The Denver Broncos are all rested up and ready to go in Week 15 following their bye with the Indianapolis Colts coming to town for a key game in the AFC playoff race. A win for the Broncos gives them a three-game cushion over the Colts for the final playoff spot with three games left to play, getting them as close as they can get to a playoff berth without it being official.
The Broncos are incredibly healthy going into this game, but will still be without one player… cornerback Riley Moss. His knee injury will continue to keep him sidelined and if you watched the Broncos’ game against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13, you know how much his absence impacted the game.
The Broncos want to get healthy for the season’s final stretch, but against the Colts, they need to use a much different game plan on defense than the one they used against Cleveland. While the Colts likely won’t throw the ball 90 percent of the time like the Browns did, they will still ramp up their passing attack if they see Levi Wallace on the field.
That is why Sean Payton and Vance Joseph must meet and decide that Wallace should not start in Moss’s place in this game.
Kris Abrams-Draine should get given his first career start in Week 15
It’s hard to put into words just how bad Wallace was against the Browns. Jerry Jeudy, the Broncos’ former first-round pick, enjoyed a career night because of it, gaining 235 yards through the air. Wallace looked completely lost on many plays and was just way too slow.
On the Browns’ final possession, Joseph decided to go to fifth-round pick Kris Abrams-Draine. The rookie had been a healthy scratch in every other game this season, so it was a tough spot to make his NFL debut in, but he handled it much better than Wallace did.
#Broncos rookie CB Kris Abrams-Draine has been preparing all season as if he’s gonna play, and he was ready when called upon last night @MileHighSports pic.twitter.com/89NaQfan5e
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) December 3, 2024
4
With nearly two weeks to prepare for this game, the Broncos need to use Abrams-Draine in a more prominent role against the Colts and keep the veteran Wallace on standby strictly for an emergency. The Colts don’t have the league’s most vaunted receiving group but Michael Pittman Jr. should draw Pat Surtain II most of the game, which would leave Abrams-Draine to deal with a guy like Alec Pierce, who is a tremendous deep threat.
Pierce would easily be able to get behind Wallace for some big plays. He leads the NFL with an average of 22.2 yards per catch. That could be disastrous and could be the thing that turns the tide for the Colts to pull the upset.
Without Moss, the Broncos should turn to Abrams-Draine and it should be an easy decision.
MORE BRONCOS CONTENT
Why Broncos’ recent decision on Garett Bolles was absolutely the right move
Week 15 NFL Expert Picks: Broncos vs. Colts
Broncos sign new linebacker, what does the move mean for Drew Sanders?
Broncos land top star from No. 4 ranked team in nation in latest mock draft
Broncos tied with Ravens, Chargers at 8-5: Predicting last 4 games for each team
