It's a battle of the undefeateds Sunday night when the 6-0 Denver Broncos host the 6-0 Green Bay Packers. Here are the five keys to the game.
Packers offense vs. the top NFL defense
Green Bay has faced its share of elite defenses already this season. Seattle, St. Louis and Kansas City are all built around defense.
Denver, however, has been better than all of them. The Broncos lead the league in total defense, topping the list in both total yards allowed and passing yards allowed. They are also No. 1 in sacks and No. 4 in interceptions.
Based on those statistics, it's more than reasonable to conclude that Denver poses the toughest challenge of any defense in the NFL this season. That could prove problematic for a Packers offense that didn't look like its normal high-powered self for several weeks leading into a bye.
Eddie Lacy's involvement
Lacy's ankle injury had obviously become a problem before the bye week. Perhaps it was revealed just how bad it was when Lacy finished with three rushing yards in four carries against the Chargers.
Based on the Packers' injury report, Lacy's ankle is fully recovered. It's good timing for Green Bay, too, because backup running back James Starks is battling a hip injury and might be limited in action Sunday night.
With questions of Lacy's weight once again making national news, it will certainly be a topic of discussion during the game. He can prove that he's not only healthy, but also in good shape if he performs at a high level against Denver's great defense.
Impact of Davante Adams' return
The Packers' passing attack has certainly been lacking this season. Jordy Nelson's torn ACL has loomed large in Aaron Rodgers' inability to stretch the field in the same way he had in recent years.
Green Bay is actually ranked 22nd in passing yards per game. That's several spots below offenses such as Jacksonville, Washington and the New York Jets. That should fully illustrate how much the Packers have struggled to move the ball through the air at a high volume.
Can Adams solve those woes? He'll return this week after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury. Adams only has 92 receiving yards this season, so it's not like he was putting up huge chunks of yards before the injury. But with Nelson sidelined all season, a healthy Adams presents the best glimpse of hope that Green Bay will have success passing the ball like it did in previous years.
Forcing Peyton Manning into INTs
Manning is on pace to throw 27 interceptions this season. He hasn't thrown more than 17 INTs in any season since 2002.
This is not the Peyton Manning of reputation. He's one of the league's all-time great quarterbacks, but he's not a good NFL QB anymore – or at least not right now. If he wasn't Peyton Manning, or if the Broncos weren't winning despite their subpar play at quarterback, Denver would have to be considering a change at starter.
The Packers have done a good job capitalizing off of poor throws and coming away with interceptions. This season, Green Bay ranks sixth in that category. Forcing Manning into a multiple-interception game could prove to be the difference in a Packers win or loss.
Containing the Thomas/Sanders WR duo
Manning has not been evenly distributing his targets to a wide variety of players. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders each have 527 receiving yards this season. Behind them, no one on the Broncos has more than 107 receiving yards.
The ability for Sam Shields, Casey Hayward and Damarious Randall to win their one-on-one matchups against Thomas and Sanders will be crucial to how Dom Capers will be able to attack Manning. Green Bay doesn't necessarily have to hold Thomas and Sanders catchless, but containing them to reasonable individual performances is key.
