Billick: Stop Luck, run on Colts ‘porous’ defense key for Broncos

Stop Andrew Luck. Run the ball on the Indianapolis Colts defense. Move on to 2-0.

That’s NFL Network analyst Brian Billick’s game plan for the Denver Broncos to pull out a win Sunday against a Colts team they’ve struggled to take down in recent seasons.

Run the ball against this “porous Indianapolis defense,” Billick told “Evans and Schlereth” Thursday, and put the pressure on Luck.

Easier said than done.

In Week 1, Indianapolis struggled to contain the Detroit Lions in what Billick called a “kind of questionable loss,” giving up 7.0 yards per play on defense.

Lions running backs Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick managed 108 yards between them for an average just shy of 5.7 yards per carry.

And, in Week 1, against a defensive front seven that ranks among the best in the NFL, Broncos running back C.J. Anderson managed 92 yards and a touchdown on the ground alone (139 all-purpose yards and a receiving touchdown) to go with Andy Janovich’s 28-yard carry for another score.

“That’s going to be the challenge for Indianapolis playing the Denver Broncos: Can they indeed stop that run?” Billick asked.

He added: “If they can continue to run the ball the way they did against a very, very good Carolina front seven … you have to feel good as a Denver fan.”

As for Luck, that could be a little trickier.

The former No. 1 overall pick (and the man who replaced Peyton Manning in Indy) has enjoyed a fair amount of success against the Broncos in his young career, throwing for 850 yards and seven touchdowns (both second most among non-division teams) for a 2-1 record.

Billick said shutting down Luck should be “job one’ for Denver because Indy’s defense “really looks suspect, particularly against the run.”

“It’s hard for me to imagine they’re not going to run the ball against this porous Indianapolis defense,” Billick said. “That could change the dynamic and put a lot of pressure on Andrew Luck in terms of what he has to do.”

Follow 104.3 The Fan digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.