Handshakes, hugs, and blank stares.
It never entered the Broncos mind that they would go out like this. In a season defined by a championship ring, Sunday’s tumble into the abyss left unnerving questions and disappointment in its wake.
For the first time this season, the Broncos lost at home, trounced by the Indianapolis Colts, 24-13. No one escaped blame. For all of Peyton Manning’s overthrows and Demaryius Thomas’ drops, the defense didn’t back up its boast of wanting the game in its hands.
The Colts’ horsepower often operated like a hemi, the Broncos unable to slow quarterback Andrew Luck in the red zone, create consistent pressure or defend slot receiver T.Y. Hilton, who wore out cornerback Aqib Talib.
WATCH:
“I feel like the season was a waste of time, like we wasted all of our hard work,” cornerback Chris Harris said. “We have to figure out what the plan is going to be next year and try to move on. It’s tough. They beat us in all phases of the game.”
Homefield advantage meant little. The Broncos sought a madhouse. They drooped off the field in a mad house, struggling to wrap their minds around an abrupt ending.
Luck represents the future bearded face of the NFL, but his ascension appeared a year away given his 0-2 playoff road record. After the Colts fell behind 7-0, Luck riddled the Broncos, firing darts to nine receivers for 265 yards. Denver intercepted Luck twice on deep passes, but both functioned as short punts, failing to shift momentum.
“Jubilant. Happy. Fun,” said Luck of the Colts’ locker room. “When you put in the work with guys every day and see it come to fruition, it’s awesome.”
PHOTOS:
Hilton finished with four catches for 72 yards. He drew two penalties on Talib, one that extended a second-quarter scoring drive that gobbled 7:37 off the clock.
“He’s a great corner. A Pro Bowler,” Hilton said. “But I was the better man today.”
The decision to use Talib on the shifty, quicker Hilton proved a mistake. Former Colts coach Tony Dungy questioned the strategy on Twitter in the first half, insisting Hilton was too quick for Talib. It raised eyebrows since Harris has a history of excelling in the slot.
“It’s the worst. It as bad as it gets,” Talib said of the Broncos’ early exit. “(Coverage) on Hilton wasn’t good enough. He caught balls in certain situations. It definitely wasn’t good enough.”
In the team’s first meeting in the season opener, Denver sacked Luck three times. The Broncos didn’t sack Luck once Sunday. Worse, he benefitted from a clean pocket, able to step up without fear of repercussion.
“They played better than us. You have to be smart against a guy like that because of his ability to make plays with his feet. He played a great game. He got the ball out quick at times,” said defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, a free agent with an uncertain future. “We clearly didn’t do enough on our end to win.”
Concern, if only slight, surfaced during the week. Weakside linebacker Brandon Marshall returned to practice after missing the final two regular season games with a sprained left foot. The decision to activate him came Saturday after an uneven week of workouts. Marshall finished with six tackles, tied for the team-high, but had to leave multiple times because of pain. It left the Broncos vulnerable in coverage where tight end Coby Fleener proved a tough matchup for Todd Davis, namely on a 32-yard third-quarter completion that set up Indianapolis’ final touchdown.
“When I had to make hard cuts, it hurt. I had to come out at times because I didn’t want to be a detriment to the team,” Marshall said. “I wish I was 100 percent. I probably would have sat out (if it was a regular-season game). It was that close. This is just such an empty feeling. We had one goal in mind, we didn’t reach it.”
Indianapolis rushed better than expected, finishing with 99 yards on 28 carries, creating play-action opportunities for Luck. Most painful were Denver’s breakdowns in crucial moments. The Colts converted five of 13 third downs, two on their first drive after halftime while taking a commanding 21-10 lead.
WATCH:
“We have to hold them to three points when they get that close. We didn’t stop them enough,” safety T.J. Ward said. “I thought guys were relaxed entering the game. I don’t know what happened. Sometimes things happen when you least expect it.”
Having their ears boxed by the Colts seemed an improbable outcome. Linebacker Von Miller lamented plays he could have made, and insisted that the loss should not frame the season. But it will, no one more aware than Knighton who predicted last month that the Broncos would win the Super Bowl.
“I know what I said about us hoisting the trophy at the end. I felt that way strongly. I will probably get criticism from people for it. I really don’t care. I thought we had the team to do it and we just picked a bad day to have a bad game,” Knighton said. “It (stinks).”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or
