Five Key Matchups: Broncos-Patriots

Von Miller and Nate Solders are very familiar with each other. Miller (Texas A&M) and Solder (Colorado) both competed in the Big 12 during college and Miller considers him one of the "better tackles in the league.""I played him my rookie season; I played him every year in the league," Miller said. "We're real good friends off the field. Nate, that's one of my guys. I see him every offseason. We hang every offseason. Nate is just one of those guys, a super classy guy. I enjoy being around him but Sundays I just have to get my suit on, we have to play football and every year we have a pretty good matchup." Miller sits in second in the NFL with nine sacks. His October, where he totaled 14 tackles and seven sacks, earned him the AFC Player of the Month. For an offensive line that got off to a shaky start in allowing nine sacks in their first four games, Miller will pose a tough challenge. 

On Thursday Demaryius Thomas couldn't determine if he will be facing Derrelle Revis consistently on Sunday. For a Broncos offense with a variety of weapons in the receiving corps, Sunday matchups are hard to predict."The guy has been a perennial Pro Bowler," Head Coach John Fox said of Revis on Thursday. "He's got size. He's got length. He's a quality player at his position in the league. He's been around a little bit, so he's a smart, tough, athletic guy that covers very well."While Revis continues to be the dominant corner he was with the Jets, Thomas currently sits in fourth in the NFL with 767 yards on the season and is looking for his fifth consecutive 100-yard receiving game.

Similar to the Patriots, the Broncos are looking to their second string running back. In his three starts, he has accumulated 283 yards and helped balance the Broncos' offense. While Hillman has been consistent in averaging 4.7 yards per carry, he knows he will need to focus on ball security on Sunday as he has five fumbles during his three-year career. "[The Patriots] thrive off of turnovers," he said. "I think they're plus-11 or something like that. I think they thrive off of turnovers, and that's what has been helping them win."The weather may impact the Broncos' game plan and affect how much Hillman is used, but the Patriots sit at No. 25 in the NFL in rushing defense and second in pass defense. With a secondary that houses big playmakers like Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, a big performance from Hillman will be key in a productive offensive performance.

Thursday night it was Antonio Gates. The Sunday before that it was Vernon Davis. This coming Sunday, the Broncos will face off against another top-tier tight end in Rob Gronkowski. "He's certainly a gifted player," Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said of Gronkowski. "Definitely back and rolling. Very productive on third downs, red zone situations especially. He's a key to what they do offensively. He's one of the special players in the league at that position and there are a bunch of them out there, but he's as good as they come."Last week against the Bears, Gronkowski racked up 149 yards and three touchdowns. The Broncos held Gates to 54 yards but he scored two touchdowns and Davis was contained to just two catches for 21 yards. Gronkowski, now fully healthy, and Julian Edelman have been Tom Brady's go-to targets this season and they will certainly pose a tough challenge for the Broncos' defense.

During the month of October, the Broncos have held opponents to a league-low 258.8 yards per game. A large part of that defensive resurgence is due to the team limiting opponents on the ground, as the Broncos lead the league in rushing yards allowed (73.4 ypg).Terrance Knighton has been bolstering the Broncos' defensive front and the defense has contained top RBs like Frank Gore and Andre Ellington. "T-Knight's doing a great job," Malik Jackson said. "He's a leader on the defensive line, and everything he does, he's just a leader in the way he talks to you, the way he acts, and everything he does you just try to follow him and rally around him."With Stevan Ridley out for the season, Shane Vereen and Jonas Gray have been leading the Patriots' rushing attack, which averages 105.6 yards per game.