Extra points
BESTS
Dome din dooms Denver
Noise: Colts fans are great. The RCA Dome rocks.
Creativity: The Broncos used defensive end Jarvis Moss and fellow rookie Tim Crowder at tackle, going for a faster line.
Tight end usage: The Broncos, in the first quarter, used three tight ends — Daniel Graham, Tony Scheffler and Nate Jackson — on a run sequence.
Colts play: On third-and-6 from the Denver 9 with less than five minutes to go in the first half, Peyton Manning hit tight end Dallas Clark in the corner of end zone to give the Colts a 14-13 lead. Manning threw the ball just before getting hammered by Broncos defensive end Simeon Rice.
WORSTS
Coverage still struggling
Special teams: The Broncos continue to struggle on kickoff coverage. If not for Champ Bailey, who saved another touchdown with a great tackle Sunday, this team would be giving up a return for a score every week.
Frustration: After a pass intended for Broncos wideout Brandon Marshall was intercepted, Marshall threw his helmet and began ranting on the sideline.
Bad switch: Outside linebacker Ian Gold was beaten twice by the Colts’ Dallas Clark for touchdowns. Veteran safety John Lynch likely would have been on Clark if he were healthy enough to play, but he missed the game because of a groin injury.
TURNING POINT
Colts respond with touchdown drive
The Broncos cut the Colts’ lead to 28-20 late in the third quarter, but Indianapolis cruised down the field and scored, making it 35-20 with 10:56 left in the game. The Broncos played gamely, but they just couldn’t keep pace with Peyton Manning.
CRAZY PLAY OF THE DAY
Young’s 32-yard gallop leads to TD
In the first quarter, on third-and-4 from the Colts’ 41-yard line, Broncos rookie Selvin Young took a reverse handoff from Jay Cutler and scooted down the field 32 yards to the Colts’ 9. That set up a Denver touchdown to make the score 10-0.
“It’s good to go out there and produce, but the bottom line is we got the loss and that hurts,” Young said.
HIT OF THE DAY
Colts make Hixon pay for mistake
With the Broncos trailing 28-13, Domenik Hixon dropped a kickoff at the Denver 1. Then things got worse. Hixon reached the 21, but was hammered by a gang of blue jerseys.
The Grades
OFFENSE
B: The Broncos’ offense didn’t lose this game. It controlled the tempo
for a while and was effective. Travis Henry, who ran the ball
the first five plays of the game, gained 106 yards in the first half and
finished with 131 of Denver’s 223 yards rushing. Second-year quarterback
Jay Cutler was efficient, completing 13-of-21 passes for 131 yards
and a touchdown. Denver twice settled for field goals by Jason Elam,
and that won’t get it done against the Colts.
DEFENSE
D: Using a unique defensive front, with rookie ends Jarvis Moss and
Tim Crowder playing inside, the Broncos were effective early in
the game. But the Colts ran the ball down their throats during the second
half. Indianapolis scored on each second-half possession until it
killed the clock the final time it had the ball.
SPECIAL TEAMS
D: Champ Bailey is right. These are the worst special teams in the
league. The unit is just not getting anything done. The Colts routinely
had great field position because of poor Denver coverage
teams. This area needs to improve in a hurry.
COACHING
C: The Broncos had a nice game plan on offense, controlling the
clock during the first half. Then the Colts pulled away in the second
half and Denver had to play catch-up. Defensively, the game plan
was good. But the Colts adjusted, and Denver couldn’t keep up.
OVERALL
D: The game went pretty much as expected. The Broncos must find
some urgency now. Sunday’s home game against San Diego is
more critical than the game at Indianapolis. The Broncos can take control
of the AFC West if they win. If not, things could snowball downhill
on them.
