Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts: Watch to watch for

Who: Denver Broncos (1-0) vs. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

What: NFL Week 2

When: 2:25 p.m. MDT, Sunday, Sept. 18

Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High

TV: CBS

Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

Radio: KOA (850 AM), The Fox (103.5 FM)

Odds: Broncos -6; O/U 47

Notable: The Colts own a 13-12 all-time series edge, including a 3-0 mark in the playoffs, and have won eight of the last nine meetings. The last two games were a 27-24 Colts win against the previously 7-0 Broncos in Week 9 last season and a 24-13 divisional-round playoff victory in Denver which ended the Orange & Blue’s 2014 season. … Colts QB Andrew Luck has won three of his four starts vs. Denver with nine passing TDs, two rushing scores and four interceptions in those four contests. … Luck is 16-4 as an NFL starter in games following a loss. The Colts opened the season with a 39-35 home defeat to the Lions last Sunday. … Trevor Siemian, a 2015 seventh-round pick, is making his second career start and is attempting to beat the No. 1-overall picks from the 2011 (Cam Newton) and 2012 (Luck) drafts in back-to-back weeks. … Of course, Siemian can count on a little help from his defense, including DeMarcus Ware, who opened the season with 1.5 sacks against the Panthers and is now tied for ninth all-time with Jared Allen and Julius Peppers with 136 in his 12-year career. Six more sacks would move him into the top five. … Ware (fifth with 0.81) and teammate Von Miller (third with 0.84) rank in the top five in NFL sacks per game since the stat became official in 1982.

What to Watch For

• The depleted Colts’ D: The Colts will be without three top defensive backs, including starting cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Patrick Robinson, and starting defensive end Henry Anderson. Six others defenders, including LB Trent Cole and CB Darius Butler are listed as questionable. The visiting Lions took full advantage last week, rolling up 448 yards and 39 points, and the opportunity will be there for Siemian, C.J. Anderson and Co. to follow suit.
• Turnover tale: The Orange & Blue won their opener despite finishing a minus-2 in the all-important turnover-differential column with a pair of Siemian interceptions and a lost fumble on rookie RB Devontae Booker’s first carry. That flies in the face of reality as teams finishing a negative-2 in turnovers are only 70-263 (.210) since the start of the 2011 season. The Broncos must clean this up Sunday and not make things easier for the beleaguered and banged-up Colts.
• T.’s health: Wideout Demaryius Thomas has had three extra days to recover from the hip injury he suffered in the opener, but his status is still very much up in the air and it could come down to game-time decision Sunday afternoon. Even if he does play, Thomas could serve as more of a decoy, so look for Emmanuel Sanders and backups Jordan Norwood, Cody Latimer and Jordan Taylor to shoulder the WR target load.
• Indy TEs: While the Broncos have the corners to match up with Indy’s potent wideout trio of T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett, the Denver D must beware of tight ends Dwayne Allen and Jack Doyle, who combined for seven catches and 88 yards while reeling in three of Luck’s four TD tosses vs. Detroit.
• Zebras on patrol: The replays of the Broncos’ helmet-to-helmet hits on Newton seemingly have been playing on a non-stop national loop over the last 11 days, and $40K-plus in fines have been doled out. That, combined with the fact that the Broncos KO’d Luck for the remainder of the season with a lacerated kidney and partially-torn abdominal muscle in last year’s game, is sure to have Indy coach Chuck Pagano and the game officials on alert and keeping an extra watchful eye on the Denver D on Sunday. Don’t expect Wade Phillips’ crew to back off, but don’t expect any benefit of the doubt from the men in stripes, either.