The Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1) somehow defeated the Denver Broncos (2-3) on Thursday night in what will likely be the ugliest game of the 2022 season.
Perhaps the NFL told both teams they weren’t allowed to score touchdowns. Or maybe the Colts wanted to prove they had enough grit and passion for the game to come out with a win despite not finding the end zone.
Whatever the case may be, the Colts wound up on the winning side of an overtime matchup Thursday night that they had no business winning.
Here’s everything we know about the Week 5 win over the Broncos:
Final Score: Colts 12, Broncos 9
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | Final | |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Broncos | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
It was over when...
Colts cornerback Stephon Gilmore broke up a pass across the middle in the end zone from Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson on fourth down to mercifully end the game.
Keys to the game
- The new starting unit for the Colts offensive line allowed six sacks and 12 quarterback hits. Yes, you read that correctly.
- Conversely, the Colts defense added four sacks and eight quarterback hits.
- The Colts offense was a measley 4-of-16 (25%) on third down but not quite as anemic as the Broncos, who were just 2-of-15 (13%) on third downs.
- The Broncos had a chance to ice the game late in the fourth quarter while up by three points, but CB Stephon Gilmore intercepted a third-down pass from Russell Wilson, which led to the Colts tying the game at the end of regulation.
3 Stars of the game
- CB Stephon Gilmore: Easily the player of the game, Gilmore showed why he’s still an upper-echelon cornerback. He recorded two passes defended and an interception while locking down Courtland Sutton for the majority of the night.
- WR Alec Pierce: The rookie continued to make beautiful plays even when the offense was struggling. He led the team with nine targets, eight receptions and 81 yards.
- K Chase McLaughlin: The replacement for Rodrigo Blankenship earned his keep, converting all four of his field-goal attempts as the only source of points in this game.
Injuries
- RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle), LB Shaquille Leonard (concussion/nose/back), DE Tyquan Lewis (concussion) and S Julian Blackmon (ankle) were inactive due to injuries.
- RB Nyheim Hines suffered a concussion on the third play of the game and showed gross motor instability, stumbling as he was trying to walk. He left the game immediately.
- C Ryan Kelly left the game in the second quarter with a hip injury and didn’t return.
- WR Ashton Dulin suffered a foot injury during the second half and didn’t return.
- DE Kwity Paye was carted off during the fourth quarter with a leg injury.
Quick Hits
- The Colts starting offensive line made a change with Bernhard Raimann at left tackle, Braden Smith at right guard and Matt Pryor at right tackle.
- Surprisingly, that combination was worse than the previous one, which I didn’t think was possible.
- RB Deon Jackson filled in as the main back after Hines’ injury, taking 13 carries for 62 rushing yards and adding four receptions for 29 receiving yards.
- Rookie S Rodney Thomas II grabbed the first interception of his career and nearly had another one but the back judge ran into him as he was going to make a play on the ball. Yes, the ref committed OPI. No, there wasn’t a flag. He also had a nice pass breakup on a deep ball.
- DT DeForest Buckner was a man possessed, recording two sacks, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, a batted pass and a forced fumble.
- Meanwhile, DE Yannick Ngakoue added 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.
- QB Matt Ryan was horrendous. He was constantly under pressure, but he also made two egregious interceptions and fumbled the ball two more times.
What's next?
Colts head coach Frank Reich will meet with the media for a press conference Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET. The team will get a few days of extra rest before preparing for the Week 6 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2).
