The Indianapolis Colts had one of the worst halves of football in recent football history.

According to the 33rd Football Team, the Colts’ second-half EPA (expected points added) against the Denver Broncos of -1.37 was the second-worst football halftime performance by a team since 2000.

What we saw from the Colts offense in the second half of this must-win game was a collapse.

With a 13-7 lead and the ball following a Zaire Franklin interception, the Colts were on the verge of taking a 20-7 lead until Jonathan Taylor dropped the ball prematurely before crossing the goal line.

The ball then rolled through the end zone and out of bounds, resulting in a fumble and a touchback in which a touchdown was run off the board and the Broncos got the ball.

So instead of leading by 13, the Colts still led by six points and never threatened to score again for the rest of the game.

Two possessions later, Michael Pittman would fumble. Early in the fourth quarter, Shane Steichen chose a ploy to catch Denver by surprise, but it instead ended with AD Mitchell throwing a pick-six.

The Colts’ final three possessions ended with a turnover on downs, an interception by Anthony Richardson and a turnover on downs. In total, the Colts had eight possessions in the second half, four of which ended in a turnover, two ended in failed fourth down attempts and two others were punts.

Overall, the running game had some success, as the combination of Taylor and Richardson totaled 153 yards on the ground and over 5.0 yards per attempt. However, when the Colts fell behind, they were forced to rely heavily on a passing game that had been difficult for most of the game, and in every instance where the running game wasn’t on a positive note, the passing game wasn’t anywhere near in Order good enough to handle those long down and distance situations.

Despite some success on the ground, the Colts’ offense averaged just 4.3 yards per play. In context: This season, Chicago ranks last in that category in 2024, averaging 4.5 yards per game.

While the Colts defense did almost everything they could to keep Indianapolis in this game, the collapse that was looming on the offensive side of the football couldn’t be overcome.

When things get that bad, it affects everyone. From the coaching to the game instructions to the players’ lack of execution on the field.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: How bad was the Colts’ second-half performance against the Broncos?