The Broncos haven’t secured a playoff spot yet, but it looks like their long losing streak is about to end.

After falling behind the Colts 13-7 in the first half, the Broncos were the only team to score in the second half. The 31-13 victory moves them to 9-5 on the season and a win over the Chargers next weekend will secure their first postseason berth since they won Super Bowl 50 in February 2016.

The Broncos credit their special teams and defense for the turnaround. Wide receiver Marvin Mims returned a punt 60 yards and set up a touchdown catch by Nate Adkins that gave the Broncos their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing drive, the Colts attempted a trick play that required wideout Adonai Mitchell to throw the ball back to quarterback Anthony Richardson behind the line of scrimmage. Edge rusher Nik Bonitto stepped in front of the ball and returned it for a 50-yard score that completely turned the game around.

Bonitto also scored against the Browns a few weeks ago, and his knack for making big plays is one of many things to appreciate about the Broncos’ defense, which was one of the trickiest in the entire league. It wasn’t their only big play in the second half.

Broncos safety PJ Locke also forced a fumble by Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in the third quarter and the Colts gave the ball away on their own early in the second half. Running back Jonathan Taylor engineered a 41-yard touchdown run, but decided to drop the ball before breaking the plane of the end zone, and the ball went out of bounds for a Broncos touchback.

A disadvantage for the Broncos emerged late in the game when star corner Pat Surtain II injured his ankle, although he was able to walk away with help from trainers. Defensive linemen DJ Jones and Malcolm Roach also suffered injuries that will be monitored throughout the week.

The Taylor score would have put the Colts ahead by 13 points, and both turnovers came after the Indianapolis defense intercepted passes from Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. These missed opportunities have been too much for the Colts to overcome, and their playoff hopes are all but extinguished after falling to 6-8 on the season.

If they want a better fortune in 2025, they need to find a way to increase quarterback Anthony Richardson’s accuracy. In the first half, he showed off his athletic ability with a 23-yard touchdown run, but was 17 of 38 for 172 yards and threw interceptions in both halves of the loss.