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Lucky or Good? Broncos Fans Debate After Win Over Colts.

The Colts ultimately stacked up more disasters than the Broncos.
December 16, 2024
Image: Denver Broncos player and mascot
Nik Bonitto was stellar once again in the Broncos' victory over the Colts on December 15. ESPN via YouTube

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The 31-13 margin of the Denver Broncos' home victory over the Indianapolis Colts on December 15 implies domination on a Michael Myers-versus-oversexed-teenagers level. In truth, the Broncos didn't take their first lead until early in the fourth quarter, in large part because heavily touted first-year quarterback Bo Nix had his worst game since the beginning of the season, when the phrase "rookie mistakes" was getting worn out from overuse. No wonder that afterward, fans seemed uncertain whether their heroes had been lucky or good.

The correct answer is "both."

The incentive for head coach Sean Payton's crew members to play their best was obvious from the outset. A triumph would guarantee the Broncos' first winning season since 2016 and dramatically improve their chances of a playoff berth despite an ultra-challenging closing schedule in front of them that includes the Chargers, Bengals and Chiefs. And while the Colts have had some moments this season, their fortunes were yoked to the performance of quarterback Anthony Richardson, whose supreme athletic gifts are paired with obvious deficits — such as a seeming inability to complete more than 50 percent of his passes.

Nonetheless, the Broncos came out of their locker room with all the ferocity of an out-of-shape dude toward the end of his first hot yoga session. The vaunted Denver D gave up two third-and-longs during the Colts' initial possession, including a fifteen-yard run by Jonathan Taylor that made the unit look like matadors standing behind a red cape. And that was before Richardson made a 23-yard dash to the end zone to establish a 7-0 lead.

Nix countered with a drive that started out well before ending catastrophically by way of an interception thrown directly to Zaire Franklin, who definitely wasn't wearing an invisibility cloak. Indy turned that gaffe into another three points.

The Broncos responded a short time later with a touchdown of their own thanks to Nix's best drive of the day, but then surrendered another field goal just before halftime as a result of terrible play-calling by Payton and lazy special-teams play that resulted in a 36-yard punt return by Anthony Gould.

Denver's 13-7 hole seemed likely to deepen in the third quarter thanks to another Nix pick that demanded an emergency call to an optometrist and a Jonathan Taylor burst for an apparent TD. But instant replay showed Taylor had actually dropped the ball a nanosecond before crossing the goal line, negating the score — a turn of events that instantly earned the running back a nomination to the Showboating Idiots Hall of Fame.

Somehow, the Broncos didn't transform this gaffe into points. On their next possession, Nix threw a third interception, apparently because he forgot what color uniform he was wearing (that's as good an explanation as any). But the Colts collapsed shortly thereafter, giving up a fumble that led to a field goal and then allowing a 61-yard punt return by Marvin Mims that eased the path to a go-ahead touchdown.

Then came the coup de grâce: a failed Indianapolis flea flicker that ended up in the hands of Denver's Nik Bonitto, the squad's breakout defensive star, who took the ball to the house and celebrated by energetically grabbing his crotch. The penalty he received for his Billy Squier-worthy stroking was worth every yard.

The contest was over at that point, but Nix added a third touchdown toss anyhow, to equal his number of giveaways. Still, he managed to throw for only 120 yards on 33 attempts. That calculates to just 3.9 yards per hurl — digits that definitely won't make his rookie-of-the-year campaign any easier to justify. Without the defense stepping up in the second half, and the Colts' incredible largesse, that W could easily have turned into the campaign's most inexcusable L.

Payton and company won't have to wait long to prove that their latest performance was an anomaly: They're slated to battle the Chargers in Los Angeles on Thursday in a game whose post-season implications have only grown larger. Maybe that's why fans who took to X after the final whistle blew seemed uncertain whether to laud the Broncos' resilience or admit that good fortune's smirk had somehow turned into a smile. See what we mean below:

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Image: Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.
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