Can the New England Patriots’ secondary slow Peyton Manning’s weapons? | masslive.com

Wish we had Dennard for this very purpose…

The Colts contained the Broncos by employing some type of press coverage on around 40 plays. Only once did they use a zone coverage. With the corners jamming Manning’s receivers, he was forced to throw deep, where he’s 21-of-51 this season on passes that travel 20 or more yards through the air. He was 5-of-13 on such passes against the Colts. Injuries in the Colts’ secondary late in the game nearly ended Indianapolis’ hope of upsetting the Broncos as Manning furiously fought back. But even with the late letdown, they showed Denver could be contained. Now the question is whether or not the Patriots defense will be healthy enough to take some elements of Indianapolis’ blueprint and do the same. If Dennard were playing, the answer would likely be yes.