It was a difficult start for them Denver Broncos vs. the Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos couldn’t get anything going on either side of the ball in the first half, even though they trailed 13-7 in the second half.

One of the Broncos’ biggest defensive problems was their inability to get off the field on third down, particularly on the Colts’ first two drives, which saw two 3rd-&-10s converted, one of which was on handoff. After allowing 10 points on the first two drives, the Broncos defense allowed three points on the other four Colts drives in the first half, intercepting one pass to break up another and forcing two punts.

Meanwhile, the Broncos offense had four drives that ended in a punt, not counting the kneel before halftime, with one ending in an interception. The most significant play of this touchdown was a defensive pass interference that called for the Colts and put the Broncos in prime position.

The Broncos’ offense was largely consistent in the second half with eight drives, two of which ended in a touchdown, two with an interception, one with a punt and the other with a field goal. This does not include the final drive, where two of the three plays were knee downs.

This was a poor performance from a Broncos team that was carried to victory by a few players rather than everyone making a meaningful contribution to the victory. There are a lot of bad grades, especially on offense, and few good grades for that performance.

It was a strange statistic for Nix with three touchdowns, three interceptions and 153 total yards (130 passing and 23 rushing). After seeing some good games from him over the past few weeks, this performance was like his first two starts.

Nix’s techniques and mechanics were virtually non-existent, he saw ghosts and felt phantom pressure in the pocket for most of the first half. His throws were consistently late and missed, most of them putting the receiver in a poor position to catch the ball. Maybe the bye week threw him off, but whatever the case, the Broncos need him to get back into shape and put the team in position to secure a playoff spot.

Williams had eight touchdowns for 23 yards while also being the only running back to play more than 20 snaps. This season has been terrible for him, with only four games above a 4.0 per carry average and as many games below a 2.0 average.

It’s not ideal if your top back only sees the field for his pass protection role, but Williams didn’t fare well against the Colts.

Despite another decline this season, Sutton was the Broncos’ top receiver. He caught three passes on nine targets and two of Nix’s three interceptions came in Sutton’s direction. None of them were on Sutton.

Vele was good as a blocker but couldn’t catch a single target. Humphrey was the target for the third interception and continues to play like he should be on the bench. Franklin was good as a blocker, but had little possession, which shows how bad a day Nix had as a passer.

It was a solid day for the Broncos tight end trio. Adkins made a good touchdown play and had a solid blocking day. Trautman had a good day in both phases, while Krull continued to be a problem as a blocker.

Both tackles had a good day as pass protectors and run blockers. Although things didn’t go perfectly, this was one of the duo’s best games since becoming Denver’s starting tackles before the 2023 season. Bolles immediately showed that his extension was the right move.

Powers and Meinerz had a great game and performed well in both phases, with the latter continuing to be one of the best guards in the NFL. While the Broncos could keep their O-line intact for Nix next year, they shouldn’t avoid upgrading at center.

For the most part, Wattenberg was good enough to get by, but he hasn’t been a good center this season, and this was one of his worst games.

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The defensive line had a solid day overall, with Franklin-Myers continuing to be great down the stretch. Allen’s impact on teams was limited, but he still made some big plays against the Colts. Roach and Jones had standout days; Even Jackson was okay in his playing time.

It’s time to talk about Bonitto in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Cooper had a good game and Tillman had a solid one. Elliss, on the other hand, had a hot start to the season but has had a lot of “rookie” games lately, including against the Colts.

Barton had some hits in coverage, but he also struggled, and even more came against the run. His splash plays covered those previous issues, but he was poor against the Colts. Strnad continues to play at a solid or better level as he replaces Alex Singleton.

Surtain was suspended as usual, and Abrams-Draine also made a big appearance in his first significant appearance of the season, replacing Levi Wallace, who replaced Riley Moss. McMillian had some issues early in the game and allowed some big catches, including one where he had good coverage position. Mathis was fine with how the Broncos used him, including stepping in when Surtain was injured.

Both safeties had excellent games for the Broncos and continue to be crucial to the defense. There were plays that they had trouble holding against the run, that came too late downhill, or that took poor angles, but those mostly occurred in the first half. In terms of coverage, Jones and Locke played a clean game from start to finish.

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