Denver @ Indianapolis preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 11, 2015 ) Indianapolis 24, Denver 13

Peyton Manning returns to the familiar confines of Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday as the undefeated Denver Broncos face Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. Manning could make his happy homecoming a memorable one as he can surpass Brett Favre (186) for the most regular-season victories while 284 passing yards are needed to move past the longtime Green Bay quarterback (81,838) in that department.

Manning threw for a season-high 340 yards as the Broncos maintained their unblemished record at the Packers' expense with a 29-10 rout last week. Denver's last loss came in the divisional playoffs at the hands of Indianapolis, which hardly looks like a postseason team in 2015 despite sharing first-place honors in the weak AFC South with Houston. Luck threw three of his league-high 12 interceptions on Monday, as the Colts suffered their third straight loss with a 29-26 overtime setback to Carolina. The defeat had consequences as the team fired offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton the following day and handed play-calling responsibilities to associate Rob Chudzinski.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Broncos -5. O/U: 45

ABOUT THE BRONCOS (7-0): Denver's new version of the Orange Crush defense is an impressive one, as it leads the league in sacks (29), scoring (16 points) and passing yards (171.9) per contest. The Broncos also saw their beleaguered rushing attack get on track as Ronnie Hillman rushed for a pair of touchdowns while C.J. Anderson added a season-high 101 yards and a score. Coach Gary Kubiak insisted this week that both backs will continue to split carries against Indianapolis' 28th-ranked rushing defense.

ABOUT THE COLTS (3-5): Luck may find the going tough against the top-ranked passing defense, which held two-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers to just 77 yards last week. T.Y. Hilton isn't certain to be on the field on Sunday after missing his second straight practice due to a foot injury. Fellow wideout Andre Johnson has shown signs of life after a sluggish beginning in his first season in Indianapolis, and needs just 15 yards to pass Cris Carter (13,899) for 11th place all-time.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Denver acquired former Pro Bowl TE Vernon Davis from San Francisco on Tuesday.

2. Undefeated within its division, Indianapolis has lost all five contests outside the AFC South.

3. Kubiak has struggled mightily while coaching against the Colts, posting a 1-12 all-time mark.

PREDICTION: Broncos 31, Colts 17