The Denver Broncos (3-0) host the Minnesota Vikings (2-1) Sunday afternoon in a matchup that is building up to be physical battle in the trenches. The Vikings will surely base their offense around Adrian Peterson and the Broncos will do everything in their power to stop him on defense and keep him off of the field.
Three Broncos will have a heightened responsibility during the contest Sunday and it will all revolve around the NFL’s leading rusher. Sylvester Williams has quietly taken on a huge role in the dynamic Wade Phillips defense. He will have to plug the middle in order to contain Peterson. Conversely, C.J. Anderson needs to have a break out game in order to keep the Viking’s defense honest but more importantly, to keep the ball out of No. 28’s hands. Lastly, as the offensive line gets shuffled around due to injury, Ryan Harris will be given the tough task of switching positions and covering Peyton Manning’s blind side.
These three players should be the center of attention on Sunday.
3. Sylvester Williams
The departure of fan and team favorite, Terrence “Pot Roast” Knighton in the offseason clearly set Williams in a “sink or swim” situation in 2015 and thus far he has stepped up to the task. Playing in the 3-4 defense is not only a change for the team but for Williams, who did not play in a 3-4 his entire professional or college career. After an offseason in which the coaches praised his work ethic and progress and into the season Williams has played well and he knows the task Sunday will his toughest test yet. The soft-spoken big man is excitedly waiting for the showdown.
“Obviously when you have one of the best running backs of all time coming to town you get kind of excited because you want to go out there and do your best against him. Thanks what I’m looking forward to, going out there and playing my best,” he said emphatically Thursday.
Th Vikings are the third ranked rushing offense in the NFL through three weeks, averaging 144.3 per game and Peterson leads the NFL with 291 rushing yards. Williams and the entire defense knows that the Vikings will be heavily relying on the run to crack through the Broncos’ top ranked defense. Williams has been quietly carrying a lot of responsibility in the middle this season and the obviously battle ahead is boosting his preparation this week.
“My teammates and coaching staff are really depending on me,” Williams explained Thursday. “This week is a big week for us because this is a huge running team. We know what’s coming, they know what’s coming and the whole world knows what’s coming.”
Last week the Vikings running backs rushed 28 times, Peterson carrying the ball 20 of those plays, and they ran up the middle or over the guards on 15 plays. Williams knows the role of nose tackle is often a selfless one and spoke Thursday about what he needs to do in the middle for the team to have success stopping the Viking’s rushing attack.
“I need to be stout at the line of scrimmage. You are going to get double teamed a lot. I need to hold up on those double teams and not give up ground and allow the linebackers to flow along that line of scrimmage.”
It will be easy to see if Williams and his teammates inside can stop the run early and if they can the Vikings will find themselves in the uncomfortable position of trying to pass on the Broncos defense. It is a proposition the Broncos first three opponents did not succeed at and that the Vikings are not used to doing. They rank deed last in pass yards per game, averaging only 149.7 so far this season.
No. 2 needs to live up to the hype that surrounded him this offseason…
2. C.J. Anderson
Anderson and the Broncos lack of a running game has been well documented in the short season thus far. The team that desperately wants to run the ball and create balance on offense, has only averaged 57 rush yards per game. It is a point of emphasis that Kubiak has commented on several times and Sunday it will start with Anderson.
“I’ve talked to C.J. When you’re evaluating the running game, we’re talking about being better up front, getting more creases, doing that. That’s a coaches’ thing. We’ve got to create some space for these guys. Then you go to the backs and you say, ‘Sometimes you’ve got to create your own space.’ He’s worked really hard this week. We had a really good, physical practice on Thursday and he responded well in that practice. Sometimes as a back, you’ve got to do a little bit more. You’re in this league to make some plays that nobody else can make sometimes,” Kubiak said confidently Friday.
Anderson came on late in the 2014 season and earned a Pro Bowl nod finishing the season as the third ranked running back on Pro Football Focus (PFF) but has had a tough start in the new Broncos offense thus far. Much of his struggles may be fairly placed on the offensive lines’ inadequate start and is a major reason he is buried as the 38th ranked running back so far in 2015, per PFF. There are four new players blocking for him this season and it certainly has affected the consistency of the running attack but Kubiak has vowed several times that they will not abandon the run. They simply cannot do that and this week it will be even more important due to Peterson’s role on the opposing team’s offense.
If Anderson can “create space” as Kubiak mentioned, it will not only help Manning in the passing game but it will keep Peterson off of the field. The Vikings defense has been average against both the pass and the run and have given up 119.3 rushing yards per game, ranking 24th in the NFL. Look for the Broncos to try and get things going early Sunday, especially on first downs. They have struggled to begin drives this season and Kubiak commented on that fact Friday.
“If you’re not running the ball well, you feel like you’re wasting some downs,” he said. “We’ve got to be better on first down. That was a point of emphasis last week. When you’re not running the ball well, you’re probably going to try to find a way to make some plays throwing it on first down. That has been an emphasis for us the last couple weeks.”
No. 1 has the unenviable task of moving positions last-minute…
1. Ryan Harris
Harris has had a whirlwind of a offseason. With his career seemingly winding down the eight-year veteran tackle joined the Broncos after Ryan Clady’s season-ending injury and had little more than a fighting chance to get playing time. Fast forward to week four and he has played every offensive snap at right tackle.
This week he will jump over to left tackle due to a shoulder injury to Ty Sambrailo. Second-year tackle Michael Schofield will take over on the right side and will certainly have his hands full. Harris will have to deal with Everson Griffen of the Vikings and will be trying to keep Manning and his blind side safe.
Griffen is coming off of a fantastic 2014 in which he was the eighth ranked 4-3, defensive end according to PFF and has already tallied three sacks this year. Harris, a smart and steady professional, spoke Friday and sarcastically down-played the importance of keeping Manning upright but added that the move to the left side is fairly insignificant.
“Why would there be? He’s only like a future Hall of Famer, right? I mean I think all of us on the offensive line have handled that pressure pretty well. It doesn’t matter what side it comes from. You definitely want to protect him. Every time we do, good things happen. I think challenges are part of the process and pressure is man-made. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Many veteran players have confidence in themselves and have played in multiple spots along the offensive line but on such short notice it will be a factor Sunday. Harris will be facing arguably the Vikings best defensive player and he will be a point of emphasis. The group as a whole will be under a lot of pressure. Harris understands that and believes that the line he has is ready.
“For the offensive line, we just have to be on the same page. I’ve been next to Evan (Mathis) this week and I know Evan. We’ve been increasing our communication. I’m confident we’re all going to be good. Mike (Schofield), we all believe in Mike. He’s a great player. He played big-time college ball. He’s played a lot in the preseason and he’s been taking reps here. We’re ready for him to shine.”
The Broncos have battled through three tough weeks of football and despite all the changes in the offseason, with both the roster and coaching staff, they have come out the gate 3-0. Sunday they will face possibly the most physical team yet in the Vikings. The game plan is simple but executing it is not. Stopping Peterson is a giant task but if they can somehow slow the potent rushing attack of Minnesota and jump start their own with Anderson’s and Harris’ help they can keep the winning streak intact.
Prediction and other notes…
Prediction: DEN 23, MINN 10
OTHER NOTES:
Sunday will mark the 14th meeting between the Broncos and the Vikings. The Vikings hold the edge with a 7-6 record. They last played each other in 2011 and the Broncos edged out a 35-32 victory.
Both teams have excellent turnover ratios with the Broncos at +6 and the Vikings +3. Both defenses have been stingy, allowing just over 16 points per game. The Broncos have an amazing 18.8% third down conversion rate on defense, to the Vikings mediocre 45.2%.
Ty Sambrailo has been ruled out for the game and James Casey, who was not activated last Sunday, is questionable for the game. For the Vikings, starting wide receiver Charles Johnson has been ruled out for the game and third receiver Jarius Wright is listed as “questionable” after missing two days of practice. That leaves the Vikings very limited at receiver.
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