While the completions and yardage are undoubtedly lackluster, they pale in comparison to the two turnovers, both of which resulted in Broncos’ touchdowns.
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The Colts had more fourth-quarter chances for their first victory of 2016, but Denver closed the door shut with game-clinching plays.
Ray scored the clinching touchdown for the Broncos in Sunday’s 34-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
The insane idea hit me about the time Broncos linebacker Von Miller undressed Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck in front of a national television audience, forcing a fumble that clinched Denver’s 34-20 victory and caused every member of the congregation gathered Sunday in the Vonster’s House of Pain to chant: “M-V-P!”
Just like in Super Bowl 50 against Carolina, Miller blew around the right side of Indianapolis’ line and pulled the ball from Luck’s grasp. If the Colts were able to even hold the Broncos to a field goal this drive and give themselves a chance, they could come out of Denver a victor. “We didn’t make the plays when it counted though”. The Broncos let the Colts hang around, outgaining them 294 yards to 72 in the first half, but led only 13-6. “He obviously got the ball before our guy did”. “I’m disappointed in myself, especially that last play in a critical situation”.
Denver was hoping they would get good production out of him when they released Ronnie Hillman during the offseason, and Anderson has responded. “The rest is history”.
All afternoon, the Broncos rattled Luck, who started 5 for 18 before he engineered a couple of second-half touchdown drives. Luck was sacked five times and hit 11 others.
Trevor Siemian outshone Luck, just as he did Cam Newton in the opener. Siemian was 22 of 33 for 266 yards. After a first down, Talib intercepted Luck on third-and-15 for the first game-changing play by the Broncos’ defense.
Talib stepped in front of wide receiver Phillip Dorsett to snag Luck’s pass, which he returned through traffic down Denver’s jubilant sideline. It was the ninth pick-six of Talib’s career.
“You look to him because he was the last guy standing at the time”, Colts head coach Chuck Pagano told the media Monday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
“There is only one level of frustration with losing, and that is, wanting to win”, Luck said.
“It just grabbed me”, Butler said of the injury.
“We got put in a bad spot and we had to go out there and make a play”, Ray said. Luck and the Colts had an opportunity either take the lead or tie the contest.
In a split second the ball was on the ground, and Luck watched helplessly as Ray scooped it up and scored. The interception was Talib’s fifth interception returned for a touchdown in a Broncos uniform, which is a new team record.
STEWART AGAIN: Luck threw a 7-yard TD pass to Frank Gore with 4:02 remaining, pulling the Colts to 23-20.
They delivered by hitting Newton 17 times in their win over Carolina in the National Football League opener. And by extension, the Broncos had been bested by the Colts in the AFC rivals’ series. The Colts could not get in the end zone like Butler should have and settled for a 52-yard field goal from Vinatieri, the score was 10-6 Denver.
That’s why Harris didn’t understand all the predictions of doom and gloom when the Broncos lost Peyton Manning to retirement and Brock Osweiler to free agency along with defensive starters Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan.
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After the game, Luck praised the Bronco secondary’s ability to clamp down on the Colts’ receivers. He aggravated the injury after returning to play in the third quarter. RG Denzelle Good left in the fourth quarter with a back injury. That group includes defensive end Henry Anderson (knee surgery), cornerbacks Vontae Davis (ankle) and Patrick Robinson (concussion) and safeties Clayton Geathers (foot) and T.J. Green (sprained right knee). But that’s not part of the script in coach Gary Kubiak’s offensive scheme, which sometimes seems devised to milk the clock rather than find the end zone.
