The Broncos defense, which allowed two touchdowns in the first six games of the season, allowed three Sunday afternoon.
Hey, stuff happens when you play the Indianapolis Colts.
That wasn’t the Raiders or the Browns or the Chiefs sans Trent Green at Invesco Field. It was Peyton Manning and Co., aka Touchdowns R Us.
Manning threw two touchdown passes in a span of 3 minutes in the third quarter, then led the Colts on a final-minute drive to set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 37-yard field goal as Indianapolis prevailed . With the victory, the Colts became the first team since the 1929-31 Packers to win its first seven games in back-to-back seasons.
The win also stamped Indy as the team to beat in the AFC. The Colts had come into the game 6-0, one game better than the Broncos. A victory by Denver and the teams would have had identical records, but the Broncos would have had the inside track to home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Instead, the Broncos walked away knowing that if the teams meet in the playoffs, it likely would be in the RCA Dome, where the Colts have racked up 90 points in their last two playoff games vs. Denver.
Sunday’s game more than lived up to the hype. Manning, the Hall of Fame-bound quarterback, vs. the Broncos defense, which had allowed a league-low 44 points through six games. First one to blink loses.
The game featured an amazing seven lead changes and was tied at 31 when Vinatieri won it with 2 seconds to play. The Colts got the ball on the Indianapolis 20 with 1:49 left and proceeded to drive 62 yards on eight plays. Of those 62 yards, 47 came via Manning passes.
Manning finished with 32 completions in 39 attempts for 345 yards and three touchdowns, all to Reggie Wayne. How frustrated were the Broncos afterward? Darrent Williams, who was burned by Wayne throughout the day, bolted out of the locker room without talking to reporters.
The Broncos hadn’t allowed more than 18 points in a game before the Colts came calling. They allowed 28 in the second half alone, when Indianapolis scored on all five of its possessions to overcome a 14-6 halftime deficit.
