Colts’ Keys to Victory Against Broncos in Week 5
After falling to the Tennessee Titans at home, the Indianapolis Colts have a chance to turn things around quickly.
The Colts had a short week this week as they travel west to take on the Denver Broncos. The matchup between the Colts and Broncos on Thursday Night Football is the lone game on Thursday night for each team. The Colts head to Denver with a 1-2-1 record, while the Broncos boast a 2-2 record.
The Colts have had a leg up on the Broncos in recent memory, going 7-3 over their last ten games against the AFC foe. However, the Colts have lost two of the last three against the Broncos and have a 1-2 record against new Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
Thursday night presents a huge opportunity for the Colts. Let’s look at the keys to victory for Indy to get into the win column.
Mandatory Credit: Jenna Watson/IndyStar-USA TODAY NETWORK
No Taylor, No Leonard
The Colts will take on the Broncos without their best players on both sides of the ball. Jonathan Taylor will miss his first career game due to injury with an ankle. Shaquille Leonard, who made his 2022 debut last week, will also not play as he was knocked out of the game against the Titans with a head injury and is still in the concussion protocol.
With their best players not playing, it will be up to the rest of the team to step up. On offense, Nyheim Hines will get the start at running back. There was much talk during the offseason about how the Colts wanted to get the ball to Hines more, but he only has eight carries for 11 yards and 17 catches for 113 yards on the season. Hines will get plenty of chances Thursday and needs to make the most of his touches for the Colts to be competitive.
While Deon Jackson is the RB3 for this team, the Colts have elevated Phillip Lindsay to the active roster from the practice squad. The former Broncos running back had a good preseason with the Colts and could help spell Hines at times throughout the game.
On defense, it is a much easier adjustment because Leonard has already missed most of the 2022 season as he recovers from back surgery. Zaire Franklin has done a nice job filling in for Leonard, and his 45 tackles are second in the NFL. The Colts will need Franklin at his best to pick up the slack.
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BLOCK!
The Colts’ protection issues will continue to be talked about until they are fixed. Will they be able to turn things around against the Broncos? It will certainly be a big test.
Led by pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory, with defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones in the middle, the Broncos are sixth in the league in sacks with 11. Meanwhile, the Colts have given up 15 sacks this season, the fourth-worst mark in the NFL.
The first step in fixing the protection issues is with the offensive line. Not only has the pass protection allowed Matt Ryan to take a beating, but it has brought the running game to a screeching halt. What was once a strength of this team has turned into its biggest weakness.
The Colts did adjust the offensive line last week as Will Fries took over at right guard for Danny Pinter. While it seemed to help in pass protection, the overall impact was minimal. Matt Pryor continued to be a liability at left tackle, allowing rushers into the face of Ryan. Pro Bowlers Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly had rough games as well.
But it is not only on the offensive line. The tight end group has been noticeably worse at blocking with the loss of Jack Doyle to retirement, who head coach Frank Reich called “the best blocking tight end in the NFL.” Kylen Granson whiffed on a few blocks that could have sprung open the running game.
It simply has not been good enough, and the Colts understand that they need to fix their issues as quickly as possible.
“We know it’s not been good enough,” Reich said this week. “As a coach and as a player, you want that healthy tension of, you want to feel the sting and the pain of you know it’s not good enough but you also have to be reminded and understand that we have the right guys and we have the right schemes.”
The players and schemes must be at their best against the Broncos’ front this week.
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Win the Turnover Battle
In 2021, the Colts excelled in the turnover department on both sides of the ball. The Colts were second in the NFL in takeaways with 33 and only gave the ball away 19 times. Their +14 in turnover differential tied for the league lead.
Fast forward to 2022, and the turnover battle has been a completely different story. The Colts have only taken the ball away three times and have given it away nine times in only four games. Indy currently sits with a -6 turnover differential, tied for second-worst in the NFL.
“It’s the perfect storm in the wrong way,” Reich admitted. “We’re turning it over more than normal on offense and we’re getting fewer turnovers on defense. It’s not a winning formula. We know that and we have to change it.”
The Colts have lost the turnover battle in every game but one in 2022. The game they did not lose the turnover battle was against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Colts’ lone win of the season. Indy’s inability to take the ball away on defense and protect the ball on offense has been one of the main reasons they have gotten off to such a slow start.
The Broncos are a team that turns the ball over as much as they generate turnovers. They currently have a turnover differential of 0, with four generated and given up this season. While the Broncos may not turn the ball over often, they do not force many turnovers either.
The matchup gives the Colts a chance to get back to their winning ways. More pressure and aggression can be used on defense to help generate turnovers. If the Colts can force Wilson into some ill-advised throws, the defenders in the back end should be ready to take advantage.
On the other side of the ball, the Colts can cut down on their turnovers if Matt Ryan takes care of the football. Ryan has already fumbled the ball nine times and thrown five interceptions this season. Simply securing the football better and being smart with his throws can limit the turnovers for Ryan.
The team that wins the turnover battle will likely be the team that comes out on top on Thursday. If the Colts place a heavy emphasis on this area, it could lead to their second victory of the season.
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