2015 Browns Opponent Preview: Denver Broncos

Broncos vs. Texans highlights - 2015 NFL Preseason Week 2

Here is a look at one of the Cleveland Browns" 13 opponents for the 2015 season, the Denver Broncos.(Photo: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Browns vs. Broncos -- Sunday, Oct. 18 -- 1:00 p.m. ET

After back-to-back home games against the Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders at the end of September, the Cleveland Browns will not play consecutive home games again until a three-week homestand spanning the last weekend of November and into December.

The Browns are home at FirstEnergy Stadium just once in the month of October, and will look to make it count against Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning and the defending AFC West Division Champion Denver Broncos, who are coming off of a 12-4 season that ended in the second round of the playoffs with a home loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

The home game against the Broncos is one of just two games at FirstEnergy Stadium over a seven-game stretch that starts with a road contest at the San Diego Chargers on October 4 and continues through back-to-back AFC North Division matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 5 and the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 15.

NUMBERS GAME

With future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning at the helm of the Broncos" offense, Denver averaged 30.1 points, 402.9 total yards and 291.3 passing yards per game during the 2014 regular season. Their point total was the second-highest in the NFL, while the yards and passing yards were both fourth in the league.

Manning and the Broncos passed for 1,000 more yards than their opponents last season. With Manning being sacked only 17 times, he was able to complete 395 of his 597 attempts (66.2 percent) for 4,727 yards and 39 touchdowns against 15 interceptions. He averaged 7.9 yards per attempt, completed an 86-yard throw and held a 101.5 quarterback rating heading into the postseason.

Wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders were Manning"s top two targets, as they combined for 212 catches. Thomas turned 111 catches into 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Sanders added 1,404 yards and nine scores on 101 receptions.

Although Thomas and Sanders are back, the Broncos have moved on from wide receiver Wes Welker and tight end Julius Thomas, the latter of whom led the team with 12 touchdown catches, meaning nearly one-third of his 43 receptions went for scores last season.

While the Broncos were middle of the pack in rushing yards per game, running back C.J. Anderson accounted for 849 yards and eight touchdowns on 179 carries. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry, and turned 34 receptions into 324 yards and a pair of scores while catching the ball out of the backfield.

Defensively, inside linebacker Brandon Marshall led the way with 113 total tackles, 91 solo stops and 22 assists. In addition to having more solo tackles than any one of his teammates had total tackles, Marshal had two sacks and a forced fumble.

In terms of rushing the passer, linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware combined for 24 sacks of opposing quarterbacks. Miller registered a team-best 14 sacks, and Ware, whom the Dallas Cowboys let go in free agency prior to last season, collected 10 stops of quarterbacks behind the line of scrimmage.

PERSONNEL CHANGES

With the loss of Julius Thomas in free agency, the Broncos hit the ground running in building up the tight end position in the offseason. They re-signed Virgil Green, and reached contract agreements with Owen Daniels and hybrid tight end/fullback Joe Don Duncan. They also added offensive linemen Ben Garland, Gino Gradkowski and Shelley Smith.

Defensively, the Broncos re-signed linebackers Steven Johnson and Marshall. Then, they added defensive end Antonio Smith, linebacker Reggie Walker and safety Darian Stewart through free agency.

Although the Broncos spent three of their first four picks in the 2015 NFL Draft on offensive players, their first selection was to help the defense: edge rusher Shane Ray. In the second round, the Broncos addressed the offensive line by selecting Ty Sambrailo and center Max Garcia (fourth round), to go along with tight end Jeff Heuerman (third) out of Ohio State. Then, Denver added defensive backs Lorenzo Doss (fifth round), Taurean Nixon and Josh Furman (seventh), nose tackle Darius Kilgo (sixth) and quarterback Trevor Siemian (seventh).

FAMILIAR FOES

Browns offensive lineman Eric Olsen was selected by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of the University of Notre Dame and played in one game during his rookie season.

Browns offensive lineman Vinston Painter was chosen by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech, and spent the entire season on Denver"s practice squad.

Broncos safety T.J. Ward was a second-round pick of the Browns in the 2010 NFL Draft and spent the first four years of his NFL career with Cleveland before heading to Denver in free agency during the 2014 offseason.

Heuerman (Ohio State), cornerback Bradley Roby (Ohio State) and defensive end Derek Wolfe (Cincinnati) went to college in Ohio.

Wolfe (Lisbon/Beaver Local High School) is an Ohio native.

Broncos defensive assistant Chris Beake was a Browns assistant during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Tom Heckert, Denver"s director of pro personnel, was the Browns" general manager from 2010 to 2012, while his national scout, John Spytek, and assistant director of pro personnel, A.J. Durso, also worked in the Browns" front office.

HISTORY

The Browns are just 5-19-0 all-time against the Broncos and 2-9-0 in home games. The Browns have lost 10 straight games to the Broncos. Their last victory, a 30-29 decision, came in Denver on October 8, 1990.

Read or Share this story: http://on.wkyc.com/1EF72ll

Source: http://www.wkyc.com/story/sports/nfl/browns/2015/09/04/2015-browns-opponent-preview-denver-broncos/71641306/