Tag: things to watch

10 things to watch for in the Broncos’ first preseason game

Here are 10 things to watch for when the Broncos face the Colts in their preseason opener on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos are set to face the Indianapolis Colts in their preseason opener on Sunday. Here are 10 things we’ll be watching for in the matchup.

1. The new kickoff format: The NFL switched to an XFL-style kickoff format this offseason. The Broncos believe they will benefit from the change, so it will be intriguing to see it in action. Denver coach Sean Payton has said the team will feature two returners, and we’ll be tracking who besides Marvin Mims could be a good return candidate in 2024.

2. Eyioma Uwazurike’s status: The defensive lineman’s gambling suspension was lifted on Monday, but it’s unclear if he will play in the team’s first preseason game. The Broncos might want to give him more time to get up to speed at practice before jumping into a live game.

3. The punter competition: Denver’s first depth chart of 2024 lists Riley Dixon “OR” Trenton Gill at punter, signaling that the punter competition is genuine. May the best leg win.

4. Luke Wattenberg (and others) at center: After losing Lloyd Cushenberry during free agency, the Broncos seem to favor Wattenberg in the center competition, at least at the moment. Alex Forsyth appears to be his main competition, and we’ll be watching how they perform in games.

5. The inside linebacker battle: Josey Jewell also left in free agency and Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith are the main contenders to replace him. Whoever performs better in preseason will start next to Alex Singleton in Week 1.

6. The wide receiver rotation: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin and Josh Reynolds are likely locks at receiver and the Broncos only carried four WRs on their initial 53-man roster last year. Denver will likely carry at least five WRs in 2024, but that still leaves a large group of players including Tim Patrick, Devaughn Vele, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson and Jalen Virgil competing for one spot. Quite the backlog.

7. The cornerback competition: Going into preseason, the depth chart lists Damarri Mathis “OR” Riley Moss as the No. 2 cornerback across from Pat Surtain. Levi Wallace has also been mixed in with the starters at training camp, but he seems unlikely to play Sunday after tweaking his hamstring last Saturday.

8. The running back rotation: Javonte Williams remains the RB1 (and he looks great this summer), but there’s a lot of uncertainty behind him. Jaleel McLaughlin is seemingly safe and the team just used a fifth-round pick on Audric Estime, so he’s probably safe, too. If the Broncos carry four RBs, that would leave third-down specialist Samaje Perine, undrafted gem Blake Watson and Tyler Badie competing for the final spot.

9. Bo Nix making his NFL debut: Nix will be the story of the game for fans in Denver. After picking him 12th overall in April’s draft, the Broncos will give Nix his first NFL action on Sunday. Let it rip, rook.

10. The overall quarterback battle: Nix will be the most intriguing storyline, but Jarrett Stidham is also competing for the starting job and Zach Wilson is attempting to revive his NFL career. Denver’s quarterback competition will ultimately be decided during preseason.

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Colts vs. Texans: 5 things to watch in Week 18

Here are five things to watch in the regular season finale.

The Indianapolis Colts are in a win-and-in situation for the playoffs as they are set to host the Houston Texans on Saturday night.

The winner of this contest not only will make the postseason but if the Tennessee Titans are able to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, the winning team will also win the AFC South.

If the Colts do beat the Texans on Saturday night then it will be the first time they have swept Houston and Tennessee in the same season since 2014. Which happens to be the last time Indy won the AFC South.

With a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a possible home playoff game makes the stakes even higher for both franchises. Here are five things to watch for when they faceoff in Lucas Oil Stadium in prime time:

Colts vs. Raiders: 5 things to watch in Week 17

Here are five things to watch entering the Week 17 matchup between the Colts and Raiders.

The Indianapolis Colts are heading into Week 17 as the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture. They will be facing a Las Vegas Raiders team that has put themselves back in the playoff hunt with their two-game winning streak they are riding into this matchup.

These two franchises have played each other seven times since 2013 with the Colts winning four of the meetings. But the last time Indianapolis beat the Raiders at home came on Sept. 8, 2013.

This is basically a win-or-go-home contest for both teams because a loss this Sunday would significantly hurt their chances of cracking into the postseason in Week 18.

Here are five things to watch for when they kickoff in Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend:

Colts vs. Falcons: 5 things to watch in Week 16

Here are five things to watch for as the Colts visit the Falcons.

The Indianapolis Colts enter Week 16 in the thick of a contentious battle for the AFC South crown and a playoff berth. Nothing can be settled this weekend but each game continues to matter more because of win or loss will have major implications heading into Week 17.

The Colts will be on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. The two franchises have faced each other just 17 times since 1966 with Indianapolis having won 15 of those contests.

The two wins by the Falcons came in 2011 (in Indy) and 1998 (in Atlanta). The Falcons should be a feisty team in this matchup because a loss will basically eliminate them from the postseason and a win can keep their slim playoff chances alive.

With both teams needing a big win on Sunday, let’s take a look at five things to watch for:

Colts vs. Bengals: 5 things to watch in Week 14

Here are five things to watch in the Week 14 matchup.

The Indianapolis Colts will be on the road this week as they look to continue their four-game winning streak against the Cincinnati Bengals.

After the surprising upset by Cincy over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13, this matchup has playoff implications, especially considering both of these teams are looking at potential wild-card berths over winning their divisions.

Since 2002 the Colts have an 8-4 record against the Bengals but have lost their last three road contests in this series. The last time Indianapolis won in Cincinnati was in 2005. This should be another tough road matchup for Indy.

Here are five things to watch for on Sunday:

Colts vs. Titans: 5 things to watch in Week 13

Check out these five things to watch for in the Week 13 matchup.

The Indianapolis Colts are riding a three-game winning streak as they are preparing to face their divisional rivals Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday.

This will be the second meeting of the season with the Colts winning the first matchup at home. There will be different starting quarterbacks this time around. It was the previous meeting when Anthony Richardson suffered his season-ending injury which led to Gardner Minshew finishing that contest and taking over as the starter for 2023.

For Tennessee, they have made the switch to rookie Will Levis following a breakout performance when he replaced Ryan Tannehill who missed some time with an injury. Indy ended their five-game losing streak to the Titans but now they will be looking to get their first win in Nashville for the first time since Nov. 12, 2020. The Colts also have an opportunity to sweep Tennessee for the first time since 2018.

This will be another hard-fought battle between these franchises and will likely come down to the fourth quarter. Here are five things to watch for when they clash on Sunday:

Colts vs. Buccaneers: 5 things to watch in Week 12

Check out these five things to watch in Week 12 as the Colts host the Bucs.

The bye week is over, Thanksgiving dinner has been eaten, and the Indianapolis Colts enter the final seven weeks of the season in the playoff hunt.

In Week 12, they are hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A team despite being 4-6, is still in the thick of a playoff chase because the NFC South doesn’t have a team that has pulled away for a clear lead in the division. These two franchises have only met six times since 2003. They’ve split those games evenly but Tampa has won the last two matchups with Indy’s last win over the Bucs coming in 2015.

With both teams having something to play for at this point of the season, I expect a hard-fought battle for all for four quarters.

Here are five things to watch for when they kick off the game in Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday:

Colts vs. Patriots: 5 things to watch in Week 10

What to watch for in Week 10.

The NFL will be wrapping up its International Series this week, featuring a matchup between the Indianapolis Colts (4-5) and New England Patriots (2-7) in Frankfurt, Germany.

This will be the third meeting between the franchises since Tom Brady left New England. The Colts beat the Pats for the first time since 2009 in 2021 but lost 26-3 in their 2022 matchup. This is a pivotal game for Indy. They have a chance to get to a .500 record heading into their bye week and can get some momentum going for a potential playoff push in their final seven games.

Here are five things to watch for when both teams kickoff Sunday football:

Colts vs. Panthers: 5 things to watch in Week 9

Here are five things to watch in the Week 9 matchup.

The Indianapolis Colts are heading into Week 9 on a three-game losing streak which they will be looking to end as they travel to face the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers are coming off their first win of the season as they look to turn their season around after a rough start. These two franchises don’t face each other often. They’ve faced each other just five times since 2003 and Carolina has won three of those contests.

Indianapolis had the last win in the series when they played in 2019. The head coach of the Colts at that time was Frank Reich. Four years later, the former head coach is facing his former team in his first season in Carolina after getting fired almost a year ago (Nov. 7, 2022).

This element brings more juice to this matchup. Here are five things to watch for when they hit the field late Sunday afternoon:

Colts vs. Browns: 5 things to watch in Week 7

Here are five things to watch in the Week 7 matchup.

The Indianapolis Colts are heading into Week 7 coming off a rough divisional loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. They will be hosting the Cleveland Browns, a franchise they haven’t faced since 2020.

Indy is 8-2 against Cleveland since 2002 and the last time the Browns won in Lucas Oil Stadium came in 2011. This contest could end up having playoff implications in a crowded AFC playoff picture come the end of the year.

Here are five things to watch for when the two teams hit the field on Sunday afternoon: