Broncos roar back on the strength of 5 takeaways to beat Colts 31-13 and close in on playoff berth
Denver Broncos' Marvin Mims Jr. celebrates after a long return during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer
DENVER (AP) — Nik Bonitto’s defensive touchdown was jaw-dropping. Jonathan Taylor’s botched touchdown run was head-scratching.
Bonitto foiled a trick play by stepping in front of quarterback Anthony Richardson and hijacking Adonai Mitchell’s lateral pass, then racing 50 yards for a touchdown Sunday that sealed the Denver Broncos’ 31-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
A blunder by Taylor turned the game around in the third quarter. Indy’s star running back dropped the ball milliseconds before crossing the goal line on what would have been a 41-yard touchdown.
“That can’t happen,” said Taylor, who finished with 107 yards — but no touchdowns — on 22 carries. “No, you’re never consciously aware you’re dropping the ball. Otherwise, you wouldn’t do it.”
The blunder breathed new life into the Broncos, whose special teams and defense would bail out a sputtering offense that managed just 193 yards.
“If he would have scored that touchdown, it would have been even more of a dogfight to get back,” Denver pass rusher Jonathon Cooper said. “We would have had a tougher fight. … I just hope it never happens to us.”
Denver’s defenders dejectedly retreated to the sideline, but suddenly the 76,416 fans roared. Safety P.J. Locke said he looked up and saw the replay on the giant scoreboard and suddenly the Broncos had a holiday gift.
Instead of lining up for the extra point to give the Colts a 20-7 lead, the touchback left the reeling Colts clinging to a six-point edge they would soon relinquish.
“That was a game changer, yeah, absolutely,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “Obviously, it hurt us, but he’s one of our leaders. Sometimes that happens in football, but he’s our guy, and that’s what you say to him.”
With five takeaways, the Broncos (9-5) ended a seven-year string of losing records and strengthened their grip on an AFC wild-card berth that would end a playoff drought dating to 2016. They began defense of their Super Bowl 50 title that season with a 4-0 start, which was the last time they sat four games above .500.
The Colts (6-8) blew both an early 10-0 lead and a big opportunity to tighten the AFC wild-card race, and the biggest reasons were Taylor’s blunder and Bonitto’s plunder.
Denver had just taken its first lead of the game on Bo Nix’s 15-yard touchdown toss to tight end Nate Adkins that made it 17-13 when Bonitto scored his second touchdown in two games.
Bonitto, who had a pick-6 against Cleveland before the Broncos’ bye week, was in full stride when he caught Mitchell’s pass at the midfield logo and raced untouched to the end zone.
The play was officially recorded as a fumble recovery and not a pick-6 because it was a backward pass. Whatever you want to call it, Cooper said it was just the spark the Broncos needed.
“Man, I love playing with this dude,” Cooper said. “His football instincts are off the charts. He’s a phenomenal football player. He’s got my vote for Defensive Player of the Year.”
Mitchell said his coach had admonished him to throw the ball away if he saw the Broncos sniffing out the trickery, but he said he never sensed Denver had deciphered the play.
“It was there pretty much until 15 turned into Ed Reed and just came through out of nowhere,” Mitchell said.
Denver’s five takeaways more than made up for Nix’s first three-interception game of his rookie season.
One of Denver’s interceptions was by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who limped to the sideline tent with a sprained right ankle. He went back in the game but was helped off the field just before the 2-minute warning after seemingly aggravating the injury. He left the stadium without comment but wasn’t in a walking boot, a good sign because the Broncos have a short week before their next game.
The Broncos’ barrage of points started with Wil Lutz’s 44-yard field goal that pulled Denver to 13-10 and ended with Nix’s 20-yard TD pass to Courtland Sutton.
One-man band
Richardson completed just five of 17 passes for 56 yards in the first half and one of those completions was to himself. It came in his own end zone after Jonah Ellis batted down his throw.
Richardson capped Indy’s opening drive with a 23-yard touchdown run after twice converting on third-and-10.
Rest vs. rust
Both of these AFC wild-card contenders were coming off a bye week and both looked more rusted than rested.
“It won’t be fun looking at the tape,” bemoaned Broncos coach Sean Payton.
Imagine how much worse it’ll be for Taylor and the Colts.
Injuries
Colts WR Alec Pierce left in the first half with a concussion.
Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz (shoulder) and RB Jaleel McLaughlin (thigh) both left late in the third quarter. Surtain got hurt in the fourth, as did DT D.J. Jones (finger).
Up next
Colts: Host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Broncos: Visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night.
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