3 Hard Takeaways from Broncos' 31-13 Comeback Win Over Colts

What did we learn from the Denver Broncos' ninth win of the season?
Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) reacts during the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High.
Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) reacts during the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Denver Broncos orchestrated a wild comeback to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 31-13. With their backs against the wall, it took several explosive plays to make all the difference for the Broncos.

The Broncos started slowly, but the special teams unit and the never-say-die defense refused to yield, ultimately capitalizing on the massive gift Colts running back Jonathan Tayler handed them on a silver platter.

Had Taylor simply held onto the ball for a millisecond longer as he crossed the Broncos goal line, just maybe the Colts would have capitalized on that momentum. Alas for Indy, his boneheaded fumble flipped the script entirely.

What did we learn from the Broncos' ninth win of the season? Let's get into Week 15's key takeaways.

Bonitto Storming the DPoY Sweepstakes

Another game-changing return for a touchdown must push Nik Bonitto's case for Defensive Player of the Year. Time spent as a safety in high school has now paid dividends in consecutive weeks for Bonitto, who's become one serious weapon for Vance Joseph's unit.

Without Bonitto's momentum-shifting effort on his 50-yard fumble returned for a touchdown, the second-half feeding frenzy the Broncos defense embarked on would never have happened. Indeed, the second-half defense was a totally different animal than the sluggish-looking group that appeared to be a little rusty in the first half after coming off the bye.

For as exciting as Bonitto's instinctive play was, Joseph and company absolutely cannot come to rely on the prodigious pass rusher pulling rabbits out of the hat on a weekly basis. Instead, playing a full 60 minutes of intense defensive football has to be the goal for the group as the Broncos move down the stretch.

Mims is Truly Marvelous

Over recent weeks, explosive wideout Marvin Mims Jr. has been increasingly incorporated into the offensive game plan of head coach Sean Payton. However, on Sunday, the jump-start Mims provided on a very timely 60-yard punt return made a huge difference in the dynamic of the game.

By providing a major flip in terms of field position, Mims set the table for Bo Nix to get his feet back beneath him when he cashed in on a short touchdown pass to tight end Nate Adkins. Once the Broncos were plugged back into the main power supply by their Pro Bowl returner, they lit up like a Christmas tree, and it was all she wrote for the Colts.

Moving forward, opposing teams will be much more wary about kicking the ball to Mims, but it was a lesson the Colts learned far too late to save their season.

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Nix's Trio of Picks Unsustainable

It's possible the wheels finally fell off of Nix's Offensive Rookie of the Year wagon. Three interceptions in the box score will stick out to the voters far more than how the Broncos' rookie ultimately kept his composure and balanced the books by throwing for a triplet of touchdowns.

Of course, Nix and the Broncos did manage to bounce back and get to 9-5 on the season and leapfrog the Los Angeles Chargers in the playoff seeding ahead of this coming Thursday night's AFC West tilt. If Nix were to throw three picks in that one, Justin Herbert would make the Broncos pay.

Payton will probably be thankful that some rookie errors by Nix were covered over this time around, not only by his three passing scores but also via Mims' explosive returns and the defense's predatory takeaways. Early jitters haven't reared their heads for Nix since he navigated his way through the first two weeks of the season, but against the Colts, the outstanding rookie appeared to be pressing a little too hard at times.

Once the dust settles, we can expect the film review between Payton and his young quarterback will be intensive on a short-week turnaround to iron out the issues. Nix finished 22-of-30 for 130 yards and three touchdowns, with those three picks. He also led Denver in rushing with 23 yards on eight attempts.

Payton is savvy enough to get back to the grind and work things out. This isn't the time for chaotic overreactions.

Nix will be just fine. But that level of ball insecurity is unsustainable.


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Keith Cummings
KEITH CUMMINGS

Keith Cummings has covered the Denver Broncos at Mile High Huddle since 2019. His works have been featured on CBSSports.com, BleacherReport.com, Yahoo.com, and MSN.com.