Six Key Matchups: Pro Bowl
We break down the matchups we expect to see for the eight Broncos in the Pro Bowl, including Aqib Talib meeting Emmanuel Sanders and Ryan Clady taking on DeMarcus Ware.
This teammate-versus-teammate matchup is one of the reasons why the NFL switched to a draft system for the Pro Bowl and last year it didn't disappoint. Derrick Johnson clocked fellow Chief Jamaal Charles with a big hit in the hole and T.J. Ward flipped Josh Gordon with a strong tackle. This matchup between two great athletes will be fun to watch and a bit of a clash of styles. Talib's size and physicality are some of his best assets, but he won't be able to use them with the Pro Bowl's rules of no press coverage outside the 5-yard line. We'll see if Sanders' free release helps him get the better of his Bronco teammate.
Just a few months ago, Anderson was down the depth chart and a relative unknown, even to Broncos fans. Now, he's in his first Pro Bowl and will be running against a front led by Team Carter captain J.J. Watt. Watt's motor has no off switch – even in the Pro Bowl, as he showed last season with a sack and two batted passes. The big defensive end can blow by offensive linemen and disrupt the running game in a hurry, but Anderson has shown tremendous ability to redirect behind the line of scrimmage and use his slippery running style to find yards. Like Harris, don't be surprised to see a little extra motivation from the undrafted Anderson on Sunday.
I have a feeling that Harris Jr., the undrafted cornerback who has been doubted at every step of his football career, will be a little extra motivated on Sunday after getting assigned – not selected – in the Pro Bowl draft. He may get the opportunity on Sunday to face Brown, one of Team Carter's captains and the NFL's leader in receiving yards in 2014 (1,698). Brown is incredibly quick off the line and a great route-runner, but Harris has the size and short-area agility to mirror the dangerous receiver. If he can stay in Brown's hip pocket and perhaps create a turnover, it would be quite the way to cap an incredible year for Harris.
Perhaps the best teammate-on-teammate matchup of any in the Pro Bowl, Ware will go up against Clady throughout the game. Watching these two compete during training camp was a treat, and Sunday should only bring more of that, as the lack of blitzing should pair these two on virtually every play. Both men have been to their share of Pro Bowls and it's difficult to pick a likely winner of this matchup, especially because they know each other's styles so well. Whether or not Ware can get past Clady for a sack or pressure on the quarterback could be the difference between a turnover and a touchdown.
With the Pro Bowl's limitations on blitzing and the classifications of pass rushers as defensive ends or linebackers, inevitably several outside linebackers who usually hound quarterbacks end up playing primarily coverage. That'll be the case for Miller in this game, but it doesn't mean he won't make noise. Miller has shown that he can be effective moving backward and side-to-side in space, and he will certainly cause problems filling gaps in the running game. Watch for him to track a division rival in Charles on carries, flares and screens.
The Panthers' big tight end led Carolina in receptions in 2014 and finished second in the league in receiving yards by a tight end (1,008), only trailing Rob Gronkowski. He's a good athlete that can really elevate for the ball and pull it down through traffic. Olsen will probably draw Ward often in coverage, whether man-to-man or as help over the top. Even in the Pro Bowl, Ward might land a good hit on Olsen if he gets the chance as he did on then-teammate Josh Gordon in last year's game.
