WILL THE BRONCOS WIN THE BIG PLAY BATTLE?

Richardson isn’t afraid to go for the big game. In a win over the Patriots in Week 13, Richardson attempted seven throws of at least 20 yards as the strong-armed player pushed the ball down the field.

The key to Denver’s defense? Make sure he doesn’t succeed. Richardson was 0 of 7 on those throws in Week 13 and, according to NFL Pro, 1 of 13 for 22 yards and two interceptions on passes of at least 10 air yards against New England. In his last two games, Richardson has completed 1 of 14 passes of at least 20 air yards for 39 yards.

However, Richardson had occasional success with these types of punches. He caught deep passes of 31 and 39 yards in a win over the Jets.

With Broncos cornerback Riley Moss out, Denver will have to find ways to prevent such chunk plays after giving up significant yardage through the air against the Browns.

“I like our depth,” Payton said of the secondary. “I said that after the game. We always use this meeting when we go in (and we say), ‘If we did that (and played it again).’ … There are always things we would have done differently, and certainly I felt like I mentioned a specific play call, but there’s more than just one call. When the game is over, hopefully that number will be reached. I think we had a good week. We just have to understand who we are playing against and how we play this game.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday that rookie cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine is “ready to play” when called upon, and he acknowledged the defense needs to prevent big gains.

“Explosive games can hurt you,” Joseph said. “You want to get teams to assert themselves and put together drives, not give them one-play touchdowns. When a team is so aggressive and the quarterback has a big arm – he can throw it 70 yards in the air – that’s dangerous.” If you make a mistake, you have to be precise. If you make a mistake, you can make sure they score. If you miss out on explosive passes, that’s a bad sign for a defense. We can’t do that.”

As the Broncos look to limit the Colts’ big plays, they also need to find a way to make defensive plays of their own. Despite allowing a high yardage total against the Browns, the group still recorded two pick-sixes and three total interceptions. Denver has compiled an 8-1 record in taking takeaways this season, and its defense will face a young quarterback who has turned the ball over multiple times in three of his last four starts.

Denver could also have a stylistic advantage, as the Broncos have the second-highest odds in the NFL. Richardson, meanwhile, has posted a 41.3 completion percentage and 65.4 passer rating against the blitz, both of which rank last in the NFL entering Week 15. However, Richardson has found some success against the man defense, which the Broncos have the third-highest rate in the NFL. Richardson’s 77.1 passer rating against man defense is nearly 20 points higher than his posted rate when compared to zone schemes.

If Denver can counter the big plays in the air and find a way to grab an interception or two from Richardson, the Broncos could be on the verge of a win.

Can Denver’s defense slow down Indy’s running game?

Since Richardson returned from a two-week stint as Joe Flacco’s replacement, his work on the ground has become more significant. In his first six starts of the season, he only carried the ball at least nine times once. After returning to the lineup in Week 11, he carried the ball at least nine times in each game and totaled 29 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

“It brings a lot of challenges,” Payton said of Richardson’s involvement in the running game. “You kind of get your 11th man back. There are zone plans, there are gap plans, there are a number of things that can stress you out. We had a little bit of an advantage in the same way with (Saints QB) Taysom Hill. “He has great arm strength on the field, both he and the halfback. So it represents a completely different challenge than in previous weeks.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is averaging the fewest yards per carry of his career, but is still averaging more than four yards per carry. He’s also averaging more than 18 runs per game, and the Colts could look to use their running game to keep Richardson out of third-and-long scenarios.

While Denver’s defense struggled at times in the team’s Week 13 win, the group held Cleveland’s Nick Chubb to 21 rushing yards and 2.3 yards per carry. On the season, Denver’s defense allows the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game and the third-fewest per carry.

If the Broncos can stop the run against the Colts and force Indianapolis into disadvantageous situations – or if Denver’s offense can build a lead to force Indianapolis out of the run game – that could help the Broncos return to their stifling defensive standard.