Game 4
3:25 p.m. Sunday
Sports Authority Field
TV: Ch. 9
Radio: 100.3-FM, 1130-AM
• Denver beat Baltimore at home and won at Kansas City and Detroit.
• The Broncos have the NFL's top-ranked defense and 30th-ranked offense. They have 10 takeaways and lead the NFL with a plus-6 turnover differential.
• Kicker Brandon McManus has made all six field goal attempts, including three from 50 yards or longer.
• Linebacker DeMarcus Ware leads the league with 11 quarterback hits this season. He has 3½ sacks.
• The Broncos had 11 Pro Bowlers last season, when they went 12-4: RB C.J. Anderson, OT Ryan Clady, CBs Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, QB Peyton Manning, LB Von Miller, WRs DeMaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, TE Julius Thomas, S T.J. Ward and Ware. Julius Thomas left in free agency.
• The Broncos are averaging only 57 yards rushing per game and have allowed eight sacks.
• The teams have met 13 times, with the Vikings winning seven.
• The five-time NFL MVP signed with Denver in 2012 and ranks first among QBs in victories (41), passing TDs (136) and completion percentage (.674) since.
• Manning, 39, holds the NFL record for TD passes (535) and can become the second QB in history with 100 home victories; Brett Favre had 113.
• On the different ways the Broncos, despite some flaws, have won: "You got to have all three phases to contribute. Sometimes one has to pick up the other, but the goal coming in is for all three to contribute. … That's called winning as a team."
• On the Vikings defense: "They have an excellent group of players at all three levels — front, linebackers and secondary; talented players everywhere, they're well-coached, they're communicating and playing on the same page, that's why they are playing as well as they are."
Coach Speak GARY KUBIAK
• Kubiak, 54, replaced John Fox, who left in a "mutual decision" after last season and is now coaching the Bears.
• Was head coach at Houston from 2006 to '13 and was the Ravens offensive coordinator last season.
• Played for the Broncos for nine seasons and was their offensive coordinator for eight.
• On taking over from Fox: "I came into a good football team and a great organization that I've known extremely well … so it's just a matter of keeping things heading in the right direction. An easy transition."
• On working on running the offense with Manning: "As a coach, it's probably as challenging a situation as I've ever been in, but I'm really enjoying the situation with him, working with him. He's really a pro."
• On playing the Vikings: "[Mike Zimmer's] teams are physical, they play hard."
CHRIS MILLER
It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.
