The Denver Broncos took care of business in Week 1 securing a victory over the Tennessee Titans. Their opponent this week is the Indianapolis Colts, who looked quite impressive after a dominant win of their own over the Miami Dolphins to start their season. Let’s take a deeper look at the Colts, some of their key players, and what the Broncos have to do on Sunday to secure a win on the road in Indianapolis.
2024 Indianapolis Colts Review
The Colts finished their 2024 season with an 8-9 record which
was good enough for second place in the AFC South but fell short of making the playoffs. Their offense ranked 17th in points scored and 13th in total yards. Most of their struggles were defensively, coming in at 24th in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed.
2025 Indianapolis Colts Offseason Additions
The big change for the Colts this offseason was at quarterback. The team signed veteran Daniel Jones to a one-year deal worth up to $14 million. He competed for their starting job against former top pick Anthony Richardson. After an impressive camp and preseason, Jones was named the starting quarterback for the squad in ‘25.
In order to get better on defense, the Colts made improving their secondary a primary endeavor in free agency. They added cornerbacks Charvarius Ward, Corey Ballentine, and safety Camryn Bynum into the mix. In the 2025 NFL Draft, they added standout tight end Tyler Warren in the first round. He didn’t disappoint in his pro debut and reeled in 7 catches for 76 yards against the Dolphins. My gut tells me Warren will be targeted often this weekend.
Offensive X-Factor: Running Back Jonathan Taylor
Daniel Jones performed well in his debut with the Colts, but I’m choosing a different player as their offensive x-factor—running back Jonathan Taylor. Taylor took the league by storm rushing for 1,169 yards to 11 touchdowns as a rookie in 2020. He followed that up with an All-Pro campaign in 2021 where he had 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. His next few seasons were marred by injury, but the veteran running back had a quality comeback campaign last season notching 1,431 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns.
As a seasoned six-year veteran, Taylor is still one of the best running backs in the league and averaged over 100 yards per game in ’24. The Broncos did a magnificent job stopping the run last week but will need to ensure Taylor doesn’t shake things up for them on the ground. Last year in their December matchup, the Broncos handled the Colts, but Taylor was still an impact player with 22 rushes for 107 yards. Halting his prowess as a runner will be mission critical for Denver to secure a victory on Sunday.
Defensive X-Factor: Defensive lineman Kwity Paye
Last week the Broncos’ offensive line did all right for the most part but struggled a bit going up against Pro-Bowl defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons. This week, they draw another formidable defensive front going up against the Colts. DeForest Buckner is the longtime veteran in their trenches, but fifth-year defender Kwity Paye has come on strong the past two years. He is my defensive x-factor to watch on Sunday.
Coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 40 tackles and 8 sacks, Paye has established himself as one of the league’s up-and-coming defenders. The tape shows a quality pass rusher who also is strong defending against the run. Despite a rather quiet game against the Dolphins with only one tackle for loss, but the Broncos can’t afford to underestimate his abilities. He is athletic enough to even drop into coverage, so Nix will have to be mindful of the unique ways Colts Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo will deploy the veteran defender.
How the Broncos can secure a victory over the Colts
There are several ways the Broncos can move to 2-0 on the season with a victory on Sunday. They will need Bo Nix to play a much better game and keep the turnovers to a minimum. I’d also like to see them establish the run against the Colts in order to alleviate pressure of Nix and also help make the play-calling more balanced. The Colts didn’t utilize a lot of extra box defenders in their Week 1 matchup versus the Dolphins. If that holds true for the onset of the game against Denver, they would be wise to commit to the running game.
Last but not least, the Broncos’ defense will need to limit Taylor’s impact on the ground and also force. Jones into making some bad decisions. The veteran quarterback was very efficient last week and still has great mobility and the ability to make moves out of the pocket. Denver’s high-profile defensive line and edge rushers are going to need to be at their best in order to limit Jones’ impact on the game. When it’s all said and done, I believe the Broncos will find a way to win in another close game to start their ‘25 season 2-0.
Hart’s Prediction: Broncos 24, Colts 17.
