Broncos Choke vs. Colts: The Good, Bad & Ugly

It's time to punctuate the Denver Broncos' post-mortem from Week 5.

Mike Evans | Oct 8, 2022

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Denver Broncos

In a nationally televised game, the Denver Broncos let their grip slip in a winnable game against a mediocre opponent. Thursday night's 12-9 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts left Broncos fans with a sinking feeling that another season is lurching toward the precipice.

Making matters worse was the Broncos' offensive failure to seize the moment when the defense created turnovers. Russell Wilson, who played on an injured shoulder, could not generate a winning formula in key game situations.

Head coach Nathaniel Hackett has 10 days before the Broncos' next game against the Los Angeles Chargers to find the cure to the offense's disease and field a competitive team. Let's break down the good, bad, and ugly from Thursday night.

The Good

The Defense

The defense was the Broncos' bright spot. The pass rush was relentless and prevented Colts quarterback Matt Ryan from finding his bearings. Denver's front racked up six sacks, along with multiple pressures.

Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb led the way with 2.5 sacks and was stout against the run. Not to be forgotten, Baron Browning did an admirable job stepping in for injured Randy Gregory. Browning is an athletic and high-motor player who will become an NFL starter.

Safety Caden Stern also made the most of his playing time due to injury. Filling the shoes of veteran Justin Simmons is no easy task. But give Sterns credit, he upset the Colts' game plan by clogging the middle of the field, which led to his two interceptions.

Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero rebounded from last week’s poor play-calling performance. The first-year coordinator’s game plan blanketed the Colts' wide receivers and forced Ryan to hold onto the football longer than anticipated. It’s still early, but Evero looks to be the most capable coach on the Broncos staff.

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The Bad

Russell Wilson

Despite playing through a hurt shoulder, it’s fair to say that Wilson’s play at the start of the season has been a disappointment. He is not meeting Broncos Country’s elevated expectations. Perhaps the bar is set too high for a quarterback coming into a new offensive system while working to develop trust with his first-year head coach.

The player and coach may require a longer runway to take flight and fulfill the expectations of fans, media, and the new owners, who spent $4.65 billion to acquire the team. Against the Colts, Wilson appeared particularly out of sync. He struggled with accuracy issues throughout the game.

More distressing was his lapse in judgment in two critical game-deciding situations. He threw an interception in the end zone, which prevented the Broncos from slamming the door shut on the Colts, along with another pass thrown off of his back foot in a desperate attempt to score on the game's last play.

Fortunately, this is not the first rough patch the nine-time Pro Bowler has experienced. As he gets healthy, Wilson needs to get back to his roots, look to stretch the field aggressively, and use his legs to put more pressure on defenders that are prioritizing stopping the deep ball.

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The Ugly

The Offense

The Broncos' scoring challenges should not be laid solely in Wilson’s lap; all phases of offense appear to have broken down. In the run game, the offensive line is struggling to hold their blocks in Hackett’s outside-zone run scheme.

In pass protection, the line has struggled to slow top-end outside rushers in key situations. To make matters worse, the Broncos' running backs have fumbled the ball at the most inopportune time, while wide receivers have dropped catchable balls.

Most concerning is the offensive coaching staff’s inability to find solutions to the same challenges it experienced in its first game in Week 1. Perhaps it’s time to bring in a veteran coach with significant offensive experience to get the coaching staff out of the ditch.

Former Colts head coach Jim Caldwell is an option to take on a consultant role. Against the Chargers, Broncos fans should hold the offense accountable for correcting known problems.