With less than two minutes to play and Indianapolis in possession looking to take the lead, former Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller sacked and stripped Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Denver’s Aqib Talib picked it off and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. He entered the game with seven touchdowns and two picks on 850 yards against Denver. Keeping the game close as time went on. “That’s when you’ve got to play great and you have to be at your very best”. “The rest is history”.
Advertisement
A 0-2 start is familiar territory for Indianapolis.
Roethlisberger, Brady, Newton and Luck combined for only three touchdown passes and five interceptions in those recent five games against Denver, and their composite quarterback rating of 66.6 would have ranked them as the 35th best quarterback in a 32-team league, based on 2015 NFL statistics. “We’ve got to try to find a way to get some guys back and get some things cleaned up and get a win”. “You see it on film, and you see it when you play them”.
“It was third and long, and we know on the outside they like to run post corners – ‘7-stops.’ I saw a lot of pressure by the defense, so I just kind of sat down in my zone, and he (Dorsett) ran a 7-stop right in front of me”. “When I get an interception in practice, I go score on it. Practice makes ideal”.
The Colts cut the deficit to 23-20 with 4:02 to play when Luck found Frank Gore in the left flank.
The Broncos were led by second year quarterback Trevor Siemian, who threw for 266 yards on the day.
McManus’ third field goal, a 33-yarder with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter, put Denver back on top 16-13.
With the speed of a defensive back and the power of a defensive lineman, Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller displays a rare athleticism that allows him to consistently take over games and make the “wow” plays that cause opposing offensive linemen to cringe while watching film.
The Broncos finished 400 yards to the Colts’ 253. Four plays later, Turbin took a pitch and swept around left end for the score.
The list of players the Colts haven’t had because of injuries in one or both of the first two games is nearly as entertaining as the players they’ve had on the field: cornerback Vontae Davis (ankle), cornerback Patrick Robinson (concussion), defensive lineman Henry Anderson (knee), safety Clayton Geathers (foot), safety T.J. Green (knee), Butler (ankle/hamstring), receiver Donte Moncrief (shoulder). There was nothing standing between Butler and the end zone. Nine Broncos pass-catchers came away with a reception Sunday, which is a trend the Denver coaching staff would love to continue moving forward. The Broncos would go up 34-20 after a successful two-point conversion. The rushing attack was also solid, with C.J. Anderson leading the way with 74 yards on 20 attempts.
The defense held Denver to a field goal, setting the stage for Luck and the offense, down six, with 1:51 to go. CJ Anderson remains the focal point of the offense with 93 yards from scrimmage and the lone offensive touchdown. Starting right tackle Donald Stephenson was the other big injury. He did not return. They were one of the players needing big games to help Denver win, and a big game they had.
Although the Broncos passed 25 times in the first half for over 200 yards, the ground game was running smoothly as well. Taylor had 71 sacks in his first six seasons, or half of his career total, including 9.5 sacks as a rookie before sacks were kept as an official stat. We’re coming all night and trying to get us the “W.”‘ He’s a great guy and he tries to bring that great guy mentality into the game and onto the football field.
Advertisement
There’s plenty of optimism despite the injury to Ware, and hopefully this is an opportunity for former first round pick Shane Ray to show he belongs permanently.
