Colts' Season On Life Support After Crushing Loss to Broncos

The Indianapolis Colts went through a comedy of errors in the second half against the Denver Broncos, ultimately losing, 31-13.

Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) reaches for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts (6-8) needed a win on Sunday against a tough Denver Broncos (9-5) team in order to keep realistic chances alive for the postseason, and for a while it looked like they might pull it off. And then the second half started.

The Colts' offense and defense both started the game very well, which has been a rarity this season. The offense scored a touchdown and field goal on their first two drives, respectively, even converting two 3rd-and-10s and a 3rd-and-9 in the first quarter. The defense grabbed an interception on their first drive and forced Denver to punt on their next one. The defense continued to keep it up throughout the game while the offense went in a different direction for the remaining three quarters.

Ultimately, the inability to play complementary football and have a good performance on both sides of the ball reared its head again as the Colts fell on the road at Empower Field at Mile High, 31-13.

The Colts carried a 13-7 lead into halftime, and the defense even intercepted Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix to start the second half. It appeared as if the Colts were beginning to run away with the game as running back Jonathan Taylor flew untouched down the field for a 41-yard touchdown. However, upon review, Taylor became the latest football player to commit one of the most egregious sins on the field, and that's drop the ball in celebration before crossing the goal line.

With the touchdown taken off the board and the ball rewarded back to Denver via touchback, both offenses struggled to do anything besides turn the ball over, as the teams combined for five punts, two turnovers, and a field goal in the following drives.

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The tide truly turned in the Broncos' favor at the beginning of the fourth quarter when Marvin Mims returned a punt 61 yards to the Colts' 15-yard line, and the Broncos scored the go-ahead touchdown two plays later.

From there, the Colts continued to shoot themselves in the foot, as their next drive quickly ended as a trick play devolved into a pick-six for Denver as the lead then stretched to 24-13. On their next two drives, the Colts turned the ball over on downs and then threw another interception.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson has taken great strides in the three games he's played since returning from being benched, winning two of them on the road with late game-winning drives. However, he came back to earth a bit on Sunday. As a runner, he was terrific, putting together a 23-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter and then powering his way up the middle for 12 yards and a first down shortly after. However, there were too many poorly thrown balls, leading to 17-of-38 passing (44.7%) for just 172 yards (4.5 YPA), no touchdown throws, and two interceptions for a passer rating of 36.3. As has become customary, he also had plenty of potential pass-catchers drop the ball, leading to abridged drives.

The Colts' run game was quite effective, as their 149 yards are the most that the Broncos have given up this year. However, it was hard to stick with the rushing attack, given the chaos occurring in every other facet of the offense, particularly when the offensive line was called for five holding penalties.

Until the dam broke late in the game, the Colts' defense was having a fantastic outing, forcing three turnovers and six punts. However, once the momentum officially shifts, all bets are off, and the points and yards began piling up in the fourth quarter.

While the Colts are not yet mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, it will take winning the final three games and praying for a lot to go right elsewhere around the rest of the AFC.

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