The Indianapolis Colts (6-7) compete against them Denver Broncos today at Mile High in Colorado in a near-win scenario. All eyes will be on Indy’s talented second-year field general Anthony Richardson.

This is the biggest game of head coach Shane Steichen and Richardson’s careers. So expect the offense to be as ready as ever after a well-deserved bye in Week 14. How will Richardson fare against the Broncos’ stout defense? It’s time for a prediction.

Passing by

In short, Richardson has a tough task ahead of him in defending Vance Joseph. Notable players like linebacker Nik Bonitto and cornerback Patrick Surtain II will make life difficult for the young signal-caller and will likely cause disruptions in the passing rhythm.

With wide receiver Josh Downs responsive and Broncos cornerback Riley Moss out (knee), Richardson will have a solid target for a quick win, but there are other factors to consider with the extensive defense. Richardson will have to deal with linebackers Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper, who have 19 sacks.

Richardson will have a tough time passing against a defense that leads the NFL in sacks (47.0). So expect around 50%, but nothing extravagant. If Richardson can top 60% or make some key shots against Michael Pittman Jr. or Alec Pierce, there’s a chance it will be better than expected. However, it will be a difficult road to efficient passing, even if Denver’s defensive weaknesses are up in the air.

Rush

While Denver ranks 20th in the league in passing yards allowed per game (221.0), its run defense is elite (sixth, 94.7 yards allowed per game). That means the Colts offense will have to put in arguably its best performance of the season.

Running back Jonathan Taylor will be crucial in blunting Richardson’s running ability for good wins. Given that Steichen’s offense needs to get Richardson active in the ground game or limit the execution of the plan on the field.

Denver has strong players like Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers, so Colts linemen like Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini and Mark Glowinski will be key to opening up the interior gaps. Bernhard Raimann and Matt Goncalves are responsible for the edge sealing of the outer barrels. This is an area where Richardson can always have consistent success, although this time to a lesser extent.

Conclusion

Richardson has a big challenge in this contest: taking on the Broncos’ defense. Although he is athletic enough to make big plays and make defenses fail, Joseph’s lineup is a poor matchup for the former 2023 fourth overall pick.

For this reason, I’m going to be conservative with Richardson’s stats in this prediction. There will be multiple opportunities for the Florida alum to capitalize in the air or on the ground, but perhaps not enough for a road win against Denver.

FINAL PREDICTION

16/33 (48.5%), 247 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

9 rushes, 38 yards (4.2 average), 1 touchdown, 1 fumble

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