Denver – A blizzard covered the Mile High City on Thursday, so maybe it’s not too early in the NFL season to start talking about really significant games.
And Indianapolis at Denver is about as colossal as an October game can get.
The Colts can become the first team to start 7-0 in consecutive seasons since the 1929-31 Green Bay Packers, who did it three straight years. No one else has done it twice.
The Broncos have made history, becoming the stingiest team to start a season since the 1934 Detroit Lions shut out their first seven opponents.
Denver has allowed just two oh-by-the-way touchdowns this season, both coming in the fourth quarter after they had built 17-0 leads, on New England and Cleveland. They’ve held their past five opponents to single digits, a franchise best.
Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, the biggest beneficiary of Denver’s s defense, which has taken some heat off his season-long poor play, said this one feels like a playoff game.
“Anytime you have an undefeated team coming to your place and we’re 5-1, it’s a big game,” Plummer said. “(Winning it) sends a statement. It doesn’t mean you’re going to win the Super Bowl by any means, but it just sends a statement to everybody that you can beat the good ones, too.”
Plummer’s job got harder when left tackle Matt Lepsis was lost for the season with a knee injury, leaving Adam Meadows, Erik Pears and right guard Cooper Carlisle as candidates to face Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney.
The Colts also have injury issues, with defensive tackle Montae Reagor (eye socket) missing his second straight game and safety Mike Doss being placed on injured reserve with a torn knee ligament. The Colts expect to have Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders (knee) back for the first time in a month.
The Colts are averaging 28 points; the Broncos are allowing just seven a game.
“We believe we can score on anybody, and I’m sure they like to believe they can stop anyone,” Colts coach Tony Dungy said. “Everybody’s going to focus on that matchup, but special teams, our defense against their offense is going to be just as critical.”
What everyone really wants to see, however, is Indy’s prolific offense going against Denver’s dominant defense. Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark vs. Al Wilson, Champ Bailey, Darrent Williams, John Lynch and Ian Gold.
“They are just playing excellent fundamental defense right now,” said Manning, who spends most of his waking hours dissecting defenses and has found few flaws in this one. “Their tackling is exceptional. That’s one thing that just jumps out at you.”
“We play hard together and everybody’s accountable,” Denver defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. “And we’ve got some skill.”
The Colts? Well, they’re the same high-scoring bunch that’s been tearing up the AFC for years. “They are the best at what they do,” Coyer said.
And that’s pretty much what many are saying about Coyer’s crew, too.
“The big thing is they have confidence in their personnel,” Dungy said. “They’re not blitzing as much. They’re probably creating a little more pressure with their front four and they’re not putting those guys in predictable man-to-man situations. … And they’re making teams go the long route. It’s ‘See if you can get an eight- or 10-play drive.’ And most teams that have played against them so far haven’t been able to do it.”
