Five Key Matchups: Broncos-Seahawks
Can Julius Thomas keep up his explosive season against Kam Chancellor? We break down that matchup and four more that could decide Sunday's game.
Thomas will see a variety of players opposite him in Seattle, as he has so far this season, but Chancellor would seem the most likely adversary. Thomas has left several defenders in his wake in amassing 143 yards and four touchdowns on 11 catches in two games. He'll look to replicate the success of Antonio Gates – who caught three touchdowns – against the Seahawks, but Chancellor offers quite the challenge. A big safety who has good ball skills and delivers strong hits, Chancellor also moves well for his size, making the matchup with Thomas all the more intriguing.
For the third week in a row, the Broncos' pass rush will work to corral a mobile quarterback. Miller has taken a QB spy role for the Broncos against scramblers in the past, including against Andrew Luck in crunch time in Week 1. If and when Wilson escapes the pocket, Miller may be called upon to limit the damage Wilson can do with his feet. When rushing from the edge, Miller will look to beat his man without getting upfield of the shifty quarterback.
Avril's performance in Super Bowl XLVIII had at least some influence on Clark being installed as the Broncos' starting right tackle for 2014. Avril didn't sack Peyton Manning in the game, but he came off the defense's left edge for two QB hits, one of which resulted in an interception for a touchdown. Orlando Franklin moved to left guard to provide more power inside, while Clark moved from left tackle to right tackle. The Seahawks' ends will rotate, but when Clark faces Avril, he will need to be quick off the silent snap count to limit the speed rusher's effectiveness.
The scatback/receiver's versatility was all the more deadly in the Super Bowl because the Broncos had seen virtually nothing of Harvin on tape with the Seahawks. Del Rio said Thursday that seeing how Seattle has used Harvin since then has provided "more reasons to have more nightmares at night," but he expects the team to be ready. His schemes will need to keep Harvin from getting outside on fly sweeps while also accounting for Wilson keeping the ball or giving to Marshawn Lynch. "The guy is a good player," Del Rio said. "We're aware of that. We'll make sure we get a hat on him."
Playing for an injured Von Miller in the Super Bowl, Irving put up a solid performance, making three solo tackles and forcing an incompletion on third down in the red zone while playing less than half the snaps. With the dynamic threats of Wilson and Harvin, it's easy to forget that Lynch has been the heart of the Seahawks' attack for some time. Irving has been very effective sifting through the traffic and filling running lanes so far. His ability to bring Lynch down on first contact will be crucial.
