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Unbeaten Broncos face Colts Sunday
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 11/6/2015  at  12:05:00 PM
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DENVER BRONCOS (7-0)
at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-5)

Kickoff: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Line: Denver -5, Total: 45.0

In what could be his last trip to Indianapolis, Peyton Manning will look to keep the Denver Broncos undefeated in a showdown with Andrew Luck and the AFC South-leading Colts.

Denver (7-0 SU, 5-1-1 ATS) outplayed the previously unbeaten Packers on both sides of the ball on their way to a dominating 29-10 victory on Sunday Night Football, their widest margin of victory this season, while the Colts (3-5 SU and ATS) rallied for 17 points in the final 7:04 of regulation to force overtime at Carolina, before ultimately falling 29-26. The Broncos started and finished strong, scoring the first 17 points of the game, and the last 12 points of the game after the Packers had cut the deficit to seven points in the 3rd quarter. The Colts briefly took the lead in OT on Adam Vinatieri’s field goal, but allowed a tying field goal from Graham Gano, then turned the ball over on their next possession, leading to Gano’s eventual game-winner. The Broncos have little in the way of major injuries coming into the game: 2015 1st round pick OLB Shane Ray (Knee) and veteran WR Jordan Norwood (Hamstring) each missed the Packers game and their statuses for Indianapolis are TBD. For the Colts, WR Phillip Dorsett (Ankle), their 2015 1st round pick, missed the Panthers game. His status for Denver has yet to be determined.

Denver’s offense, for the second straight game, came alive on Sunday night against the Packers, setting season highs in rushing (160) and passing (340) yards. The Broncos’ rushing success nearly doubled their season average of 85 YPG entering the battle of the unbeatens, while Manning threw for more than 300 yards for just the 2nd time this season. While Denver’s rushing defense allowed a few yards more than the 88.7 YPG it had held opponents to entering the game, it was the passing defense that blew everybody away, holding the Packers’ air attack to just 50 yards, a massive improvement on the previously league-leading 192.7 YPG they’d allowed through the air during their 6-0 start. Denver is 8-3 ATS in the Peyton era vs. teams with a losing record, and 8-2 ATS over that same time frame against teams who allow more than 24 points a game; the Panthers allow 25.4 following Monday night’s loss.

Indianapolis played 53 minutes of subpar football before both their offense and defense came alive, scoring on each of their final three drives of regulation, and forcing two 3-and-outs from the Panthers’ offense. However, in overtime, turnovers, which have plagued Luck and the Colts all season long, cost them, as Luke Kuechly’s interception, Carolina’s third of the night, led to the winning score four plays later. The Colts are now tied with the Lions for worst turnover margin in the league at -9, while Luck now leads the league in interceptions thrown, with 12. The Colts are 3-0 ATS vs. DEN in the Luck vs. Manning era, including two SU victories by the Colts in games Denver entered as at least a six-point favorite, including last year’s AFC Divisional Playoff. Luck has covered the spread in 20 of his last 28 home games, but he’s just 1-3 ATS in home games this season.


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