Mile High Sports

Finding the positives in a Broncos loss to the Colts

MHS Staff

Nov 8, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) motions that he made a first down against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

It was a tough pill to swallow. With the chance to set two landmark NFL records, Peyton Manning came up short on both. And he did it in the one place that might have been the most meaningful to him as a quarterback, Indianapolis.

It was a tough day for Manning, who was intercepted twice despite going 21-for-36, and there was more than enough blame to be cast on the defense, which struggled to stop Andrew Luck on third down and committed a series of inexcusable penalties that effectively sealed the game for the Colts.

The Broncos also had the injury flag raised several times as Emmanuel Sanders, Chris Harris Jr., Brandon Marshall and Derek Wolfe were all sidelined for stretches and DeMarcus Ware could not finish the game due to a lingering back injury.

The offensive line that had looked so good against the Packers opened up no lanes on Sunday and the Broncos rushed for a combined 35 yards on the day. Ronnie Hillman, who was nursing a leg injury all week, had just one yard on seven carries.

Indeed, there were plenty of negatives to take away from the Broncos’ first loss of the season – one that now puts them in chase mode for AFC playoff seeding behind the Patriots and Bengals, who remain unbeaten. But there were several positives on the day, including seeing some big things from a new Broncos tight end.

The Broncos offense did a few things right on the day, finding some rhythm in the passing game. Sadly, it was necessary as Denver played from behind and couldn’t get the running game going all day. Here are the positives on day in which they were few and far between.

A New Tight End has a Big Day

That new tight end sure is looking good. No, we’re not talking about Vernon Davis. The newest Broncos tight end saw little playing time and was targeted just once on the day. The other new face in the Broncos locker room this season is Owen Daniels, who had a second consecutive game with big numbers.

Daniels, signed as a free agent in the offseason, had a huge day, going for 102 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.

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DT Recovers from a Case of the Dropsies

Demaryius Thomas looked like he was going to struggle early, dropping a key pass on third down on the opening series, but he found a way out of his early funk and ended the day with five catches for 50 yards.

The Big Play Happens

Denver’s defense forced a punt on the opening drive of the second half (one of their few positives on the day), and Peyton Manning swung the momentum 100 percent back into Denver’s favor after he connected with Emmanuel Sanders on a massive third-down play.

The 64-yard touchdown pass pulled Denver within a score and had the Colts playing on their heels in the third quarter.

It’s all the more impressive considering that Sanders was injured on the first play of the game.

One Good Quarter

It was not a complete game for the Broncos by any stretch of the imagination. The running game was non-existant, the defense succumbed far too often on third down and committed terrible penalties, Manning spent too much time on the ground and the coaching staff looked like it left the first-half playbook on the airplane. Still, the Broncos had one of their most complete quarters of the year in the third quarter. And the passing game helped Denver win the quarter 10-0.

Sadly, one quarter does not a game make and the Broncos will be licking their wounds for a few days after this one. Yes, there were positives on the day, but a loss is a loss and no one knows that more than Manning.

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