INDIANAPOLIS – Curious on some key numbers ahead of Sunday's road opener between the Colts (0-1) and Broncos (1-0)?
Here are 10 numbers to keep an eye on with the Colts heading to Denver for a 4:25 p.m. kick on Sunday:
0
The number of sacks Von Miller has in three career games against the Colts. It's amazing the Colts have shutout Miller in three career games. Miller has played at least three games against six different NFL teams. He has 33 combined sacks against those teams, but none of those have come versus Andrew Luck and the Colts. No need to remind Miller of his note. He knows full well.
1
The number of passes Broncos quarterback Trevor Simiean attempted of more than 20 yards in Week One. When you have the defense and skill players like Simiean does, forcing the ball consistently down the field isn't necessary. The Broncos aren't going to put a bunch on the plate of a quarterback making his second career start. We will see if Denver tries to open things up a bit more in Week Two.
3
The number of consecutive seasons the Colts have either ended the Broncos season or halted their undefeated regular season. In 2013, the Broncos were 6-0 coming into Lucas Oil Stadium. They left with a 39-33 loss in Peyton Manning's return. In 2014, the Colts beat the Broncos 24-13 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Then in 2015, with Denver 7-0, the Colts beat the Broncos 27-24. That's definitely on the minds of the Broncos players this season.
5
The number of Pro Bowlers the Broncos have on their defense. Two come off the edge and another three are in the secondary. Earlier this week, Chuck Pagano called Denver safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart one of the best safety duos in the NFL. With Pro Bowl corners, it only enhances what the Colts are able to do up front.
29
The jersey number of Colts safety Mike Adams. Literally, every single starter and backup around Adams in the secondary have been hurt at some point in the past month. But there's the 35-year-old Adams still trudging along and providing a much, much needed presence in trying to offer some stability to a unit ravaged by injuries.
62
The years of coordinator experience the Broncos have combined among their three coordinators, 27 more than any other NFL team. It's a bit of an odd stat, but very impressive to see the experience Gary Kubiak has in his three coordinators. The Colts know defensive coordinator Wade Phillips very well from his days in Houston.
74/76
The respective numbers of Colts offensive tackles Anthony Castonzo and Joe Reitz. With Castonzo and Reitz at tackle, Andrew Luck has been sacked just once in 79 straight pass attempts against the Broncos. On Sunday, Castonzo will see DeMarcus Ware coming at him. On the right side, Reitz will get a lot of Von Miller.
136
The number of career sacks for Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, the most of any active player. If you watch Ware's sandwich sack of Cam Newton last week, it was remarkable seeing a 34-year-old pass rusher bend that low to the ground. An injury did limit Ware's effectiveness and presence on the field in last year's meeting at Lucas Oil Stadium.
139
The combined number of rushing and receiving yards Denver running back C.J. Anderson had in Week One. Anderson is the bell cow in Denver. There's no two-headed back rotation like Detroit employed. The Broncos lean heavily on Anderson with an inexperienced quarterback under center.
252
The number of passing yards Andrew Luck had in last season's victory over the Broncos. We know about the lacerated kidney, but it was quite the performance by Luck last year against Denver. Luck didn't throw a pick and helped the offense score 17 points in the first 20 minutes of the game, after the Broncos hadn't allowed a first-quarter point in the first two months of 2015. The Colts had the ball for 17 more minutes than the Broncos in last year's November victory.
