Five Key Matchups: Broncos-Bills
The battle with Buffalo will start in the trenches, as Von Miller takes on a rookie seventh-round pick and Will Montgomery draws another behemoth defensive tackle.
A top prospect out of high school, Henderson has always had the physical tools to be a top player, but he slid to the seventh round of the 2014 draft after three suspensions while at the University of Miami. He's started from the beginning in Buffalo and has been up and down: According to Pro Football Focus, he's allowed two or fewer QB pressures (sacks, hits and hurries) in half of his games, but has allowed 26 in the other six games, while generally struggling in run blocking. Miller may be Henderson's toughest challenge yet as a pro. The fourth-year linebacker posted his third multi-sack game of the season against the Chiefs in addition to a QB hit and four hurries. If Henderson can't stop Miller from greeting former teammate Kyle Orton on a regular basis, the Buffalo offense will have trouble gaining any steam.
Heading into his fourth game as the Broncos' starting center, Montgomery has settled in nicely, which reflects his experience at the position – he started every game over the last three years at center for Washington. Last week, the coaching staff showed plenty of trust in Montgomery by allowing him to handle 6-3, 346-pound Dontari Poe one-on-one at times, primarily on stretch runs or sweeps that forced Poe to move laterally. The 6-3, 331-pound Dareus may present an even bigger challenge than Poe, having picked up 10 sacks in his first nine games this year – including two three-sack games – before cooling off the last three weeks. Given the wealth of talent elsewhere on the line, Montgomery may be asked to single-block Dareus at times on Sunday. "It's going to be a challenge for those three guys," Adam Gase said of the interior O-line. "The good thing is I like the size of our two guards and then what Will brings to the table as far as his ability to laterally get to that second level. I really like our matchups."
It seems like every week, Louis Vasquez encounters another talented pass rusher at his new right tackle position. After handling Cameron Wake two weeks ago and going back and forth with Justin Houston in Kansas City, Vasquez will draw Mario Williams this week, who has 12 sacks on the season. Williams is much larger and more of a power player than either Wake or Houston, presenting Vasquez with a different challenge. "He's going to make sure you don't run that ball outside," Virgil Green said of Williams on Wednesday. "He can set that edge and he's 290 ." The more physical style may actually be a better matchup for Vasquez due to his background as a guard, but Williams has the speed to burn around the outside too. As Vasquez starts his fourth game at tackle, the battles between these two will be crucial.
The 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Gilmore has quietly been one of the better corners in the league despite missing a handful games to injury over the past few seasons. The Bills' defense ranks fourth in both yards per pass allowed and interception rate, and though Gilmore lines up primarily on the right side, he is often tasked with opponents' top receivers. He held Josh Gordon in check last week (four catches for 42 yards against Gilmore, according to Pro Football Focus), and should see plenty of both Thomas and Sanders this week. Sanders and Thomas are tied for second in the league in catches of 20 or more yards with 19 apiece, a category in which the Bills rank third in the league, allowing 27 all year. Gilmore needs to be precise when he tries to press at the line of scrimmage to disrupt timing. If he misses on occasion, Thomas and Sanders could make him pay deep down the field.
After missing last week with a hamstring injury, Talib practiced fully all week and is listed as probable for Sunday's game. "I feel good," he said Thursday. "Ready to roll." Against the Bills, he'll probably draw Buffalo's top rookie, Watkins, a fair amount. Watkins hasn't disappointed since Buffalo traded up to take him with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft, but he has cooled off a bit. Since picking up 279 yards and three touchdowns against the Vikings and Jets in late October, Watkins has just 105 yards and no touchdowns over the last four games. The Bills' offense doesn't feature many dangerous middle-of-the-field targets and relies heavily on Watkins and Robert Woods to get open for Kyle Orton on the perimeter. If Talib can stifle the rookie, Orton will be lacking options and may have to hold the ball longer against a scary Broncos pass rush.
