By Nick Kosmider, James Boyd and Jelani Scott
In a battle of teams in the thick of the playoff push, the Denver Broncos rallied from an early deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-13, on Sunday to inch closer to a postseason berth and secure their first winning season since 2016.
The wacky defensive battle at Mile High Stadium didn’t lack intensity, with the teams combining for eight turnovers — including a game-altering fumble by Jonathan Taylor in the third quarter. The Colts jumped out to a 10-0 lead following a game-opening touchdown drive and a field goal across their first two drives, but their good fortune took a turn after the Broncos’ stout defense turned up the heat.
Denver overcame the deficit after allowing one FG and forcing six punts across Indy’s remaining 13 drives. The defense added four turnovers to its first-half interception with another INT and three fumbles, with the most notable coming on a blown Colts trick play for a 50-yard fumble recovery and score early in the fourth. The stout play paved the way for two offensive scores and a field goal as the Broncos outscored the Colts, 24-0, over the final two frames.
CASA BONITTO!!!!#ProBowlVote + @nikkkkbonitto pic.twitter.com/F3PgKZ0dry
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 16, 2024
Given the playoff implications, the Broncos’ victory was a boon for Sean Payton and Co. and a nightmarish outcome for Indy on a day when Taylor’s fumble impacted the Colts (and fantasy football managers) in a major way.
Denver (9-5) is now one win away from its first playoff appearance since the 2015 season while Indy (6-8) will have to keep winning to hold off the Miami Dolphins (6-8) and Cincinnati Bengals (6-8) in the AFC.
Broncos’ defense responds after early deficit
The Broncos couldn’t stop Anthony Richardson on the game’s first two drives. If the second-year quarterback wasn’t threading a ball up the middle for a big gain on third-and-long, he was bursting around the edge and scoring on a 22-yard sweep. The Colts converted their first three third-down attempts and jumped to a 10-0 lead.
Denver’s defense eventually ensured those early flashes were nothing more than a mirage, as the Colts converted only one of their next 10 chances on third down after those early conversions.
The Broncos forced five turnovers, including Broncos star linebacker Nik Bonitto’s swipe of a backward pass from wide receiver Adonai Mitchell that he returned for a 50-yard touchdown. It was the second defensive touchdown in as many games for Bonitto, who has turned in a Defensive Player of the Year-type campaign in his third year.
The Broncos had one of their most woeful offensive performances of the season — rookie QB Bo Nix did finish with three touchdown passes, giving him 20 this season — but they had the luxury of never having to press thanks to a defense that kept giving them chances. — Nick Kosmider, Broncos beat writer
Marvin Mims Jr. provides spark
The Broncos began the fourth quarter by dropping Richardson in the backfield for a huge third-down stop.
Denver trailed, 13-10, and was primed to get the ball back with decent field position. Decent hadn’t been good enough very often for an offense (hampered by Nix’s three interceptions) that couldn’t find any traction. So, Marvin Mims Jr. gave the offense an opportunity it couldn’t squander with a 61-yard return down the left sideline that pushed Denver inside the 15-yard line.
The Broncos scored two plays later on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Nate Adkins, finally taking the lead in a game where little went right offensively until late.
The big play was part of a superb day for Mims, who made the Pro Bowl as a returner as a rookie last season and has been perhaps even better this year. He had three returns for 96 yards Sunday.
The Broncos have tinkered with different roles for Mims this season in an effort to get his speed more involved in the game. Midway through the season, they started using him at times out of the backfield, and they have found some splash plays out of those sets. He’s an integral part of what they do, and never more dangerous than when he’s catching a punt with green grass in front of him. — Kosmider
Playoff picture crystallizes for Denver
By virtue of the Broncos’ win Sunday and the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Houston Texans earlier in the day, the path to the postseason is now simple for Denver: win any one of its final three games and the team will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Of course, just squeaking in is not what the Broncos are after down the stretch. The Broncos moved into the No. 6 seed on Sunday after the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Those two teams play on “Thursday Night Football” next week, and the Broncos could take command of that race with a win over their AFC West rivals.
The matchup for the No. 6 seed if the playoffs started next week? Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers. — Kosmider
Taylor’s massive blunder comes back to haunt Colts
Colts defensive tackle and team captain DeForest Buckner didn’t mince words when he called Sunday’s matchup with the Broncos a “playoff game.” Indianapolis desperately needed a win to keep its hope for a postseason berth alive, but instead, the team imploded in a disastrous loss filled with inexplicable mistakes that will likely extend Indianapolis’ playoff drought to four years.
Taylor started Indy’s unraveling by fumbling away a would-be 41-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that would’ve given Indianapolis a 20-7 lead. Indianapolis’ defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive to get the ball back to the offense, but the Richardson-led offense failed to take advantage, which was a theme throughout the game.
Richardson finished 17-of-38 passing for 172 yards and two picks in arguably the biggest game of his NFL career so far. His 23-yard TD run on Indy’s first possession of the game was its only trip to the end zone. — James Boyd, Colts beat writer
Colts’ trick play proves disastrous in pivotal moment
Trailing 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, Colts coach Shane Steichen tried to use a trick play to jumpstart his team’s offense and involve his rookie wideout, but it backfired tremendously.
On second-and-7 from Denver’s 40-yard line, Richardson threw the ball behind him and across the field to Mitchell then threw it back across the field to Richardson, but Bonitto jumped the route and returned the fumble.
Steichen’s choice to involve Mitchell, who hasn’t done much of anything during his rookie season, on a gadget play of that magnitude with his team’s playoff hopes hanging in the balance is a mistake Steichen will have a hard time living down. The turnover served as a gut punch as Denver pulled ahead by two scores and held on for a comfortable victory. — Boyd
Colts D steps up but offensive miscues are too much to overcome
Indianapolis’ defense eventually gave way, with Broncos top receiver Courtland Sutton scoring on a 20-yard reception with just under six minutes left in the game that put Denver ahead 31-14. However, the Colts’ defense was not at fault for Sunday’s loss.
Linebacker Zaire Franklin, safety Nick Cross and cornerback Sam Womack III all forced turnovers and held Denver to just 193 yards of total offense. But every time the Colts’ defense stood tall, the offense failed to capitalize.
In addition to Taylor’s fumble and Richardson’s two interceptions, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. also lost a fumble in the third quarter that led to a 44-yard field goal by Denver’s Wil Lutz on the ensuing possession. — Boyd
Required reading
- NFL Week 15 live updates: Playoff picture, standings, scores, predictions, odds, injuries
- Inside the friendship that helped Anthony Richardson rebound and revive Colts season
- ‘A deeper bond’: Broncos’ close-knit QB room playing key role in Bo Nix’s growth
(Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
