Week 15 is upon us and in spite of the fact that no one wants it to happen, the Denver Broncos (4-9) are going to face off against the equally inept Indianapolis Colts (3-10) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday Night Football.
You want to know why NFL ratings are going down? It’s games like this in prime time. If you want to watch it (And why the hell wouldn’t you?) fine tune your interociter when you’re finished constructing it to the NBC Network and its affiliates or the NFL Network at 8:25 p.m. EST.
The Game: Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts (+2.5)
O/U: 40.5
The History
The Colts and Broncos have faced off 26 times since 1974 with the series tied 13-13 all time.
Of the last 15 match ups between Denver and Indianapolis, Peyton Manning quarterbacked one of the two teams. The team with Manning at the helm went 9-5 in those match ups.
DENVER BRONCOS (4-9)
There’s a word we like to use in the sportswriter world; “skid.” For instance, the Broncos halted an 8-game skid last week with a 23-0 victory over the New York Jets. But “skid” doesn’t really do justice to what Denver has laid down over the last two months of the NFL season. It’s been less a “skid” and more of a “skid mark” in a homeless guy’s boxers.
The Broncos have juggled every quarterback on the roster and are on their second offensive coordinator (Bill Musgrave) of the season. Finally, last Sunday, it paid off with a mediocre game on offense led by Trevor Siemian, a guy who has alternated between No. 1 quarterback and not even dressed for the game over the 13 of 2017. Siemian was 19-of-31 for 200 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
The game was won by the defense which, in spite of Denver’s record, has been a top unit all year. Against the Jets, they notched three sacks, knocked quarterback Josh McCown out of the game and got seven stops in the backfield. They held New York to just six total first downs and 3-of-13 on third downs. The Jets gained a total of 100 yards in the entire contest.
There are only two players in danger of not suiting up for Denver Thursday. Paxton Lynch is still out with his ankle, not that it matters. Safety Justin Simmons is a more serious loss if he can’t play. He too has an ankle injury and has been held out of practice so far this week.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-10)
The Colts have only one significant new injury on their report. Wide receiver Donte Moncrief hasn’t practiced Monday or Tuesday with an ankle injury of his own. It’s possible the injury will keep him from being a factor in the game, saving Denver’s defense the trouble of making him completely disappear.
The stats from last week’s 13-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills don’t tell the tale of that game. It was played in a snowstorm so thick that the Broncos have just tossed out the tape in preparation for this contest.. The team with the best running back was going to win a game like that, so of course the Bills got the dub with LeSean McCoy rushing 32 times for 156 yards and a touchdown.
The Colts still gave it all they had with Frank Gore carrying the ball 36 times for 130 yards. Neither quarterback could do much in the driving blizzard. Jacoby Brissett was 11-of-22 for 69 yards and a touchdown.
The Pick
I can blame both these teams for my own lackluster picks results last week. Denver has been a disappointment ever since the teams they faced off against realized they didn’t have a quarterback on the roster. The Colts have just been hitting the sim button on the season to speed up Andrew Luck’s return and Chuck Pagano’s exit. It’s the kind of game where you hate to have to pick a winner since both teams are such losers. Still, I have a job to do. Broncos 19, Colts 13
Last week
Straight up: 8-8
Against the spread: 6-10
Season
Straight up: 125-83
Against the spread: 107-101
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