Trailing 13-10 in 4th quarter, Broncos follow defense in blowing out Colts

Bo Nix needed an assist on Sunday. Vance Joseph had his back. In what some called the biggest game in Denver since the 2015 AFC Championship, the defensive coordinator led the Broncos to five takeaways in a 31-13 win over the Colts.

Denver (9-5) took another leap toward its first playoff berth since winning the Super Bowl in 2015, but the Broncos weren’t in a hurry to put the game away on Sunday. Incredibly, they trailed 13-10 entering the fourth quarter. That’s when Denver ignited with 21 points in eight minutes. According to NFL.com writer Jeffri Chadiha, Joseph deserves the credit.

“The Broncos’ defense has been essential to this team’s turnaround this season,” Chadiha wrote Monday morning, “and Joseph’s unit once again delivered in timely fashion.”

That’s an understatement. Joseph’s defense shut out the Colts in the second half, forcing three punts, four takeaways and a pair of fourth-down stops on nine possessions after halftime – including a spectacular, 50 yard touchdown by Nik Bonitto, one of the league’s most exciting young players.

Denver’s defense also capitalized on a crucial turning point early in the third quarter. Colts All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor seemingly scored on a 41-yard touchdown run that would’ve given the Colts a 20-7 lead. But replay review revealed Taylor released the football just before breaking the plane of the goal and Denver took over. From that point forward, the Broncos outscored Indianapolis 24-0 and held the Colts to just 96 net yards.

The Broncos, carrying $90 million in dead money on their salary cap, have won four consecutive games with a rookie quarterback. They have a death grip on an AFC playoff berth ahead of their Thursday Night Football clash on the road against Chargers (9-5) at SoFi Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

“They also have the kind of stellar defense that can create problems for opposing offenses when the postseason begins,” Chadiha added, noting Denver leads the league with 49 sacks and ranks tied for first in scoring defense (17.6 points allowed per game) with the Eagles and Chargers.

And not surprisingly for a team led by Sean Payton, the Broncos also got meaningful contributions from the kicking game. Marvin Mims returned a punt 61 yards early in the fourth quarter to set up Nix’s go-ahead touchdown pass to tight end Nate Adkins. Nix finished 20 of 33 for 130 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

The Colts (6-8) are all but eliminated. Their loss combined with Houston’s win clinched the AFC South for the Texans (9-5). Indianapolis now has head-to-head losses to both Denver and Baltimore (9-5). The team’s only hope is seemingly to win its final three games and pray for the Chargers to falter down the stretch.

For more information on the Broncos and Colts, visit the Denver and Indianapolis team pages at ProFootballPost.com.