In a game that somebody had to win, the Denver Broncos overcame three Bo Nix interceptions on Sunday for a high-stakes victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Broncos stifled Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and were gifted a pair of massive Colts blunders en route to a 31-13 win.
The Colts were in control of the game in the third quarter and had an opportunity to take a 20-7 lead. But running back Jonathan Taylor made an unforced error that sparked a spiral for the Colts that could ultimately cost them a shot at the playoffs.
With 12:43 remaining in the third quarter, Taylor took a handoff and broke free for what looked like a 41-yard touchdown run. As he approached the goal line, he casually dropped the ball out of his right hand.
Officials initially called the run a touchdown. Upon replay review, they determined that Taylor dropped the ball just short of the goal line. The ball then bounced into the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback.
Instead of a touchdown, the result of the play was a touchback and turnover to give the Broncos the ball, trailing 13-7. The Colts didn’t score again.
And they sealed their fate with a stunning failed trick play in the fourth quarter.
Trick 6 dooms Colts
With the Broncos leading 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, Richardson took a shotgun snap on second-and-7. He threw a lateral to Adonai Mitchell in the backfield. Mitchell then threw the ball directly back toward Richardson on a modified flea-flicker. Only, he didn’t find Richardson.
Instead, Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto stepped in between and snagged the ball at the 50-yard line. Bonitto then sprinted untouched to the end zone for a touchdown to extend the Broncos lead to 24-13.
It was the second disastrous play of a game with significant implications for the wild-card race in the AFC.
What this means for Broncos’, Colts’ playoff hopes
The Broncos entered the game at 8-5 and in control of the final playoff spot in the AFC. The Colts started the day at 6-7 as the first team on the outside of the playoff bubble. A win for the Colts would have put them firmly in play for that final wild-card spot with games remaining against the Titans, Giants and Jaguars, three of the worst teams in football.
Instead, they fell to 6-8, three games behind a 9-5 Broncos team that is now in firm control in the AFC wild-card race. The Broncos moved a game ahead of the Chargers, who fell to 8-6 in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and are now two games ahead of the Colts for the No. 7 seed and the final playoff berth in the AFC. The Texans also clinched the AFC South over the Colts with Indianapolis’ loss.
The Broncos overcame a second consecutive game from Nix with multiple interceptions. The rookie Broncos quarterback threw two interceptions in a Week 13 win over the Cleveland Browns. On Sunday he threw three interceptions as Indianapolis opened up the early lead.
But as the Colts imploded, Nix helped the Broncos rally with two second-half touchdowns and finished his day completing 20 of 33 passes for 130 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He averaged just 3.9 yards per attempt alongside his three turnovers, but it was enough next to an opportunistic Broncos defense that made life miserable for Richardson.
Richardson likewise had a poor day throwing the ball and finished his day completing 17 of 38 passes for 172 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Colts also lost three fumbles on a disastrous five-turnover day.
The Colts finish their regular season against Titans, Giants and Jaguars who have a combined 8-34 record. But they may have dug too deep a hole to overcome with Sunday’s loss.