Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

W2W4: Broncos vs. Rams

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- As the Denver Broncos wheeled into Week 11 of the regular season, they sit at 7-2, atop the AFC West. They are currently the No. 2 seed in the AFC’s playoff picture, having lost to the New England Patriots, but clearly still one of the title front-runners.

Yet, here they are tinkering with things, trying to find solutions at one of the foundation position groups on the depth chart -- the offensive line. Why? Because they know they can pile on the points, know they can throw the ball on any defense at any time, but they want a little more as November turns to December, December to January and beyond.

“It still feels like we have an eternity left as far as games go in the NFL season,’’ said Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. “In baseball this is like 80 games in. We still have a long ways to go … The big thing for us going to be get the run game going. I keep saying it, but that is an important thing for us. You see the weather right now and when we start playing some more home games, if the weather’s bad, you better be able to run.’’

With that, some things to keep an eye on:

  • Stay away from negative thoughts, negative plays. The Broncos have made four changes in the offensive line already, three for last Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders. They liked how things worked with Louis Vasquez at right tackle, Manny Ramirez at right guard and Will Montgomery at center so they figure to work that combination for a bit. But the Broncos have had 36 rushing attempts for no gain or negative yardage combined this season. The Rams have forced 46 negative run plays this season and are tied for third in the league in total negative plays forced by a defense --- combined runs for negative yardage, receptions for negative yardage and sacks. The Rams know their own troubles in the secondary. They will aggressively pound the middle of Denver's offensive formation to see if the Broncos can keep them out of the gaps.

  • Block Aaron Donald. The Rams’ rookie defensive tackle is quick off the ball, knows how to use in hands to keep the blockers off of him and is the most disruptive player in the Rams' defense. The Rams' coaching staff opened the season with Donald at nose tackle lined up over the center, but they have moved him over to the other defensive tackle spot. And since that move, Donald has been dominant. Defensive linemen have attacked the interior gaps in the run game against the Broncos. When the Broncos linemen pull in run blocking, they often have a small step backward before they move forward with the play, and defensive tackles are immediately jamming themselves into the gap after those steps. Donald has better quickness than most so if the Broncos leave those gaps against him, he will be in the backfield.

  • The big-play opportunities will come with patience. This will be the 20th time Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has faced Peyton Manning in his time as Titans/Rams head coach. There are several members of Fisher’s current staff, including assistant head coach Dave McGinnis and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who were on Fisher’s staff in Tennessee as well. They know Manning, they know what the quarterback likes and doesn’t like. They also have chosen coverage over pressure through the years, rushing four and dropping seven into coverage. The Rams will change up the four rushers and try to create some openings with some stunts, loops and other movement up front, but overall they’ll try to get as many players into the passing lanes as possible. That said, the Rams have had injuries in the secondary so will sport three safeties in some of their coverage packages, and that is not a look that has had much success against Manning since he signed with the Broncos.

  • Enjoy the ride. Sometimes, because of the expectations the Broncos have created, endorsed and carry with them along the way, some "remember when" items get camouflaged in the swirl. And wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has had six consecutive 100-yard games receiving games, already the longest such streak in team history and just two behind Calvin Johnson’s NFL record of eight. Thomas has been targeted 74 times by Manning in those six games, so not only has he been the top priority for opposing defenses, but for Manning as well.

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