Two teams with veteran quarterbacks are squaring off on “Thursday Night Football” as Russell Wilson and the Broncos host Matt Ryan and the Colts.
Both teams are looking at their new starters with furrowed eyebrows: the Broncos have started 2-2 and the Colts have started 1-2-1. Both offenses have sputtered for long stretches and are in the bottom half of the league in yardage, and they will be missing their top running back for this game.
The Broncos’ Javonte Williams will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. The Colts’ Jonathan Taylor — arguably the NFL’s premier back after a monstrous 2021 — will miss this week with turf toe and a sprained ankle.
The defenses may have to create opportunities for the offenses, but perhaps this is the game one of these quarterbacks breaks out.
The Sporting News is tracking all the action from “Thursday Night Football” as the Broncos and Colts square off in Denver.
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Colts vs. Broncos score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| Broncos | 3 | – | – | – | – |
Colts vs. Broncos live updates, highlights from ‘Thursday Night Football’
(All times Eastern)
9 p.m. — A false start puts the Broncos behind again, and two throws downfield — one an overthrow into good coverage and one a miscommunication — put the Broncos in third-and-15. Wilson completes a pass but the Colts were playing sticks defense and McManus converts a 44-yard field goal. Broncos 6, Colts 0
8:58 p.m. — Broncos are moving the ball pretty well here in the second, and they’re in third-and-manageable now. After converting a first down to Courtland Sutton for the previous first, they turn to the ground game to set up first-and-10 from the Colts 29. Good drive coming together for Denver, but they’re getting into their sticking point of the field.
8:53 p.m. — Wilson takes us to the end of the first quarter with a six-yard scramble out of bounds. Broncos 3, Colts 0
8:51 p.m. — And Ryan is sacked on third-and-12. Tough display here. Fourth-and-20 and the Colts punt it to their own 33.
8:50 p.m. — After two runs from Phillip Lindsay, a third down conversion is erased by a hold from Raimann, his second of the game. The Colts just cannot figure this out.
8:47 p.m. — Despite the protestations of Jeudy, Rodney Thomas made a GREAT play on a deep ball from Wilson to force an incompletion on second-and-7. The Broncos fall short on third down and some boos start coming down again after the second three-and-out in as many drives. Broncos will punt again.
8:42 p.m. — The Colts woes continue offensively. They go three-and-out yet again after a drop by Michael Pittman Jr. on a weak pass from Ryan put them behind the sticks. Both of these offenses need to stay on schedule and just can’t seem to do it. Hard to watch early minus a few nice plays.
8:37 p.m. — The Broncos quickly stall out after the punt and go three-and-out, as Wilson gets sacked on third down after missing a throw low over the middle (there wasn’t much space to run either). The Colts will get the ball from their own 40-yard line.
8:32 p.m. — Deon Jackson is making an immediate impact for the Colts, as a nice spin move nets him a first down on his first reception. Matt Ryan still seems to be struggling to figure out his pocket in Indianapolis, however, as a sack makes it third-and-11 and stalls the drive. The Colts will punt once again from around midfield. The Broncos will start from their own 14-yard line.
8:25 p.m. — Despite a promising start, the Broncos’ woes in the red zone continue. They go backwards with two incompletions and a loss of two, and convert a field goal on fourth-and-12 from the 16. Broncos 3, Colts 0
8:23 p.m. — Wilson tucks and runs down to the Colts 13-yard line on a good read. Looked like a failed stunt from the Colts defensive line that let Wilson get into wide open space.
Russell Wilrun 👟👟 @DangeRussWilson | @Broncos #INDvsDEN on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/qcjXnKGOp7 pic.twitter.com/Ep96pUWNJe— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2022
8:22 p.m. — The Broncos went tempo from first to second down before Wilson finds Jerry Jeudy on third-and-2 to convert for a first down. Good throw from Wilson as Facsyon gave Jeudy a significant cushion, and the Broncos are already in Colts territory.
8:20 p.m. — Denver will start on its own 30 after the punt as Hines heads to the locker room, forgoing the tent.
8:18 p.m. — Colts immediately go three-and-out, as Nyheim Hines drops his first pass of the game and gets hit hard on third down two plays later. He struggled to get up and wobbled trying to get back to the bench. Given the Tua Tagovailoa situation, it’s hard to imagine he’ll come back in the game. Scary moment early as the Colts go to punt.
8:15 p.m. — The Broncos won the toss and deferred until the second half. They will kick off to the Colts here. And we’re underway. The Colts will start from their own 25.
8:05 p.m. — Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan are, of course, the matchup to watch numbers wise. Both quarterbacks are new additions to their respective teams, and both teams have struggled to find their footing. Perhaps one of them gets on a roll starting tonight.
8 p.m. — Welcome to Thursday Night Football! The Broncos and Colts will be squaring off in a good old showdown of the horses, but they’ll be missing their workhorse running backs with Javonte Williams out for the year and Jonathan Taylor out for Thursday’s game. Join us as we follow this Matt Ryan vs. Russell Wilson showdown live.
Colts vs. Broncos start time
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 6
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET (6:15 p.m. MT)
Colts vs. Broncos will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET (6:15 p.m. local time) from Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.
What channel is Colts vs. Broncos on tonight?
- TV channel (Indianapolis): WRTV
- TV channel (Denver): KMGH
- Live national stream: Amazon Prime | DAZN (Canada)
The game will be shown nationally on Amazon Prime Video. Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analysis) and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) will be on the call. It will be broadcast regionally in the Indianapolis (WRTF) and Denver (KMGH) markets.
Viewers in Canada can watch with DAZN, which carries every NFL game.