DENVER — Seven thoughts, with three more coming, from the Colts‘ 31-13 loss to the Broncos at Empower Field to fall to 6-8:
1. This game was set up to be every single thing the Colts could have asked for on a day that was tough throwing the ball: They were running it like wild with Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor. They were shutting down the run and tackling reliably. They were forcing Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix into an array of rookie mistakes. They were looking like the team more ready for the big stage.
And then they threw it all away. Literally.
Jonathan Taylor dropped a walk-in touchdown at the goal line. And then, needing a touchdown for the win in plus territory, Shane Steichen inexplicably dialed up a double pass for Adonai Mitchell, and he threw it away for a 50-yard touchdown return to put the win and a postseason trip on ice for the Broncos.
Jonathan Taylor fumble:Did Jonathan Taylor fumble before reaching end zone? You make the call.
Good teams find ways to win games against good teams and the others find ways to lose them.
This one gave some harsh answers about the ceiling of this year’s Colts.
2. Indianapolis came out with a clear plan to Run The (Bleeping) Ball in this one. I imagine that came from a few different motivations: To get Anthony Richardson confident and in a rhythm, to spare a defense that struggles to tackle from these conditions in high altitude and to limit the effect of the Broncos’ league-leading pass rush by forcing them to play backward rather than downhill.
Whatever the motivation, it was a sound starting plan, as the Colts went up 10-0 while keeping the Broncos to one possession in the first quarter.
Anthony Richardson hits rock bottom vs Broncos
3. But after a smooth start for Richardson in which he was 2-for-2 for 22 yards and then hit a 23-yard touchdown run on a keeper, the success didn’t carry over.
The Broncos’ pressure started to throw him off of his spots, and although he was acrobatic in keeping some of those plays alive before a throw-away, it killed the rhythm of the operation and he wasn’t able to turn it into completions. He miscommunicated on one route with Josh Downs, missed low to Michael Pittman Jr. on another third down and threw an interception that he lofted over an open Alec Pierce’s head.
The pass protection was bad again in this one, but Richardson and the receivers couldn’t help each other out either. This was a big moment on the road against a great defense, and it got a little big for what is still a very young passing attack.
Richardson finished 17 of 38 for 168 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. After three pretty promising performances back from the benching, this was rock bottom.
Jonathan Taylor fumbles away touchdown
4. Taylor had been itching for his first 15-yard run in a month. He’d watched one play back from the win over the Patriots where he knew they were just a block away from a long gain.
So when a third-quarter run finally broke so perfectly that it sprung him for an easy 41-yard touchdown, he let loose – literally, inches ahead of the goal line. He dropped the ball.
It was a crushing mistake in turning what would have been a 13-point gut-punch of a lead back to a 6-point game on the road. And there was just no excuse for it. It’s baffling that players continue to do this when the rule is as clear as it is and the risk is so high with literally no reward to it.
Taylor is a great player, as he showed with another 100-yard performance, but it’s not a stretch to say this was the worst play of his career.
5. The Colts decided to play the same offensive line for a second straight game once they knew Braden Smith would miss this game, and the rest of the season, due to the personal matter he’s been dealing with.
It meant going with Danny Pinter at center instead of fourth-round rookie Tanor Bortolini, who is back from the concussion protocol. Pinter had a tough day, as the Colts’ interior runs were their weakest of an otherwise great rushing day and was flagged for three different penalties in the third quarter, when the offense became discombobulated following the Taylor fumble.
6. Anthony Gould made his return to his special teams role and took the kicks and punts back in this one.
I’m curious to find out how much of that was growth from the rookie and how much was preserving Josh Downs on the shoulder he hurt against the Lions that kept him out against the Patriots before the bye week. Or maybe it was both.
But this version of Gould looked more decisive and therefore explosive, like the player they drafted on some highlight-reel returns at Oregon State. He showcased it just before the half, where he sidestepped the gunner, influenced the coverage to the middle of the field, planted a foot in the ground to accelerate and shook off three defenders to produce a 36-yard return that would end up getting the Colts a field goal.
Colts defense responds to poor performance
7. After a brutal performance in New England, the leaders of the Colts defense called themselves out for needing to reset out of the bye week and bring a much higher level of play.
And they mostly did that in this one.
Bo Nix flashed some rookie struggles, making peculiar decisions out of clean pockets and getting greedy with his throws. But the Colts did a great job of jumping on those routes to turn in three interceptions – one each from Samuel Womack, Zaire Franklin and Nick Cross.
Franklin in particular played a great game, shutting down the run to force those Nix gambles, all the way until he missed the open-field tackle on Nate Adkins to allow the Broncos’ go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.
But it was one bad play after the opponent started at the 15-yard line and just showcases the implosion the offense put out there after the opening drive. Courtland Sutton’s touchdown catch with just under six minutes remaining is what we call the dam breaking.
To get this kind of A game from what was a reeling defense in this spot and not have a chance to win the game down the stretch is shocking.
See you after what should be an eventful trip to the locker room.
