Five Bold Broncos Predictions vs. Colts in Week 2
The Denver Broncos had a solid season-opening win against the Tennessee Titans, despite playing an ugly game on offense. The Broncos’ defense was outstanding, and their special teams were good, outside of a muffed punt.
Starting the season with a win is nice, but can the Broncos continue a hot start with a second consecutive win to open the campaign? The Broncos have struggled when they visit the Indianapolis Colts traditionally, as they have lost seven of their last eight there since 2004, with their lone win coming in 2017.
On paper, the Broncos are the better team, but anything can happen on a given Sunday. I’m laying out five bold predictions for the Broncos, and if they achieve them, it’ll be a win walking away, as I predicted in the Mile High Huddle Week 2 Roundtable.
The Colts’ defense performed well against the pass, ranking second-best overall or third-best when excluding turnover plays. However, the Colts struggled against the run, and the game got away from the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. They had to pass.
Following the Broncos’ rough offensive showing, Sean Payton emphasized the need to get the run game going earlier, as it didn’t come alive until the second half. The Broncos ended with 30 total rushes, with fewer than 10 called in the first half.
The Broncos have an advantage against a rough Colts rushing defense and should be able to have success running the ball consistently. With Payton seeing the need to get the run game going, the Broncos overcorrect and pound the rock throughout.
As part of that overcorrection, the Broncos pass the ball a little less, which is also done in response to Nix’s three bad turnovers. Payton still shows trust in Nix, but the focus of this game is on the run game, which is also because the Colts are doing well against the pass.
Despite the Colts’ success with their passing defense, Nix still has a good game and walks away with a win. He doesn’t turn the ball over and completes over 70% of his passes, but he doesn’t have a big game in terms of yardage, failing to break 200.
This game is set up to feature less passing offense and much more rushing from the Broncos, and after what they did in their first game, that has to be the plan. The Colts’ defense is almost the opposite of the Titans’ defense in terms of what they do well.
The Colts’ offensive line had a great game against the Dolphins ‘ defense, as they allowed a single sack and only five pressures. The Dolphins’ pass rushers are not close to what the Broncos have, and the level of play-calling is also vastly superior in Denver.
In the end, the Broncos’ ability to get home from all over the defense stands out as six different players finish this game with a sack, including one from a member of the secondary. This may not be overly bold, given the outcome against the Titans, but the Colts’ offensive line’s success in Week 1 is what makes it bold.
With more success upfront, the Broncos’ secondary can capitalize. Daniel Jones is prone to mistakes, especially when feeling the heat, so the Broncos must get pressure up front to force those mistakes.
Jones also doesn’t tend to shy away from challenging defensive backs, so Patrick Surtain II comes down with an interception. Brandon Jones adds a second interception as Daniel Jones tries to force a deep shot. The final takeaway comes on a strip sack on Jones that takes the right bounce to a Broncos defender.
There were a lot of concerns with Crawshaw after a rough preseason, but he was the NFL’s second-best punter in Week 1, though he only punted three times. The Broncos clearly want to get Crawshaw going, and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi wants his project to work out.
While the Broncos don’t punt a lot against the Colts, they still get success from Crawshaw when they do. With three or four punts, Crawshaw averages 49.5 yards per punt, which is a yard and a half more than he had in Week 1.
