Five Key Matchups: Broncos-Cardinals

A key part to the Cardinals' success on defense so far this season is their ability to shut down the run. They currently rank fourth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed with a 71.7 average. On the other side, the Broncos' running game hasn't been as productive as Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase had hoped, averaging 75.3 yards on the ground this season. Montee Ball said he sees plenty of room for improvement in the running backs' room."Yeah we talk about it all the time in our running back group," Ball said. "Specifically for me, what I want to work on, is being more of that guy. I haven't really shown that these first three games and I think from here on out, I'm going to make that jump that everyone's looking for."Ball is currently averaging 3.4 yards per carry with one touchdown. The Broncos will look to take advantage of the Cardinals' vast array of injuries on defense and get some momentum on the ground.

Peyton Manning, a league veteran, will face Cardinals' Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles' game plan. One of the rising defensive coordinators in the league, Bowles is known for his creative schemes. He is leading a defense that is greatly depleted by injury and they are thriving as the No. 2 scoring defense in the league.Bowles is willing to take risks in the pass rush and the Cardinals consistently blitz. Manning, with so many years of experience, is a pro at evading the blitz and adjusting accordingly. "I think he's going to do what he does well and they've had a lot of success this year blitzing," Gase said. "I'm sure they are going to give us some kind of package and I'm sure they'll have plenty of interesting things that we haven't seen before and we're just going to have to make sure we stick with our fundamentals and our scheme and kind of our rules of what we've learned over training camp and up to this point and stick with those and do the best we can as far as picking all that stuff up."The Cardinals' defense wreaked havoc on Phillip Rivers and the Chargers in Week 1 and will look to continue that on Sunday. The Broncos have the eighth-ranked passing offense in the NFL and Bowles and his corps will look to contain Manning and his weapons.

While Larry Fitzgerald is the veteran receiver on the team, Floyd has been Drew Stanton's go-to receiver this season. He currently has 11 receptions for 252 yards.Aqib Talib will want to bounce back after Week 3's loss to the Seahawks where the defense allowed a game-winning drive in overtime to seal the Broncos' fate. With 12 total tackles and five passes defensed this season, Talib's first three games with the Broncos were solid, but Sunday's game will be a great opportunity for him to prove the Broncos' investment in him was worth it. "They're five deep and they'll play all five, sometimes all at once. So they've got a good group," Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said. "But Floyd's a long strider. He tracks the ball very well. Good hands. He'll get in there and dig you out in the run game, and dig out the safeties. He's playing well for them right now. The other guy, [WR John] Brown, young guy out of Pitt State is doing a nice job. He kind of has a T.Y. Hilton kind of element to him—that undersized guy with a lot of juice."

Patrick Peterson, one of the best corners in the league, will likely be paired with Demaryius Thomas on Sunday. While Peterson hasn't been on an island as much this season compared to previous years, he noted on Wednesday that the Cardinals have yet to play a truly dominate receiver corps. He said, "this week it might be a little more matchup than we did in the previous weeks.""Everybody knows Peterson; you talk about him and probably two other guys in the NFL and [Antonio] Cromartie's no slouch," Gase said. "We've seen him obviously for a long time, whether it's been San Diego or New York. The guy's a good lockdown corner and they've got two of them."Through three games, Thomas has 13 catches for 141 yards. While the Cardinals' secondary is top notch, he'll look to break out during Sunday's game.

A Pro Bowl alternate last season, Calais Campbell is a rising star. At 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, if Campbell gets his arms up, he can disrupt Manning. He moves around the line a lot, so he will likely be paired with every member of the Broncos' O-line at some point during the game.He will face Franklin at times, who has been a consistent staple in the Broncos' offense.  The Broncos' offensive line will look to create bigger holes for the running backs and prevent hits in the backfield.