LIMIT DEMARYIUS THOMAS

The Patriots, and most notably cornerback Logan Ryan, did a fantastic job of limiting wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in Week 12. Thomas had just one catch for 36 yards on 13 targets.

It’s unlikely Manning will be that inefficient throwing to his No. 1 target, but the Broncos need productive games out of Thomas and fellow wideout Emmanuel Sanders to keep up with the Patriots on the score board.

Ryan, with help from safeties Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon, likely will shadow Thomas, while No. 1 cornerback Malcolm Butler should cover Sanders. Butler allowed four catches on seven targets for 85 yards in the Patriots’ previous matchup with the Broncos.

PREVENT BIG RUNNING PLAYS

The 30-24 Week 12 loss started to get away from the Patriots when Hightower went down with a knee injury, at which point New England began allowing big plays in the ground game. The Patriots allowed just 2.8 yards per carry before Hightower’s injury and 8.3 after.

After Hightower went down, the Patriots allowed 11-, 15-, 20- and 48-yard gains to Anderson. They also let up a 19-yard run to Ronnie Hillman.

The Patriots historically have had difficulty with Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak’s zone rushing scheme. Collins also was out in Week 12, and now he and Hightower are healthy, so New England has to hope their starting linebackers will help limit the Broncos’ at-times dangerous rushing attack.

CLOSE OUT GAME OFFENSIVELY

The Patriots gave up a 21-7 lead in their Week 12 loss, and one of their issues was that they couldn’t close out the game. New England had three three-and-outs in their final five drives, including overtime.

Here’s the issue, though: The Patriots still can’t run the ball. In fact, now that LeGarrette Blount is on injured reserve, they’re even worse. They have just 171 rushing yards on 63 carries in their last three games. Steven Jackson is running OK, but the Patriots’ offensive line can’t open up holes.

The Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady will need to rely on their short-passing game if their rushing attack continues to falter. That means putting added pressure on Edelman, Amendola and Gronkowski.

The Patriots are only outscoring opponents 136 to 124 in the fourth quarter and overtime this season despite outpacing opponents 492 to 335 overall.

The fourth quarter has been an issue for the Patriots most of the season, and getting stops defensively and extending drives on offense will be key in beating the Broncos.

Thumbnail photo via Chris Humphreys/USA TODAY Sports Images