny Vaccaro, Johnathan Cyprien

Trainer's room: David Wilson, Shane Vereen, Jake Locker, EJ Manuel, Dwayne Allen, T.J. McDonald, Nick Perry

Gretzky on Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis: I know the feeling By Sam Farmer LA Times October 18, 2013

In 1988, Wayne Gretzky returned as an L.A. King to Edmonton to face his former team. He's been in the Broncos player's shoes.

INDIANAPOLIS — Wayne Gretzky doesn't know Peyton Manning well.

Yet he knows Manning better than anyone possibly could.

It was 25 years ago Saturday that Gretzky, as a newly minted member of the Los Angeles Kings, returned to Edmonton to face the Oilers, an NHL franchise he had led to four Stanley Cup championships over the previous five years.

So he understands the emotions the Denver Broncos quarterback is confronting as he prepares to return to Indianapolis on Sunday, his first homecoming to a place where he won a Super Bowl and an unprecedented four NFL most-valuable-player awards.

"Let me tell you something, Peyton won't sleep much this week because of the emotions and excitement that he's probably feeling," Gretzky told The Times by phone. "I can't speak for him, but I know what I went through. It's pretty emotional. I spent a lot of years there, like he did, and you become almost friends with the city."

Gretzky knows Indianapolis. He started his professional career here at 17, playing six games for the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Assn. before his rights were sold to Edmonton.

"Indianapolis is similar to Edmonton in that it's not New York or Los Angeles," said Gretzky, 52, considered by many to be the greatest hockey player ever. "So you're at the stadium, and the places you go to eat, and the people you meet in the community are the people who are in those seats. So they become friends. They're not just fans, they become more like friends. So it becomes very emotional.

"I know that was a really hard day for me because in one sense I was looking forward to playing again in Edmonton, and in another sense I knew eventually they would start treating me as the enemy."

Gretzky was traded to the Kings after 10 spectacular seasons in which he won eight consecutive league MVP crowns. Manning was cut loose by the Colts after 14 years,

when his football future was in doubt because of a neck injury. Both players tearfully said goodbye to their cities.

"We both left on pretty good terms," Gretzky said. "It wasn't like we sort of ran out the door or left on bad terms. In that sense it's very similar in that he's going back to an environment where every fan in that stadium absolutely idolized him and admired and respected him, not only for what he did for the team but for the city.

"I think for the fans this is an opportunity to get to see him play one more time, although it will be in a different uniform, but they get to pay their respects maybe one last time with him playing a game in Indianapolis. So from that point of view it will probably be very exciting for everybody."

The fanfare surrounding Gretzky's return to Edmonton was off the charts. More than 200 media credentials were requested, about five times the typical number for a non-playoff game. The Canadian Broadcasting Co. switched a regular-season broadcast of "Hockey Night in Canada" from its normal Saturday time slot to midweek for the first time in that program's history. A local radio station devoted all day to listeners telling their "favorite Gretzky moments." And the cover charge at Goose Loonies, a nightclub on the city's south side, was 99 cents in honor of Gretzky's jersey number.

The way he saw it, those 17,503 people crammed into the Northlands Coliseum weren't just Oilers fans, they were friends.

"Over the 10 years that I was there, if I didn't meet every one of them, I'm sure I at least saw every one of them," Gretzky said. "They become friends. I used to look across the ice, and I knew when people were out of town for either American Thanksgiving, or away for Easter break, or might have gone to Hawaii for Christmas because they'd give their two season tickets to someone else who may have been sitting in those seats. It was a pretty special place.

"Some athletes are not aware of what's going on. I knew when my dad was sitting down in his seat after getting a soda, or when my wife got to the game four minutes late. I guess that made me feel comfortable, being aware of what's going on in a stadium. I guess each guy is different and each athlete is different. But I was aware of when a regular season-ticket holder wasn't at a game, and if I saw them out a few days later I'd say, 'Hey, where were you guys?'"

Even though four times as many spectators will fill Lucas Oil Stadium to the rafters Sunday, Manning had a similar relationship with Colts fans during his tenure here.

"From his point of view, this may be the only time he has to go back there," Gretzky said. "I'm sure he's going to take it all in and really enjoy it, and probably play the best game he's played all year, which is even harder to believe because he's been so good.

"He's such a professional, one of the greatest athletes of all time. I anticipate him being nervous and excited, but I expect him to have maybe the best game he's had in a long time."

Manning, meanwhile, is staying away from predictions about how he'll feel and how he'll play in this highly unusual situation.

"If this was a scenario where all I had to do maybe was come back and wave and smile, kiss a few babies and sign a few autographs it would be different," he said. "But somehow I've got to figure out how to stay away from [linebacker Robert] Mathis, and complete a few passes on [Vontae] Davis and [Antoine] Bethea, and that's going to be tough. It's a tough defense.

"It's all I know to do from a preparation standpoint right now, and all the predictions and future questions, it's just too hard to answer."

Gretzky didn't come away with a victory in his first homecoming. He had two assists and at least four missed scoring opportunities in an 8-6 loss. He would later say those returns to Edmonton were the least favorite games of his career.

But the first game back was different. As he made his way onto the Edmonton ice for the first time, Gretzky wasn't sure if he'd be cheered or booed.

He got a standing ovation that lasted four minutes.

"There's nothing like winning a championship," he said. "There's nothing like being told, 'You guys are champions,' and lifting the trophy. But for those four minutes, it may have been the greatest four minutes of my entire career."

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As if playing defensive back in today's NFL isn't hard enough for the Colts, here comes Peyton Manning By Stephen Holder Indianapolis Star October 18, 2013

In today’s NFL, which has become a weekly air show with quarterbacks throwing at unprecedented rates, it’s the defensive backs you feel for.

They’re being asked to run step for step with increasingly bigger receivers, keeping their hands to themselves for fear of being flagged for pass interference.

It’s a tough job that’s only become more difficult because of the way the game is trending.

And that’s before you consider that, as an NFL defensive back, you will, at some point, be faced with playing against Peyton Manning. This week, it’s the Indianapolis Colts’ turn.

Vontae Davis, come on down. Greg Toler, you’re on deck. LaRon Landry, better strap up tight. Antoine Bethea, here’s your shot. When they turned on the tape this week, it was clear what they were up against.

“I would say that age is overrated,” said Davis, the Colts’ starting right cornerback. “People say he’s older, but that’s just not the case with Peyton Manning. It’s like the older he gets, the better he gets. He’s still got a strong arm, can make all the throws. He’s still an elite quarterback.”

So, how will the Colts secondary handle what surely will be among the most daunting challenges its members have faced? It’s an exercise in patience, discipline and mental toughness.

“You have to be on your game because playing a quarterback like him, he’s not going to take unnecessary chances,” Davis said. “He’s not going to make a throw that he’s not supposed to make. You have to be really on your game to get turnovers against him. I don’t know how many interceptions he’s thrown (two), but it’s not a lot. He’s protecting the ball better than any quarterback in this league right now, and we really have to make the most of our opportunities.”

The Colts have mostly covered well this season. They rank fifth in the NFL in passing yardage allowed, 205.7 yards per game. Similarly, opposing quarterbacks

have a 73.6 rating against the Colts, which also ranks fifth. That statistic is partly attributable to pressure created by the front seven but it’s also due in large part to the fact Colts defensive backs have forced them to throw into small windows.

But this is Manning, and he specializes in making good players look bad.

He also is adept at diagnosing your defense before the ball is snapped, especially the coverage being employed by the secondary. So look for the requisite battle of wits between Manning and the Indianapolis defensive backs.

“Quarterbacks look at the safeties to see if we’re in single (safety), cover-2 or what have you,” Landry said. “So the emphasis is going to be on the safeties anyway. He waits until the play clock is basically down to zero. So we have to really hold our coverage and get on our jobs. It’s a cat-and-mouse game playing with Peyton.”

Said Davis: “We have to disguise things and know where he looks at. It’s chess. We move a piece, he moves a piece.”

Manning has help from a capable group of targets. Wes Welker and Demaryius Thomas, in particular, are accomplished players in their own rights. The shifty Welker is a headache who can still make defenses pay, even at age 32. Thomas is a matchup nightmare, towering over defensive backs at 6-3 and 229 pounds but possessing speed and quickness to boot.

Thomas is in tune with Manning after more than a year together. Welker, Colts coach Chuck Pagano said, has developed a rapport with Manning in surprisingly short order after working with Patriots QB Tom Brady for six seasons.

Along the way, Manning is going to light up a defensive back or two. The man who already has thrown for a league-high 22 touchdowns in six games likely won’t be shut out. So, for the last line of defense, the defensive backs, staying in the game in spite of whatever detours come their way is the only option.

“All emphasis will be on the secondary,” Landry said. “You know he’s going to make plays. It’s about how you respond.”

Peyton never left: A look at Indiana children named after the former Colts quarterback By Michael Pointer Indianapolis Star October 18, 2013

Former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is returning to Indianapolis with the Denver Broncos on Sunday but for many families with ties to Indiana, Peyton never left.

As the Colts became more successful under the quarterback, more parents named their children after him. Nine times during his 15 seasons in Indiananapolis, Peyton was one of the 100 most popular boys’ names in Indiana according to www.socialsecurity.gov. (Four times it was in the top 100 for girls’.) In those seasons, 1,159 boys (and 544 girls) were named Peyton, and the total number is certainly larger since it’s not tracked if it’s not in the top 100.

Sunday night, Manning won’t be the only person dealing with a flood of emotions when the quarterback steps back on the Lucas Oil Stadium field.

Nick Ragsdale told friends he was going to name his first-born son after the then-Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Not surprisingly, the family received plenty of Colts-oriented gifts to celebrate the impending birth.

One of them was Colts a baby bib, which Manning signed during training camp in 2006.

“He just looked at me, kind of smiled and signed it for me,” said Ragsdale, who was living in Evansville at the time but has since moved to New Palestine and now is a Colts season ticket holder.

Peyton Ragsdale was born on Aug. 12 of that year. But his mother suffered from serious hemorrhaging during the birth, damaging the new-born son’s internal organs. He died three days later. Mom and dad kept the bib.

That made the naming of the son all the more poignant for his dad, who said his admiration for the then-Colts quarterback started when he read a book about the Manning family that his parents gave him.

“I really respect the whole family, just the morals and what they grew up with there,” Ragsdale said. “I really believed in what they stood for and what he stood

for on the field. Maybe you don’t have the most athletic talent. At the end of the day, we’re blessed with what God gives us. But through hard work, you can overcome a lot of things on the field.”

Ragsdale and his wife have had three children since, but will be thinking of his first-born when he attends Sunday night’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“We wanted to use a name that epitomized hard work, attention to detail and that would put family first,” Ragsdale said. “Being a Colts fan, it was kind of a natural.”

James Lissaman is from New Zealand, but he and his wife lived in Terre Haute from 2006-09 while earning master’s degrees at Indiana State. Lissaman said he started watching the NFL via ESPN in 1999 and became a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He switched allegiances to the Colts when coach Tony Dungy moved from Tampa to Indianapolis, so he already had an appreciation for Manning upon his arrival in the U.S.

That only grew during his time at Terre Haute, during which he observed the Colts’ training camp at nearby Rose-Hulman.

“We saw how much Manning meant to the team and his preparation and understanding of how to beat particular defensive backs,” Lissaman wrote via e-mail. “This along with hearing stories of his leadership style and other anecdotes from the Rose-Hulman staff led us both to believe he’d be someone we’d be happy for our son to emulate.”

There was one complication upon returning home. Lissaman said Peyton is primarily a girls’ name in New Zealand, but he wanted to honor Manning. The compromise? He and his wife named their son Eli — yes, after Manning’s brother, Eli, the quarterback for the New York Giants.

Elizabeth Leonard was raised in Bloomington, where she still lives with her four children. She’s a fan of both the Colts and Indiana University sports, enough to briefly consider naming her youngest son after former IU quarterback Antwaan Randle El.

But she thought Peyton Montgomery French, flowed together a little better at the time. She chose Montgomery in honor of former IU basketball coach Bob Knight, whose middle name also is Montgomery.

“Whether my child was a boy or a girl, (it) was going to be named Peyton,” Leonard said. “My ex-husband and I were just sports fanatics.”

Now 11, Peyton Montgomery French loves that he was named after the legendary quarterback, she said. He’s more active in basketball than football, but also

participates in student council and his mother hopes he has some of Peyton Manning’s leadership skills.

“I turn on SportsCenter to wake him up every morning,” Leonard said.

NFL Network to interview Brett Favre on Sunday about Peyton Manning playing against the Colts in Indy By Bob Wolfley Journal Sentinel October 18, 2013

Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre is to be interviewed live on Sunday during "NFL GameDay Morning" on the NFL Network.

Favre will at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to talk about the topic of returning to play your former team - a circumstance that faces Denver's Peyton Manning on Sunday night with the Broncos play at the Indianapolis Colts.

A spokesman for the NFL Network could not say when precisely the Favre interview was to air during the show, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon. The spokesman did say it would air sometime in the last two hours of the program.

Earlier this week Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was asked about that same issue, when the Packers played at the Vikings on Oct. 5 in Minnesota and then again on Nov. 1 in Green Bay during the 2009 season.

Rodgers said Manning's departure from Indy was different than Favre's departure from Green Bay.

"I feel like (Manning's) was a pretty amicable departure," Rodgers said, contrasting it to Favre's leaving.

"I really felt like, and I honestly felt this and I still feel it, there was way too much made about it in the media," Rodgers said.

GUEST COLUMN: Peyton Manning's lucky return to Indianapolis By Justin Hasty 9News October 18, 2013

KUSA - September 26, 2010, was the last time the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos faced each other. It was a warm, sunny Mile High Sunday afternoon as Peyton Manning's Colts defeated the Broncos 27-13.

It was the last time Manning would be the starting quarterback in Denver for a team not named the Broncos. Manning tortured the Broncos for years, as Denver fans recall, including two beatdowns in the 2003 and 2004 playoffs. On that particular Sunday afternoon, Manning did it again by completing 27 of 43 passes for 325 yards and three touchdown passes.It was the beginning of the Broncos' miserable 2010 season. After this game, not many could have guessed Manning would return to Denver wearing a Broncos jersey. After that game, things changed dramatically for both teams.

This Sunday will mark Manning's first game in Indianapolis since he was cut by the Colts in 2012. After the 2010 season, Manning underwent several neck surgeries, which ended with parts of Manning's neck fused together. Manning missed the entire 2011 NFL season. A further result of his absence was the Indianapolis Colts falling apart and finishing the season at a shocking 2-14. This would put the Colts in an interesting predicament. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck entered the NFL draft for the 2012 NFL season. He was the most talented quarterback prospect since, well, Manning in 1998. He was also projected to be as talented as another famous Stanford quarterback in 1983 that Denver fans know awfully well. The Colts made the tough choice and cut Manning and drafted Luck. Luck would replace Manning as the new face of the Indianapolis Colts.

Meanwhile over in the Rocky Mountains, the Denver Broncos had fired Coach Josh McDaniels and replaced him with John Fox while hiring that certain Stanford quarterback, John Elway, as the Executive Vice-President before the 2011 season. Most Broncos fans recall Fox replacing quarterback Kyle Orton with Tim Tebow and the miracle playoff run, which saw Tebow propel the Broncos to several late season comeback victories and an AFC West Division crown. The Broncos then won an improbable playoff game against the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers before falling to the New England Patriots in the divisional round.

This is where the Colts' big decision comes in. Manning was an unrestricted free agent. Elway wasted no time in recruiting Manning, as Denver was the first place Manning visited. After two weeks of careful deliberation, Manning called Elway to say he wanted to play for the Broncos. Tim Tebow was traded and Manning became the face of the team he had tortured for years as an Indianapolis Colt.

Both teams have managed to fare remarkably well since the big decision. Both teams made the playoffs and were bounced by the eventual champion Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos finished 13-3 in 2012 with their second AFC West crown in a row. This season, Manning has thrown for 2,179 yards with 22 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, as his Broncos are currently 6-0; one of two teams that are still undefeated. Meanwhile, Luck and the Colts made a surprising playoff run last year. This season, Luck and the Colts are off to a fast start as the Colts are 4-2. Luck has thrown for 1,346 yards with 7 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions.

It remains to be seen which team will fare better in the long run, but it is clear that both teams have fared better than expected so far. Manning has never played better than he has these last two seasons which is remarkable considering many people believed he was done playing football altogether after his neck injuries. The Broncos are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, a title they haven't earned since Elway was their QB. Luck has played better than most expected, even earning a playoff berth in his rookie campaign, which is a feat Manning wasn't able to accomplish. The Colts also look to make a deep playoff run as they have what looks to be the best team in the AFC South.

This Sunday will be a special game for NFL fans and especially fans in Indianapolis as their old star returns to town. Imagine if John Elway was released after an injury and playing for another team such as the Colts and coming to Denver to play against the Broncos. As a lifelong Broncos fan and huge Elway fan, it would have felt like the Twilight Zone to me, but this is what Indianapolis fans will be feeling once the football is kicked off.

For Broncos fans, it's still hard to imagine the chain of events after Peyton Manning played his final game as a Colt in Denver. Few could have ever imagined that both the Broncos and Colts would switch quarterbacks and team identities and become Super Bowl contenders in such a short time. Enjoy this Sunday, which could even be a preview of a possible AFC playoff game. Welcome to the Twilight Zone!

HOLDEN: What if Jim Irsay is right about Peyton Manning? By Will C. Holden KDVR.com October 18, 2013

DENVER — On his worst day, Colts owner Jim Irsay is the curmudgeon son of an NFL villain whose dad stole Baltimore’s team. On those days, it would seem smart for one of his staffers to change his Twitter password without telling him.

On his best day, Irsay is Indianapolis’ favorite adopted son, beloved for his persistent and proven pursuits of NFL championships. On those days, marketing staffs everywhere take notes on his ability to generate buzz on social media.

That’s why Irsay’s comments on his former quarterback Peyton Manning aren’t all that surprising.

At their worst, the words about the Colt-turned-Bronco were classless. At their best, they were right on the money.

And Denver’s got every right to be upset about them either way.

Irsay’s proceeding comments appeared in a USA Today story. These are the words that sparked tizzies from Denver Broncos head coach John Fox, Manning’s buddy Todd Helton, most of Colorado, a host of third party observers and Manning himself, even though (and especially because) the future Hall of Fame quarterback chose not to respond to them.

“We’ve changed our model a little bit (in Indianapolis), because we wanted more than one of these,” Irsay says, flicking up his right hand to show his Super Bowl XLI championship ring.

“(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these,” Irsay adds. “Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.

“You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this.”

Then Irsay flicks up his right hand again.

Irsay might as well have flicked up the middle finger on that right hand at Manning and his new town and team.

Irsay can’t seem to comprehend how his comments and actions implied such negativity, and insists he was misinterpreted. That’s “Worst Day Irsay.”

But if you can divorce yourself from the emotion he stirred up inside you as his monologue deteriorated into name-dropping, bling-flashing and confusing pop culture references, you’ll find “Best Day Irsay’s” central thesis:

“We’ve changed our model a little bit.”

It’s not that Irsay doesn’t appreciate what Manning accomplished with the Colts. Quite conversely, Irsay’s biggest issue with Manning appears to be that he is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game — and that he insists on being paid that way.

That’s not to say Manning is a diva. But it’s not like he’s ever taken pay cut, either. The same can’t be said about the four other quarterbacks mentioned in Irsay’s diatribe.

A year after Manning signed his Broncos contract, the one that is currently paying him $20 million a year, three-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady signed a contract that put him on schedule to make $27 million total over the span of the next three years.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has won twice as many Super Bowls as Manning, is currently the seventh highest-paid player on his team.

During the Baltimore Ravens last two Super Bowl-winning seasons, the team’s quarterbacks were paid millions less than the team’s top defensive players.

Initially, Eli Manning followed in his big brother Peyton’s footsteps, signing a massive contract after winning his first Super Bowl. But a year after winning his second, Eli took a $6.75 million pay cut in an effort to help his team remain competitive.

Peyton had an opportunity to take a similar pay cut following the 2010 season, one in which he and the Colts fell one win shy of a Super Bowl title. He even said he’d be willing to take one.

Several days after making those comments, Peyton signed an unprecedented 5-year deal that guaranteed him $23 million over the first three years. The Colts cut starting cornerback Kelvin Hayden a day later.

Manning proceeded to miss the entire ensuing season with a neck injury and the Colts went 2-14. Manning then refused Irsay’s requests to take a pay cut the following offseason, the Colts took Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in the draft and the rest is history.

So sure, Manning’s good. Maybe even the best ever. But has he proven to be worth the hefty investment that he has so consistently commanded? After 14 years of watching his high-paid offense trying to make up for the inefficiencies of his low-paid defenses while other more-balanced teams won Super Bowls, Irsay no longer thinks so.

That’s why the Colts have changed their model.

So though “Bad Day Irsay” may be worthy of your scorn today, if Manning and the Broncos, with their top-of-the-barrel offense and bottom-of-the-barrel defense, fall short of another Super Bowl, you might just find yourself agreeing with “Good Day Irsay” come February.

And if the Colts down the Broncos this Sunday, that 180 might come even sooner than that.

Peyton Manning's Return To Indy Is Driving Colts Tickets To Prices Last Seen In Manning Era By Jesse Lawrence Forbes.com October 18, 2013

Peyton Manning’s last healthy season in Indianapolis was 2010. Having come off a tough loss in the Super Bowl to the Saints the season before, expectations were high, and seeing a game at Lucas Oil Field cost an average of $250. The next year, Peyton was out with a bad neck, Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter were under center, and the team went at 2-14. Not surprisingly, prices plummeted and by the end of the season, the average price for Colts tickets had dropped 62% from 2010 and tickets could be had for under $20 to almost any game.

The 2011 Colts failed to make the post-season for the first time since 2001, three years after Peyton’s rookie season. While many Indianapolis fans feared the worst– perhaps a return to the two decades of futility, spilt between Baltimore and Indianapolis–the Colts luck quickly changed when they drafted Andrew Luck with the first pick in the 2011 draft. Overnight, Luck helped them regain their winning form and in just two years he has the Colts flirting with elite status. If they beat the Broncos on Sunday in Peyton’s return to Lucas Oil Field, it would thrust them into the Superbowl XLVII discussion and could very well return Colts ticket prices to Manning-era levels.

Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s contest, prices have returned to Manning-era levels for at least one game. On the secondary market, it will cost an average of $328 to see the leader of Colts-past face off against the leader of Colts-present. $328 is the most expensive ticket to a Colts game since Manning left, and $30 more expensive than the most expensive game of the 2010 season, which was against the Cowboys. The ticket has a 127% premium above the average Colts ticket price this year on the secondary market. The next highest priced game is against the Texans, which has an average price of $150. The Broncos are a big road draw wherever they go, and at 51%, Broncos tickets have the second highest road premium behind the Cowboys. Given the Manning-Colts storyline, it’s not surprising that this is over double that number.

Sunday’s game will be the most expensive during Luck’s brief career in Indy. The only other game that came close was the last game last year, which had an average price of $266. It was Chuck Pagano’s first game back after chemotherapy, and a heartwarming, victorious end to what was a surprisingly successful season. This year, prices for Colts tickets are averaging $153, and demand seems to have returned to Lucas Oil for good. If Andrew Luck can spoil Manning’s return, we may

see a return to Colts ticket prices of old — and it would be one more thing to put on the thank-you list that Peyton takes with him back to Denver.

Kids at Children’s Hosptial in Indianapolis mean everything to Peyton Manning By David Mitchell KWGN October 18, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning is getting ready for a showdown against his former team, the Indianapolis Colts.

But the future Hall of Fame quarterback says one of his greatest accomplishments in life has nothing to do with football.

FOX31 Denver Sports Director Nick Griffith is already reporting from Indianapolis, and Thursday he visited the place that is home for Manning’s mission for kids.

He spent 14 years playing football in Indianapolis. But it’s a children’s hospital in that city that still sits closest to his heart.

In 2007 St. Vincent Children’s Hospital became Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent.

Since then, and even in the years before, Peyton Manning’s face was a constant in Indianapolis. And even though he’s playing in Denver now, he remains highly involved in Indy.

“I’ll call a child in the hospital. I still have a very strong association with Children’s Hospital there,” he told the Denver media recently.

He does make the rounds at the hospital via telephone. He calls many patients at the hospital, including Madeline Helpling who is recovering from cancer.

“I answered it and he said, ‘Is this Madeline?’ And I said ‘yeah.’ He said, ‘Hi Madeline, this is Peyton Manning,’ and I was just like ‘hi Peyton!” she says as her face brightens up.

Through the patients and in pictures on the wall in the facility, Peyton’s presence is everywhere.

“He just wanted me to know he was praying for me and my family and that we were in his thoughts,” Madeline says.

Just because he’s wearing orange and blue now instead of blue and white, doesn’t mean his message and support don’t still play on.

“He was pretty emphatic. He said, ‘I got traded by the Colts. I didn’t get traded by St. V’s',” says Vince Caponi, CEO of the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital. Capone was instrumental in recruiting Manning to the Hospital.

“In typical Peyton Manning fashion he wanted to know all the details, he wanted to know what he would be responsible for,” Caponi says.

They worked together to develop the concept and the construction of what is now considered one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation.

“I don’t think football was mentioned once,” Madeline says. “He just wanted to make sure that my treatment was going well. It was all about me, you know. It was awesome.”

But Sunday there are tough choices to be made. Griffith asked Madeline who she would root for. “I’ll root for Peyton before the game starts, but after the game starts I’ll root for the Colts,” she says.

After the game is over, she says she’ll root for Peyton again.

Griffith says he’s found a lot of that around Indianapolis. There are a lot of fans who are struggling with whether to root for Peyton or root for the Colts.

NBC’s Cris Collinsworth and Rodney Harrison talk Peyton Manning’s return and game planning for him By Kevin Bowen Colts.com October 18, 2013

Intro: The NBC pregame crew along with the guys calling Sunday’s Colts and Broncos contest were available on a conference call earlier this week. Here are Cris Collinsworth and Rodney Harrison’s thoughts on Sunday night’s game.

INDIANAPOLIS— NBC’s Cris Collinsworth is “honored” to broadcast this weekend’s Colts and Broncos matchup. On a Tuesday conference call, Collinsworth talked about the “passing of the torch” that he is envisioning with Peyton Manning making his return to Indianapolis this weekend. Collinsworth lauds the play of Andrew Luck -- “he took a 2-14 team to the playoffs last year and he put up tremendous numbers so this is not a bit of magic” -- and Sunday will provide his first regular season broadcast of the Colts signal caller. Of course it comes against Manning, a player who Collinsworth loves to see on his broadcasting schedule. “I have to say that I studied harder for an Indy game when he was there or a Denver game now watching Peyton Manning then I do with any quarterback because I don’t want to look stupid because I know he’s going to do something that I’m going to go ‘now what just happened there?’ Collinsworth said earlier this week. In describing Manning versus a given defense, Collinsworth uses the analogy of the 12-time Pro Bowler playing chess while the defense is playing checkers. One area of concern that Collinsworth does have with Manning’s return is how the former Colts quarterback will react to being back in Indianapolis. “There’s no way when he comes out of that tunnel with the welcome you think they’re going to give, that he’s not going to have a few tears in his eyes,” Collinsworth said.

“I’ve got to think he’s going to have to take a minute or so to piece it all back together. So that will be an interesting thing to watch at the beginning of the game.”

Just over an hour before kickoff on Sunday night, former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison will take his seat across from Tony Dungy. The two will be the final analysts to discuss the Colts and Broncos leading up to Sunday Night Football. Harrison joined Collinsworth and Dungy on this week’s conference call to talk about how his former teams went about defending Manning. “When we started having success against Peyton is when we simplified everything,” Harrison said. “Coach (Bill) Belichick said ‘look we’re going to play two or three different coverages. We’re going to try to walk around this guy at least a basic coverage two, cover three and a cover one occasionally.’ “Once we simplified everything it was a lot easier because we didn’t try to figure out the hand signals, we didn’t try to figure out all the checks and the adjustments that Tony Dungy would try to confuse us with.” After years of being a Colts nemesis, Harrison offered some advice in how to limit Manning’s production. “Really all you have to do is play simple defenses, kind of jam the guys, put some pressure on Peyton – you got to put pressure on him and try to put pressure directly in his face,” Harrison said. “As good as he is, we had success in rattling Peyton and, you can make some plays off Peyton. He’s a human being, he will make mistakes.”

Broncos won’t (can’t) individually introduce Peyton Manning before the game By Mike Florio ProFootballTalk.com October 18, 2013

It’s still unclear what the Colts plan to do when Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning returns to town on Sunday night, but one thing is clear — Manning will not be individually introduced before the game.

Per multiple league sources, the NFL no longer allows visiting team to introduce specific players. Instead, the visiting team is now introduced as a group. The Broncos haven’t requested any type of exemption for Sunday night, and we’re told they don’t plan to.

Thus, while at some point there will be an occasion for the crowd to give Manning his much-deserved multi-minute standing ovation, it won’t happen via the P.A. announcer declaring, “. . . and at quarterback, Peyton Manning!”

The Broncos have twice before introduced specific players who were making their homecomings. In 2009, Denver brought Dawkins back to Philly for a rollicking reprise of his Weapon X routine. The Broncos went through a similar experience when safety John Lynch returned to Tampa.

Undoubtedly, some sort of memorable moment will happen, far different than the reception Brett Favre received in Green Bay four years ago. It definitely won’t happen with Manning emerging alone from the tunnel to be embraced one more time by the throng at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Irsay remains quiet, except for a Pearl Jam quote By Mike Florio ProFootballTalk.com October 18, 2013

The man who communicates in either 140-character tweets or five-plus-minute filibusters has been largely quiet since Wednesday.

But when a Thursday night NFL Network halftime report on the controversy Colts owner Jim Irsay sparked this week regarding former Indy quarterback Peyton Manning suggested that Irsay hasn’t said anything of late, I pulled up his Twitter page out of curiosity.

Here’s what Irsay tweeted early Thursday evening: “Nothing’s changed, but the surrounding bullshit…that has grown!”

The line comes from the Pearl Jam song Off He Goes. Given the full lyrics, it seems like a fitting reference to the return of Manning to Indianapolis.

Still, the tweet comes off as yet another effort to deflect blame for the mess that was created when Irsay opted to channel Fall Out Boy and say “thanks for the memories . . . even though they weren’t so great.”

Bill Polian: I’m not speaking to Jim Irsay and I’m rooting for Denver By Michael David Smith ProFootballTalk.com October 18, 2013

When Colts owner Jim Irsay said that cutting Peyton Manning was a step toward building a team that could win more than one championship, it was perceived by many as a shot at Manning. But it was also perceived as a shot at Bill Polian, the man who built the Colts’ rosters during Manning’s time with the team.

Polian sounded like his feelings were hurt in an appearance on SportsCenter today in which he said he and Irsay aren’t speaking. A somewhat awkward exchange between Polian and ESPN’s Sage Steele went like this:

Steele: Have you spoken to Mr. Irsay? Polian: I have not. Steele: Do you plan to? Polian: No.

When Polian was asked to expand on his thoughts about Irsay’s comments, Polian launched into a defense of his own record as the Colts’ president.

“My Lord, we won more games for 10 years than any team in the history of the league,” Polian said. “Eleven playoff appearances in 13 years so, you know, that’s the definition of winning.”

Polian also predicted that Manning “won’t like the pregame ceremony, whatever it may be” on Sunday because Manning likes to prepare for every game the same way with no distractions.

When Steele said the separation between Manning and the Colts was “amicable,” Polian disagreed.

“He wanted to stay very badly right up until the end,” Polian said of Manning. “They cut him.”

And when Steele asked Polian for his thoughts on Sunday’s game, Polian didn’t opt for the politically correct answer. Instead, he made clear that he hopes Manning goes to Indianapolis and sticks it to the Colts.

“My heart would be with the Broncos all the way,” Polian said.

Almost two years after Irsay fired him, Polian sounds like he still has hard feelings.

Gray Matter Mailbag: Von Miller's Return By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com October 18, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a brief hiatus -- I apologize, as I was dealing with a family matter -- the Gray Matter mailbag is back.

Thanks as always for your submissions. You can keep them coming all week long on Twitter, just send your questions to @GrayCaldwell using the hashtag #GrayMatter.

There certainly isn't a lack of storylines leading up to Sunday Night Football, so let's get to the mailbag.

Aaron @__ATrain_ @GrayCaldwell how much difference will champ baily and von miller make now that theyre both back? 9:17 AM - 18 Oct 2013

Having Bailey back last week had "a calming effect" on the defense, according to Head Coach John Fox. The Broncos cut down on explosive passes and kept the point total down -- 19 points were the fewest allowed so far this season. Bailey said his performance wasn't up to par, but having a game under his belt will help going into Sunday night's matchup. As far as Miller, he said he's in the best shape of his life, and truly you can tell just by looking at him. He's big. He added 15 pounds of muscle while cutting his body fat percentage through a ton of work in the weight room during his suspension. To answer your question, adding two Pro Bowlers back to the defense will have a positive effect. We'll see how Miller plays in his first game back, but he's certainly fired up to get back out on the field. We'll all find out Sunday what kind of impact that will bring.

Dan Fresorger @DFreeze77 @GrayCaldwell @DenverBroncos for #GrayMatter mailbag: How does Andrew luck handle dynamic pass rushers like Von Miller?

Good question. Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio -- and plenty of defensive players in the locker room -- pointed out that part of what makes Luck so dangerous is his ability to make plays with his legs, whether it's actually running or just moving around in the pocket to avoid pressure. This year, Aldon Smith got him for a sack when the Colts played the 49ers, Seattle's Bruce Irvin sacked Luck as well and Oakland's Lamarr Houston got one of the Raiders' four sacks in that matchup. The Colts have allowed 13 sacks this season, which is tied for eighth in the league. The Broncos, for reference, lead the NFL as Peyton Manning has been

sacked only five times. Luck has been sacked at least once in all six games so far this season, so the opportunity is there -- but it doesn't mean it will be easy.

Metal Mushin @metalheadmushin @MaseDenver @GrayCaldwell @BroncosTV Has there been any news regarding roster moves to accommodate Von? Haven't heard anything yet. 10:13 AM - 18 Oct 2013 from New Haven, CT, United States

Nothing to this point. The Broncos have a roster exemption at the moment, but the club must make a move by Saturday, a day before the linebacker will make his 2013 regular-season debut. So a transaction will be coming soon. This week, the team waived linebacker Adrian Robinson, but that was to make room for wide receiver Tavarres King on the active roster.

Ron @ronNcaphill @GrayCaldwell If Indy fans will respect their hero and continue to be quiet when Peyton has the ball? 8:51 AM - 18 Oct 2013

I wouldn't go that far. Word is that the Colts will honor Manning before the game with a video tribute, and I expect loud fanfare for the player who was Indy's quarterback for 14 years. And it wouldn't be a shock to see a whole lot of No. 18 Colts jerseys in the crowd. But that's all before the game. The first time Manning steps under center and the Colts defenders wave their arms to fire up the crowd, you can bet the Colts fans will oblige. The friendly atmosphere will likely dissipate as soon as the opening kickoff is in the air.

Lindsay Martin @LindsayMah10 @GrayCaldwell is big O playing this Sunday? 9:25 AM - 18 Oct 2013

He's listed as doubtful for the game after not participating in practice on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. When Franklin left last week's game with the injury, Chris Kuper was inserted into the linenup and Louis Vasquez moved to right tackle. So the line, from left to right, was Chris Clark, Zane Beadles, Manny Ramirez, Kuper and Vasquez.

On his weekly appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio Monday, Fox said, "If it doesn't work out for Orlando, we'll pretty much go that way."

Breaking Down the Colts Defense By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com October 18, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Defensively, the Colts are nothing if not aggressive. That is how a defense that Broncos Offensive Coordinator Adam gase describes as "very speedy" can best play to its strengths.

In the secondary, Colts Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky doesn't settle for simple man-to-man coverage; he wants his corners to press at the line of scrimmage and disrupt the timing of the opposing offense. This gambit carries inherent risks, but it's hard to quibble with the effectiveness to date; the Colts are one of two AFC teams with more touchdowns than interceptions, and have allowed one touchdown every 40.6 pass plays, the fifth-best rate in the NFL and well above the league average of one touchdown every 24.7 pass plays. (Denver's average is one touchdown allowed every 24.4 pass plays.)

“Well, as far as a receiver’s standpoint, they’re a man team. They’ll come up, press you, make you beat them one-on-one," said Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker. "And they’ve got some good defensive backs."

What the Colts' cornerbacks lack in star power, they make up for in quickness. And while Greg Toler and Vontae Davis are the starters and play the most snaps, Darius Butler has been the one most apt to make big plays, with six interceptions in 17 games since joining Indianapolis last season, including three that he's returned for touchdowns.

The matchup between Butler and Wes Welker bears watching because of their shared background as ex-Patriots; they played together in the 2009 and 2010 seasons and through the preseason of 2011 before the Patriots gave up on the 2009 second-round pick and released him. Butler is the prototypical slot cornerback in size; he's 5-foot-10 and 188 pounds. That makes him two inches shorter than Toler and 16 pounds lighter than Davis.

This season, Butler has also allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a rating of just 56.8 on passes thrown in his direction, according to ProFootballFocus.com, and he hasn't permitted a touchdown. But he hasn't faced a challenge quite like the one Welker poses.

Whether Butler can make a big play might come down to the Colts' pass rush, which uses interior stunts and speed from outside linebackers Erik Walden and Robert Mathis to harass quarterbacks. The Colts' sack ratio of one every 11.9 pass plays is seventh-best in the league, but their rate of hurries (as measured by ProFootballFocus.com) is one every 2.42 pass plays, the best in the NFL.

Aggression on the front and back end has been the Colts' calling card, and that should continue -- even against Peyton Manning, who's carved up plenty of similar defenses in his 16-year career.

Manusky indicated Thursday that pressure will be the best way for the Colts to attempt to disrupt the timing between Manning and the Broncos' receivers. And with an offensive line that faces injuries to Orlando Franklin -- who has yet to practice this week -- this could be the Colts' best shot at knocking the Broncos from the unbeaten ranks.

"(Manning) can pick and choose who he wants to go to and when it comes down to it, if you get pressure in his face and he doesn’t have that chance to go to the second or third read, then it’s a great possibility you’ll win the down," Manusky said. "So, pressure is part of it -- trying to get him off his spot and move his feet just like everybody you try to do."

Many have tried to do this to Manning. Few have succeeded. For the first time outside of the practice field, the Colts get their turn.

NOTES:

-- The Colts are 14th in stopping drives that get to third down, permitting drives to continue after 30 of the 76 third downs they've faced. This figure includes successful fourth-down conversions that followed the third downs, and is 1.24 percent better than the league average of 40.71 percent. (Denver ranks 10th in this metric; it limits opponents to a drive-continuation percentage of 38.27 percent).

-- You can run on the Colts; they're giving up an average of 4.6 yards per carry, seventh-worst in the league. The Colts are also seventh from the bottom in the number of running plays that move the sticks (one every 4.20 rushing plays); among Broncos opponents to date, only Dallas was worse (one first down every 3.84 runs). The league average is one every 4.69 runs.

Broncos at Colts: Top Five Storylines By Stuart Zaas DenverBroncos.com October 18, 2013

Peyton Manning’s Return to Indianapolis

This one might be the storyline of the year thus far in the NFL.

The league’s only four-time MVP heads back to the city where he won all four of those awards and threw for more than 50,000 yards and 399 touchdowns in 14 years, before the Colts released him in 2012.

Quarterback Peyton Manning said it was hard to predict how he’d feel when he steps into Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time as visitor.

"Football certainly is an emotional game, but to predict how you will feel? I just don’t know," Manning said.

"How I’ll feel walking into the stadium? I can’t tell you that right now. I’ll probably know after the game, I probably may not tell you that after the game either," he laughed. "It’s just too hard to predict.”

There has been plenty of talk about Manning’s return.

The week began with remarks made by Colts Owner Jim Irsay to the USA Today that drew a response from Head Coach John Fox.

Manning declined to comment and the Broncos aren’t buying into any bulletin-board material.

"I would say it can motivate teams but it probably motivates those teams that are not hungry or anything like that," cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. "We're a hungry team. So regardless of if he said anything or not, we're trying to continue on, stay undefeated and that's our goal."

Unfamiliar Opponent, Familiar Venue for Manning

Manning has played 230 career games, but zero of them have come against Indianapolis.

“It may sound strange, but it’s an unfamiliar opponent,” Manning said on a conference call with Indianapolis media.

While he’s never lined up against the Colts in a game, he spent 14 years practicing against that defense.

However, as Manning pointed out during his weekly press conference, a lot of personnel and coaches have changed since he last donned a Colts jersey in 2010.

“Well, it’s no question it’s unique,” Manning said. “As far as when you’re in the meeting rooms, and you’re watching film, you’re certainly familiar with some of the guys, but not many of them. There are a lot of guys on that team that could care less about my time in Indianapolis. There’s a lot of guys on this team that could care less about my time somewhere else. But when you see a Robert Mathis, or an Antoine Bethea – guys that you’re close to, guys that you played in some huge games with – there really is a bond there. But when you’re getting ready to play them, on film it’s a challenge.”

While the roster may have changed, not much is different at Lucas Oil Stadium, where Manning has a career 19-5 record.

“He won’t be unfamiliar with the stadium,” Fox said. “I can speak to that.”

Miller’s Return

After serving his six-game suspension to start the 2013 season, the runner up for the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year will return to the field Sunday.

Linebacker Von Miller ranked in the NFL’s top 5 in sacks, quarterback knockdowns, quarterback hurries, tackle for a loss, run stuffs and forced fumbles last year.

And by all accounts, he used his time away from the football field to make sure he’d come back as an improved version of that 2012 player that set a franchise record with 18.5 sacks.

“Best shape of my life,” Miller said. “I feel a lot stronger, quicker and faster.”

He spent a good portion of his six-week suspension in the Broncos’ weight room, working out with Strength and Conditioning Coach Luke Richesson and his assistants Jason George, Anthony Lomando and Mike Eubanks.

That work yielded a 15-pound muscle gain while Miller dropped his body-fat percentage.

“I feel stronger just all around -- mentally, physically, just all around," Miller said. "When you don't have to worry about everything, it's just football, it's a whole lot easier just studying and everything. I just feel good. It's like I've said before, I'm in a great place physically and mentally.”

Luck a Threat

In two years, Andrew Luck has thrown for 30 touchdowns while also running for seven.

His passer rating is up from 76.5 as a rookie to 89.6 through six weeks of the 2013 season.

“He’s a good player,” Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said. “He’s done some good things. He’s not perfect - nobody is. He is a good football player. Kind of appreciate the way he conducts. I feel like he is a team guy that works hard and tries to be that good teammate. From a distance anyway that’s something that you appreciate.”

Luck has shown the ability to beat teams with his arm as well as his legs.

He ran a 4.67 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine – less than one-tenth of a second slower than Panthers quarterback Cam Newton ran the year before.

Luck has run for 154 yards on 24 attempts for a 6.4 yards-per-carry average that ranks third among quarterbacks with at least 20 carries. His two rushing touchdowns this year is tied for the lead among all quarterbacks.

“He can make all those throws as well,” cornerback Champ Bailey said. “But I think what really makes him so dangerous is he when he pulls it down and can run for that first down and make guys miss here and there. He’s pretty good about that too.”

Protecting Peyton

Unlike the first 14 years of his career when he wore a non-contact jersey every time he lined up across from the Colts pass rush, Peyton Manning will be fair game for the Colts defense to go after.

“Somebody asked me earlier if ‘Is this kind of like playing against (New York Giants QB) Eli (Manning)?,’” Manning recalled. “And I said, ‘I know (linebacker) Robert Mathis hits harder than Eli. I guarantee you that.’”

Mathis is tied for the league lead with 9.5 sacks this year.

However, the Broncos offensive line has allowed the fewest sacks in the league this year. Manning has been sacked just five times and only twice in the last five games.

After right tackle Orlando Franklin left the Broncos’ Week 6 game with an injury, the team shuffled its offensive line. Louis Vasquez moved from right guard to right tackle and Chris Kuper came in to play right guard.

“The group that we have out there and last week, we were trying to feel them out,” Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase said. “Chris – it was the first time that he’s had

some action in a while – Louis has been working at that right tackle spot in practice so much I guess I didn’t even think twice about that. I just wanted to make sure they were good and once we saw that were handling their own well we just moved on and called it the way we saw it.”

Friday HealthONE Injury Report By Stuart Zaas DenverBroncos.com October 18, 2013

The final injury report for Denver's Week 7 game at Indianapolis

DENVER BRONCOS

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Status

T Orlando Franklin Ankle DNP DNP DNP Doubtful

LB Wesley Woodyard Neck Limited Limited Limited Questionable

DE Robert Ayers Shoulder Limited Limited Full Probable

CB Champ Bailey Foot Full Full Full Probable

WR Eric Decker Shoulder Full Full Full Probable

TE Joel Dreessen Knee Full Full Full Probable

TE Virgil Green Back Full Full Full Probable

G Chris Kuper Ankle Full Full Full Probable

LB Shaun Phillips Hamstring Limited Full Full Probable

WR Wes Welker Ankle Full Full Full Probable

DT Sylvester Williams Neck Limited Full Full Probable

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Status

LB Bjoern Werner Foot DNP DNP DNP Out

CB Darius Butler Groin Limited Limited Full Questionable

LB Kelvin Sheppard Hamstring Limited DNP Full Questionable

LB Jerrell Freeman Concussion DNP Full Full Probable

S Delano Howell Neck Limited Full Full Probable

S LaRon Landry Ankle Full Full Full Probable

Woodyard's World: Week 7 By Wesley Woodyard DenverBroncos.com October 18, 2013

Editor's note: Linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who was voted as a team captain for the fifth-consecutive season this year, will contribute blog entries thoughout the 2013 season. See below for his latest entry about about returning to the practice field and Von Miller's return to the defense.

While I wish I could have played, it was pretty cool to be on the sidelines helping out last week. Coaching is something that I want to do when I’m done playing football. I was watching the tendencies, what we scouted on and giving our guys coaching points of what to do, but I definitely want to be on the field this week.

It felt good to be back out there on the practice field the last couple days. I finally got a chance to get back out there with my pads on. It’s really exciting to see the whole team back together out there with Von and Champ back.

I think everyone is excited about Von’s return this week.

Man, where do I start with what he brings to the defense? I think his pass-rushing ability is the biggest thing that we really rely on so it’s good to get back our best pass rusher. He can do a ton of different things, but that’s something we’re really counting on.

It helps a lot that he’s been around the building this whole time. He’s been taking notes every week like he’s been getting ready to play. He’s been approaching every week as if he was getting ready to play and that’s a good thing. He’s not taking a step back, he’s just picking up where he left off last year.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding this game. We all know that, but it’s one of those things where you don’t even have to talk about it.

Peyton is our quarterback and besides that, he’s a great guy. Any time you have a teammate that goes back and plays their own team, you want to get that win just for them. That’s one of those times where you enjoy putting other people before yourself. So, it’s a big game for him. He doesn’t need to say anything, we don’t need to say anything – that’s just a given.

Ball's Rookie Journal: Just Another Game By Montee Ball DenverBroncos.com October 18, 2013

EDITOR'S NOTE: Rookie running back Montee Ball is chronicling his rookie campaign all season long on DenverBroncos.com.

As you might have seen, I was mic'd up for last week's game. You know when you're mic'd up, we've got to watch what we say -- nah, I'm just kidding. It was fun. Really at times I forgot it was there because you're just in the game, in the moment. For me right now it's still just taking every opportunity I get, since I dropped that pass. I'm just trying to make the most of everything. Right now, just patiently wait.

It's always an evaluation period for me. I've just got to make sure to take every opportunity and try to make the most of it. That's most definitely what I'm doing. When my time comes, I'm going to make sure I run with it.

As everyone knows, we've got the Colts this week. Speaking about their offense, Andrew Luck is a great quarterback. He's doing some great things over there. And they've got Trent Richardson over there now. Their defense, they play hard. They're doing some good things over there. At practice all week, we have a lot of crowd noise outside to make sure we take care of that. Like I say every week, for us it's just go over there and do our thing.

It's just another game for all of us. The most important game on our schedule because it's the next one. All of the stuff that's going along with it, we most definitely block it out and just worry about executing, because we've still got to win the football game.