How Colts found a way to beat Broncos: ‘There’s no such thing as an ugly win’

By Ben Arthur
FOX Sports AFC South Writer

We expect football games to end with a winner and loser. But Thursday, in a clash of bad offenses and great defenses at high altitude, a tie became possible — a fitting end, one can argue, to competitive repulsion in prime time. 

But Stephon Gilmore still has it. He’s still that dude. Still an elite cornerback. 

The former All-Pro defender broke up a would-be game-winning touchdown pass from the Broncos‘ Russell Wilson to receiver Courtland Sutton in the end zone on fourth-and-1 in overtime to give the Indianapolis Colts a dramatic 12-9 victory at Empower Field at Mile High.

Unable to do much of anything offensively in regulation, the Colts put together field-goal drives to end regulation and in overtime. The Broncos reached goal-to-go territory after getting the ball back in OT, only for quarterback Russell Wilson to miss a wide-open KJ Hamler and force a ball to Sutton, who was well-defended by Gilmore. 

“Isn’t it awesome how you can have a game like that and still win?” said Colts coach Frank Reich. 

The win keeps the Colts (2-2-1) competitive with the Jaguars (2-2) and Titans (2-2) at the top of the AFC South. It came in spite of an offense that’s not getting better. One with the highest-paid offensive line in football, but one that can’t pass protect. Another band-aid at quarterback, Matt Ryan, who is struggling. Living in third-and-long. Slow starts. An inability to take advantage of scoring opportunities. The Colts went 0-for-2 in the red zone and 4-for-16 on third down against the Broncos. They didn’t score a touchdown. 

But the defense and special teams showed up. The Broncos (2-3) were kept out of the end zone, held to 0-for-4 in the red zone and 2-for-15 on third down – on top of Gilmore’s game-clinching pass breakup in OT. Defensive tackle Grover Stewart also blocked a Denver field-goal attempt late in the third quarter that kept the game tied at 6. 

Colts placekicker Chase McLaughlin, signed to the 53-man roster Tuesday after playing as a practice-squad elevation from Weeks 2-4, hit all four of his field goals. 

“As long as there’s time on the clock and you’re within a score or two or whatever, you have a chance,” said Ryan, who completed 26 of 41 passes for 251 yards with two interceptions. “We did. We found a way to get enough to get the win. It was tough, there’s no question about it. But we have a tough group.” 

The short week brought changes for the Colts. 

They shuffled pieces around on their offensive line. Right tackle Braden Smith moved inside to right guard. Left tackle Matt Pryor flipped sides to right tackle. Third-round rookie Bernhard Raimann, a reserve the first four weeks of the season, got the start at left tackle. Indianapolis was desperate for a spark, hoping the moves would provide it. 

The switches made things worse. 

Quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked a season-high six times despite the Broncos being without their best pass-rusher in Randy Gregory. It didn’t help that Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly left the game with a hip injury late in the second quarter and didn’t return. Raimann had a particularly rough time dealing with the Broncos’ speed and power on the edge. He was responsible for all four Colts penalties in the first half (three accepted). 

The Colts defense kept the Broncos – battling their own ineptitude – at bay, but it didn’t matter. The offense could do nothing with it for most of regulation. If it wasn’t the sacks, it was Ryan’s two bad interceptions (in the second and third quarter). And penalties. And early-down inefficiency. 

But the defense kept giving Indianapolis hope. And the offense finally capitalized. 

Gilmore came up with an end-zone interceptions with 2:19 left, picking off a late Wilson ball to receiver Tyrie Cleveland for a touchback. It gave the Colts the ball back trailing 9-6. And the Colts orchestrated a 10-play, 67-yard drive to tie the game with a 31-yard field goal with five seconds left. 

Ryan hit standout second-round rookie receiver Alec Pierce three times on the series for 33 yards, and undrafted rookie Deon Jackson – assuming a big role with All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor sidelined with an ankle injury and Nyheim Hines ruled out during the game with a concussion – had a big 17-yard scamper up the middle to get the Colts in the red zone. 

“I wish you guys could’ve seen him up close,” Reich said of Ryan. “Like, I love this guy in the fourth quarter. The look in his eyes, the short conversations that we have, the determination. I just feel like we’re going down the field to score. I really do. He’s going to make it work. So a credit to Matt.” 

The momentum carried into overtime. 

On the second play of OT, Ryan hit tight end Kylen Granson for 12 yards. Then Jackson rushed for nine yards up the middle. Receiver Parris Campbell picked up 12 yards. Indianapolis cobbled together seven more yards in three plays to set up McLaughin’s go-ahead field goal, the game winner.

The Colts have issues. The Colts offense definitely has issues. They were on hand for the NFL world to see in back-and-forth ugliness streamed on Prime Video. 

As much as that’s a pressing concern, that can take a back seat for now. 

“There’s no such thing as an ugly win,” Colts owner Jim Irsay told Indianapolis’ WISH-TV. “There’s no such thing as a beautiful loss. 

“I know it was tough, but this win looks like a beauty to me.”

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.