Joe Flacco advanced the ball downfield on his team’s opening drive and brought them within field goal range, but Broncos cornerback Nik Bonitto batted it down and raced 50 yards for an unexpected defensive touchdown – giving Denver an unexpected edge against Baltimore.
On the following drive, he nearly scored another touchdown when Jonathan Taylor appeared to run through him for a 41-yard score – however, booth review determined that Taylor dropped the ball prior to crossing the goalline.
| Player | Team | Position | Stat Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Nix | Broncos | QB | 15/21, 125 yds, 1 TD; 3 rushes, 17 yds |
| Zach Wilson | Broncos | QB | 10/13, 117 yds |
| Audric Estime | Broncos | RB | 10 carries, 31 yds, 1 TD |
| Tyler Badie | Broncos | RB | 2 carries, 13 yds, 1 TD |
| Blake Watson | Broncos | RB | 9 carries, 26 yds, 1 TD |
| Marvin Mims Jr. | Broncos | WR | 1-yard TD reception from Bo Nix |
| Anthony Richardson | Colts | QB | 2/4, 25 yds; 1 rush, 1 yd |
| Jason Bean | Colts | QB | 4/6, 51 yds, 1 TD; 4 carries, 24 yds |
| Sam Ehlinger | Colts | QB | 5/6, 80 yds, 1 INT |
| Evan Hull | Colts | RB | 8 carries, 16 yds, |
Bo Nix
Broncos Country has many “Bo-lievers,” and their rookie quarterback is giving them more evidence every game that he should. Not just cosplaying as an effective pocket passer like Taysom Hill did; but instead performing like one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL.
Nix is currently completing a higher percentage of his passes, throwing more touchdowns and fewer interceptions, and showing himself to be an elite game manager. Furthermore, he’s an excellent runner protecting the ball well while making smart decisions with it. Not only has Nix been great player for Denver; his presence has also altered its culture; veteran offensive players are fully buying into and accepting Nix’s approach.
As was evident after his outstanding performance against the Chiefs, it should come as no surprise that he is being honored as AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In one game against Kansas City he notched four touchdown passes while throwing 294 passing yards with an excellent 89.7 passer rating to secure victory and further elevate his Rookie of the Year candidacy.
Nix is an exceptionally skilled passer with strong arm strength and an outstanding vision of the field, running an offense as though he were doing it for years; hitting all levels of the field with his passes while dispersing them among different receivers. His great compatibility with Coach Sean Payton appears to have eased his transition into NFL life seamlessly.
Nix should have another high-scoring game against the Colts, facing an Indianapolis defense that allows the second highest completion percentage and ranks 29th overall in pass defense and third down defense. If he can keep up his pace he stands a good chance at finishing as QB8 for fantasy scoring this season and can count on Courtland Sutton seeing increased target volume; making him an attractive play in DFS this week.
Anthony Richardson
Anthony Richardson made an impactful debut as a starting running back this season for Florida Atlantic. The sophomore from Tampa threw four touchdown passes and ran for three more scores despite only attempting 38 passes due to shoulder issues early in 2023. Since his shoulder injury, Richardson has focused on recovering his health while honing more detailed pass-catching drills that can improve his game.
Richardson will face off this week against a Denver Broncos defense that allows the most rushing yards per carry and third-most passing yards per game, plus their secondary has the second highest rate of blitzes in the league; but Richardson has had success against them with an 82.1 passer rating vs man defense, far exceeding his numbers against zone schemes.
The Colts are in a tight playoff race and can increase their odds by beating the Broncos this week. A win would give them two games up on both the Chargers and Steelers; making this week a crucial one. Their players know it too – no one wants to let up now.
Though Denver Broncos offense has struggled, their defense has performed admirably this season. If they want to pull off a victory this week against Indianapolis Colts running game they’ll need to stop them with one goal in mind: stopping big chunk plays like Riley Moss has done previously.
With several fantasy-relevant players currently on injured reserve, the waiver wire offers plenty of attractive fantasy football options. “GMFB” analyst Dan Parr suggests adding these players ahead of this weekend’s matchup against Denver Broncos.
Jelani Woods
2022 third-round pick Jelani Woods made an impactful debut season as an NFL wide receiver, catching 25 passes out of 40 targets for 312 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games (two starts). Woods appeared poised for significant strides forward this year before suffering an ACL injury which will keep him sidelined until 2024.
In the first quarter, a seven-play, 26-yard drive by the Colts brought them within field goal range at Denver’s 17-yard line; however, cornerback Cameron McGrone fumbling out gave Denver a chance to capitalize and tie the game at 3-3.
After their fumble, Denver scored on its next two six-play, 55-yard drives – leading to Will Lutz kicking a 41-yard field goal and then concluding with an 11-play 56-yard touchdown drive that gave Denver an early 13-10 advantage.
Colts quarterback Joe Flacco connected with wide receiver Parris Campbell for a 57-yard touchdown pass that brought their deficit down to 20-17; however, after Jonathan Taylor fumbled at Indianapolis 45-yard line it set off an eight-play, 57-yard drive which resulted in another touchdown score by Denver.
After cornerback Micah Abraham lost a fumble at Denver’s 40-yard line, they had one final chance at scoring inside of two points but it proved unsuccessful, leaving the score tied at 20-20.
Fantasy managers in standard-sized leagues should keep Woods at the forefront of their minds, as the 25-year-old has shown some promising signs during OTAs and preseason action this summer. Although missing last season due to hamstring injuries, Woods could prove an intriguing TE2 sleeper option should he remain healthy enough.
But because he has yet to show any distinguishing characteristics, it is unlikely that the Colts will use him meaningfully until later in the regular season. Meanwhile, he must compete for targets with Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory.
Will Mallory
The Broncos scored two timely fourth quarter touchdowns against Indianapolis Colts to seal victory and save themselves from defeat. First, Marvin Mims returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown run by Denver running back Royce Freeman; later Nik Bonitto read an Indianapolis flea flicker pass by picking it off and returning it for another score from Nik Bonitto to put away Indianapolis for good and save Denver from crushing defeat. These scores put out of reach their opponents and preserved Denver’s win.
The victory propelled the Broncos into a tie with the Chargers for AFC West supremacy and gave them an almost 100 percent chance of making the playoffs, their first since 2015. Furthermore, it put them ahead of Kansas City Chiefs in terms of wild card berth contention.
Even with playoff implications at stake, this game was disorganized and fraught with turnovers. Jonathan Taylor nearly put Indy ahead 20-7 during the third quarter when he galloped through for a 41-yard touchdown but instead dropped it before crossing the plane of goalline, marking their second fumble within three quarters.
This loss brought the Colts down to 6-9 and effectively ended any hopes they had of making playoff contention. They entered this game riding an eight-game losing streak and would need three victories over their remaining three games to even be considered for postseason berth.
Both teams scored 20 points in the first half, but Denver held onto their 13-10 edge going into halftime. Denver then put together an impressive defensive display during the second half with four takeaways and no scores allowed by Indy.
With their loss, the Colts dropped to 7-8 and are all but out of playoff contention. They must win their final three games while hoping that Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins both lose, for any chance at making it into postseason play-offs.
The Broncos will aim to continue their impressive running game against the Colts against Indianapolis. Denver currently leads all league teams in yards per carry this season and their defense will play an essential role in restricting Indy’s offensive production.