Q&A: Mile High Report

David East of Mile High Report took the time to answer some questions about our upcoming opponent.

1. The Broncos have been dealing with their fair share of injuries this season. Other than left tackle Ryan Clady, what injuries have had/will have the largest impact on Denver?

The Clady injury definitely hurts the most. They didn't pay that guy $50+ million for nothing. Don't get me wrong though, Chris Clark is a quality tackle but Clady is just the best.

The injury that May affect this game the most is the one to Rahim Moore. Lateral compartment syndrome is no joke. Rahim could have died. It's awful to see something to bad happen to a guy like Moore. A guy who has taken all of the hits and criticism from the outside media and only to have put on a solid year until now. The guy to replace him is Mike Adams who was a solid starter before Duke Ihenacho took his job this offseason. Adams is solid, he has been a dynamic in certain packages. With him starting now it really hurts the depth in the secondary. Adams would have spent a lot of time covering Gronk one on one, which would have been great. Well, as great as you can get covering him. Now he'll have other duties to attend to outside of that.

2. Linebacker Von Miller is an extraordinarily impressive player who missed a couple weeks early in the season; what does he add to the defense? What are they able to do with him that they weren't able to do early in the year?

Honestly one of the best things about Von is that he makes everyone around him better. The Bronco defense is a delicate ecosystem. With Von Miller back in the mix it affects everyone else on the defense. When Von gets doubled that leaves someone open. Derek Wolfe has seen his stats skyrocket with the return of Von. Wolfe isn't the only one seeing the benefits as well. With the added pressure on the side Terrance Knighton has done a great job of plugging up the middle. You can bet that the secondary is happier now that Von is back.

3. Peyton Manning has a myriad of weapons, while the Patriots secondary is decimated by injuries. How can the Patriots stop the Broncos offense with the current state of each unit?

Get that pass rush going and force some turnovers. The Broncos just love to put the ball on the ground, they lead the NFL in fumbles. If you can force a turnover, make sure you can capitalize on it.

Also, tell that Tom Brady guy to take his time on those offensive drives. The Broncos have a tendency to go three and out after they've been sitting on the bench for too long.

4. The coaches of the Broncos have done a great job of bringing up and managing the talent on the roster. Who is the most important position coach?

This is a really tough question. I'd have to say that the most important position coach is the running backs coach Eric Studesville. This guy was the interim head coach after the McDaniels firing. On top of the phenomenal coaching he also provides strong leadership. The Bronco front office would have not let Willis McGahee go if they felt like Studesville wouldn't be able to prepare all of the young backs on the roster.

5. How has Denver matched your expectations this season and how does the team look moving forward? Any surprise players or let downs?

Personally, I didn't think they were going to start out hot. With all of the new additions on offense and key departures on defense it just didn't make sense. It seemed like this team needed to gel together and that was going to take some time and some failures.

A huge surprise is the play of Knowshon Moreno. Not many thought he would be starting and some didn't think he was going to make the team. Moreno has been that perfect back for Peyton Manning. He can block, catch, and pick up a crucial third down when needed.

A big letdown has been the rookie Sly Williams. No one is giving up on him by any means. It's just sad to see a first round pick have such a hard time making the active roster let alone the field.