Chris Phillips
The Indianapolis Colts square off against Denver on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, but which offensive centerpiece players will be suiting up is still unclear.
At this time Russell Wilson is “super confident” he’ll play Thursday. Meanwhile, Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor says “I definitely plan to play, but if you can’t go, you can’t go. That’s why you get as much treatment as you can.” Colts head coach Frank Reich said there is a chance he can play, as there is still time.
Beyond these two players, both teams will be missing another key piece. Denver’s star running back Javonte Williams tore his ACL last week and is lost for the season. Meanwhile, Shaquille Leonard got a concussion and a broken nose against Tennessee.
Related: NFL standings 2022 – Philadelphia Eagles last unbeaten team heading into Week 5
With the possibility of several major players being out for this week’s matchup, here are four bold predictions for Colts vs Broncos.
Indianapolis Colts O-line finally steps up
Raise your hand if you thought saying “the offensive line would need to play better” was a bold prediction. If you have your hand up, stop lying to us and yourself. Yet, this is the reality of the 2022 Colts season. To date, this offensive line is on pace to have Matt Ryan get sacked 63 times.
Now, not all of these sacks are the same. In some instances, the defense simply just beat them. While others are due to terrible communication. It remains to be seen where exactly that breakdown in communication is. Still not sure who is the one calling the protection sets: Matt Ryan or Ryan Kelly.
Not only has this unit struggled in pass protection they have been inconsistent in opening up running lanes. To be fair, the Colts’ run game got off to a slow start last season. After just four games, Jonathan Taylor had only racked up a total of 274-yards on 58 carries for an average of 4.7 yards per carry.
To date, he has 81 carries for 328-yards and an average of four yards per carry. Denver’s rush defense ranks 18th while giving up 456-yards on only 94 carries for an average of 4.9 yards per rush. This week, hopefully, the offensive line gets their you know what together. They open holes for Hines, Phillip Lindsay, and Deon Jackson to run through. And they keep Ryan’s jersey pretty clean
Colts discover they have two talented running backs
Speaking of the running game gets going. At this point, we don’t know if Jonathan Taylor will be playing. The final decision will likely come on game day, possibly right before kick-off. Considering the Colts are 1-2-1 on the season and haven’t shown anything that would lead one to think they can make the playoffs. It might be a smart idea for them to sit JT.
The team does have a decent stable of running backs. The Colts do have a former Pro Bowler in Phillip Lindsay. He also has back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume. He’s not nearly the athlete that Taylor is, but he can be just as effective as a runner. And he’ll most likely have some added motivation to beat his former team and show out for his hometown.
The Colts talked all off-season about how they wanted to get Nyheim Hines more involved. And that also meant more in the passing game. So far, he has yet to exceed 50 yards receiving and seven yards rushing in a game. So there is absolutely nothing that would suggest Hines has a breakout game on the road against Denver.
This is exactly why it makes for a perfect opportunity for that breakout game to happen. If JT is out that would push more attention, pressure, and focus on the passing game. This changes Denver’s game plan. And they start out more focused on stopping the pass, as they feel their front four can handle a running game that doesn’t include Taylor.
Hines shows everyone exactly why I’ve been trying so hard to get the #FreeNyheimHines trending. He rushes for 70+ yards, catches another nine passes for another 70+ yards, and scores a combined four touchdowns! One of those touchdowns is a punt return. It will take every facet of the game for Indy to upset Denver, in Mile High.
Matt Ryan stops eating popcorn before the game
Okay, I’m not sure what Matt Ryan’s pre-game meal is. But whatever it is, he should really consider changing it. To date, he has five interceptions and nine fumbles on the season. He’s miraculously clawed his way back to have a 1-to-1 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.
In four of his five games, Ryan has at least two turnovers. In only one game does he have one fumble. This is not the start to the season that he had envisioned. While Denver’s defense is formidable they come away with zero forced turnovers. Matt Ryan plays his first game as Colt without a turnover.
One defensive lineman will wreck Denver’s offensive game plan
General manager Chris Ballard has invested a lot of money and assets into the defensive line. Last season he was cheap and hoped the rookies would deliver immediate returns. They didn’t so this off-season he traded cornerback Rock Ya-Sin for defensive end Yannick Nagkoue. Ngakoue has been a huge pain in the Colts’ side when he’s played against them.
So far, he’s being a huge pain in the butt for the Colts as he has only one sack and four QB hits. Coming into the season there had been some rumblings that Ngakoue is more of a rotational pass rusher than a starting pass rusher. Those rumblings appear to be accurate. Subsequently, this move doesn’t look so good.
Well, this game is the get-off game for either Deforrest Buckner, Kwity Paye, or Yannick Ngakoue. One of those three guys has themselves a game, as they wreck the Denver offense. Denver’s offense hasn’t yet gelled. This game is not the game that it changes.
As previously mentioned, the Colts can win the game but it will take every facet of the team in order to make it happen. Even though Denver lost their star running back they still have Melvin Gordon on their team. He is more than capable of handling a starter’s workload and putting the ball on the ground.
He has four fumbles on the season. The Colts add one more to his total this season. And this fumble proves to be the turning point for the team. As they seize control of the game and leave the Rocky Mountains with a .500 record.
