The Denver Broncos will look to go 2-0 on Sunday when they host the Indianapolis Colts. Odds makers have listed the Broncos as a six-point favorite. However, Denver fans have realized recently that there are no sure things when it comes to the Colts.
Going back to 2005, the Broncos have lost eight of nine games to Indianapolis, which includes two playoff losses. Denver won the Super Bowl last season and still fell to the Colts 27-24, and if you are honest with yourself the game was not even that close. The question is: Are things going to change this time around?
It sure seems that Denver has the advantage on Sunday. The Broncos are coming off a huge win against the Carolina Panthers, while Indianapolis is trying to recover from a tough home loss against the Detroit Lions. The Broncos will also be going into the game relatively healthy with 10 days off after playing the Thursday opener.
Another advantage that Denver may have is that they have a different quarterback this time around with absolutely no affiliation to the Colts. Denver’s losing ways against the Colts began way before Peyton Manning arrived to the Broncos. Denver’s poor results against Indianapolis from 2005 to 2010 can be attributed to the fact the Colts were just a better football team. Since 2012, when Manning came to the Broncos, Denver’s losses can be partially be explained due the fact Manning was too fired-up when he took on his new team.
It seemed that when healthy, Manning only struggled when he was too fired-up for a game, considering his results against the Colts and his results in postseason play throughout his great career. Trevor Siemian does not have to prove anything extra when playing Indianapolis and that should work to Denver’s advantage.
With all of that said, I still expect a struggle on Sunday for the Broncos. This Denver team is still finding its way early in the 2016 season. This town has been confident since the Carolina win and the timing seems ripe for a letdown.
The Colts defense is the reason the team is 0-1. I’m not sure if Denver’s offense is explosive enough in order to take advantage of that weakness the way Detroit did in week one. Also, Andrew Luck is till a very capable quarterback in this league. For whatever reason, Luck seems to have the answer against Denver’s great defense year in and year out. The Broncos could also be overlooking Indianapolis this week with a tough road game coming up in week three against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When a clearly better team is favored by less than a touchdown at home in the NFL expect the unexpected. I have the Colts upsetting the Broncos 24-20.
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