The Denver Broncos travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts in a game with little on the line besides potential positioning for draft picks (8:25 ET kickoff on NBC) on December 14. After a promising start to the season, both the offense and defense for Denver have trailed off as seven of their nine losses have come by double digits. Despite this, they're coming off of a 23-0 shutout of the New York Jets and should carry the momentum with them into this game.

The Colts, on the other hand, have played poorly, in general, this season despite sticking close in many of their games.

The defense has let them down time after time in clutch situations while quarterback Jacoby Brissett has thrown at least one interception in almost every game this season. They're also coming off that brutal overtime defeat to the Buffalo Bills, played in multiple inches of snow [Video].

Denver keys to Victory

1. Trevor Siemian has to have a decent game like last week against the Jets. He doesn't need to do anything special or explosive, just convert some first downs, keep the chains moving, and most importantly, not turn the ball over. He needs to get his Pro Bowl receivers involved this game

2. CJ Anderson. Give this man the football and run the ball down the throats of the Colts. With one of the worst defensive front sevens in the NFL, the Colts shouldn't be able to stop the one-two punch of Anderson and Jamaal Charles.

3. Defensive supremacy. Many thought this Denver Broncos team had a similar lineup to that of the Super Bowl team of a few years ago, with Pro Bowl receivers and a defense that can win games on its own. That same defense has been brilliant at times this season, but the Broncos have struggled to get the key stops that they became known for over the past few years with the likes of Von Miller and Aqib Talib.

Indianapolis keys to Victory

1. Protect Jacoby Brissett. The Colts' offensive line has given up 16 sacks over the past four games has failed to give Brissett adequate time to find an open receiver.

2. Do not turn the ball over. Denver has three defensive touchdowns this season and their defense has, for the most part, been keeping them in games.

The offense, on the other hand, has been quite stagnant, so if the Colts can hold onto the ball and manage to win the time of possession, they have a chance in this game.

3. Secondary needs to step up. They have arguably the worst defensive front seven in football, so the secondary has to carry a lot more weight than most teams. They'll be getting their best safety, Clayton Geathers, back after missing an entire year following neck surgery, and though they may ease him into the game, having his leadership in the game will raise the level of the entire Colts' defense.
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