Five Key Matchups: Broncos vs. Saints

There will be no help from Derek Wolfe this weekend for a team that desperately needs to find a way to stop the run game. The Broncos were gashed by the Raiders to the tune of 218 yards, and there's no break in sight for Denver. When they travel to New Orleans this weekend, they'll need to slow down Mark Ingram, who ran for 158 yards and 10.5 yards per carry last week against the 49ers. If the Broncos can't slow him and a couple of their other competent backs down, it won't matter if the passing defense succeeds or if the offense finds its rhythm. Simply put, without a better run defense, the Broncos will struggle to win games. Jared Crick is among the players who must improve. Crick has been a dependable pass rusher through nine weeks, but the Broncos will need more from him in the run game.  

If the Broncos head into Sunday's matchup against New Orleans without Aqib Talib for the third straight game, Chris Harris Jr. will need to step up as the leader of the Broncos' cornerback group. Against Oakland, the Broncos gave up just 179 passing yards, but they also committed more than a handful of costly defensive penalties that set the Raiders up with great field position. Harris will need help from a slew of players that includes Bradley Roby, Kayvon Webster, Lorenzo Doss and Taurean Nixon, but it starts with him. Harris must slow down the Saints' speedy receiver Brandin Cooks. The third-year player has five touchdowns on the year, including a 98-yard catch and run for a touchdown.

Trevor Siemian didn't play a flawless game against the Raiders, and Head Coach Gary Kubiak noted afterward that his starting quarterback needed to play better. That said, the Broncos' staff is impressed by the first-year starter's strides in the offense. He had another long throw for a touchdown against the Raiders and didn't turn the ball over until the fourth quarter. Siemian admits he needs to be better on third downs, but he said he needs to avoid the turnovers that sometimes stem from those situations. Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro will be one of the players looking to cause trouble for Siemian on Sunday, if Vaccaro isn't suspended. If the young quarterback can make plays against the back end of the defense, the Broncos' odds of winning will skyrocket.

For as much as the Broncos have struggled to run the ball in recent weeks, the offensive line has done a better job at keeping quarterback Trevor Siemian upright. He's been sacked just three times in the last two weeks and has again found the time to throw the football. Donald Stephenson will need to contain Cameron Jordan on the outside to continue that trend. Cameron, who has three sacks on the year, remains a dangerous threat. If the Broncos are to succeed this week, they must give Siemian the time to throw and run through his reads. That all starts up front.

Somehow, Drew Brees seems to get better as he gets older. In his 16th season, he's thrown for 2,689 yards, 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions through eight games. He's also only been sacked 12 times, which is a number the Broncos hope to increase by a significant margin. Brees completes just 56.5 percent of his passes under pressure, compared to 72.6 percent when not pressured. Ware, along with the rest of the team's pass rushers, will do their best to drag him down, or at least force inaccurate throws, but that's a task easier said than done against a future Hall of Fame quarterback.