Stampede Blue
The Indianapolis Colts fell to the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.
The Indianapolis Colts fell to 6-8 Sunday afternoon following a 31-13 loss to the Denver Broncos. With Indy’s loss, it leaves any chance at a postseason appearance on life support. Here are the biggest takeaways from Sunday’s showing for the Colts.
COLTS’ OFFENSE LETS DOWN THEIR DEFENSE WITH DISASTROUS SECOND HALF SHOWING IN LOSS TO BRONCOS
There’s plenty of blame to go around following Indianapolis’ ugly, 31-13 loss to the Denver Broncos. If you came up with a list of reasons, the Colts’ defense belongs at the very bottom. For a unit that has struggled immensely throughout this season, their efforts Sunday were more than enough for the Colts to find a way to win. Instead, Indy wasted away its best defensive performance of the season due to such a horrendous offensive collapse.
Indianapolis managed to hold a red-hot Denver offense to just 193 total yards and only 3.2 yards per play. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix sure looked like a rookie at points, with the Colts’ secondary coming away with three interceptions. Frankly, it’s the kind of playmaking this young secondary hasn’t made this season, and the Colts will have nothing to show for it. Don’t let the final box score fool you. Sunday’s game was much closer throughout than the 18-point loss would indicate.
Ultimately, it was the Colts’ offense that let their defense down in an inexcusable way (more on that later). According to the CBS broadcast, the Broncos are the first team this season to win by 10 or more with less than 200 yards on offense. This kind of loss will sit with this team for some time, especially after such a tremendous defensive performance.
COLTS’ SELF-INFLCITED MISTAKES ON OFFENSE COSTLY IN WORST WAY IN LOSS TO BRONCOS
It was there for the taking. The Colts were poised to go up 20-7 over the Broncos on the road. Then running back Jonathan Taylor quite literally fumbled it away, dropping the ball just before crossing the end zone and resulting in a touchback for Denver. That play changed the entire outcome of not only Sunday’s result, but in all likelihood the Colts’ chances at a postseason appearance. Taylor’s fumble is something that he and the rest of this Colts’ offense will want back, and it simply cannot happen from such a talented player.
From that point, Indianapolis never recovered offensively and let such a season-altering game slip away from their fingertips. No, Taylor isn’t entirely blame. Not even close. Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. fumbled two possessions after Taylor’s fumble, which gifted Denver a field goal that cut Indy’s lead to just three points midway through the third quarter. Those sorts of mistakes cannot happen in such a critical game. Coach Shane Steichen also deserves blame for the double-pass play call as the Colts were driving with a chance to retake the lead. That play call, which was ruled a fumble and led to a 24-13...
