ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For the first time in 2025, the Broncos are headed out on the road.
And in a Week 2 challenge, they'll battle a Colts team that ran away with a 33-8 season-opening win over the Dolphins.
In a rematch of a critical 2024 late-season game, the two 1-0 teams will look to gain an early upper hand in the AFC standings.
"It's going to be on us to have a great week of preparation, so we are prepared to go in there and play fast and continue this fast start," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said Wednesday.
As the Broncos look to start 2-0 for the first time since 2021, here are the questions that will help determine if they'll leave Indianapolis with a win:
CAN THE BRONCOS PUT INDIANAPOLIS IN THIRD-AND-LONG?
The Colts' offense was dynamic in Week 1, as Daniel Jones completed 22-of-29 passes for 272 passing yards, a passing touchdown and a 115.9 passer rating. The former top-10 pick also added a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Indianapolis scored on all seven possessions in a Week 1 clobbering of the Dolphins, which made the Colts the first team since 1991 to score on every possession.
Jones distributed the ball to a slew of playmakers, as wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. led the team with 80 receiving yards and a touchdown, while rookie tight end Tyler Warren tied an NFL rookie record for the most catches by a tight end in Week 1. Warren played all over the formation, as he lined up in-line at tight end, in the slot, out wide and in the backfield.
"I told [Head Coach] Sean [Payton], he has some [Saints TE] Taysom Hill in him," Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said. "He can run the football; he has thrown the football in college; he is a receiver; he is an in-line tight end blocker. He's an all-around good player. You saw it last week in the first two or three drives. The plays are being designed for him to make, and he is making them. Having a plan for that player is going to be critical."
For the Broncos' defense — which recorded an NFL-best six sacks in Week 1 and allowed just 2.4 yards per play — the ability to find success against the Colts must start early in possessions. Against the Dolphins, the Colts were tremendously effective on first down, averaging 10.3 yards per pass across 12 first-and-10 plays. The Colts also averaged more than five yards per rush in first-and-10 scenarios. All told, the Colts ran 31 first-down plays — and needed to run a second-down play on just 21 occasions.
On Indianapolis' 15 third downs, just five of those attempts were from longer than five yards, as the Colts' early effectiveness paid dividends.
The Broncos' Week 1 opponent, by comparison, faced just three third downs shorter than nine yards all afternoon. Tennessee was in third-and-9 or longer on 11 occasions on Sunday in Denver.
If Denver wants to unleash Nik Bonitto — who posted a career-high nine pressures in Week 1 — and Co., the Broncos will need to put Jones in more difficult situations than he faced against Miami. That could begin with bottling up Jonathan Taylor, who has averaged the fifth-most yards per game among any NFL running back in NFL history. He posted 18 carries for 71 yards in Week 1 and has rushed for at least 70 yards in six consecutive games, which marks the longest active streak in the NFL.
Taylor ran for more than 100 yards against the Broncos last year, and his effectiveness was evident — even with a critical fumble that turned the tide in Denver's favor.
Should Denver's defense — which allowed just 3.4 yards per carry in Week 1 — slow Taylor, it could push Jones and Co. into longer third-down situations. And for a Broncos pass-rush that is among the most fearsome in the league, that could be the difference.
WILL THE BRONCOS' OFFENSE TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
Despite turnovers in Week 1 — more on the importance of that in a moment — the Broncos' offense had its bright moments.
Bo Nix found Courtland Sutton for a late touchdown to close the first half. After Tennessee took a second-half lead, Nix converted three consecutive third downs to help the Broncos regain an advantage. And in the fourth quarter, the Broncos' running game came alive, with RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins becoming the first pair of Broncos running backs to each have at least 60 rushing yards in a game since 2021.
Denver posted four scoring drives in the game, three of which spanned at least 40 yards. The Broncos' other scoring drive traveled 38 yards in two plays, as Denver earned the aforementioned touchdown from Nix-to-Sutton.
Still, the Broncos know there's room to improve. Payton said from a play-calling perspective, he exited Week 1 knowing he has "to be a lot better" — and Denver will aim to find a faster start after not finding the end zone until the final moments of the first half.
"The biggest thing [for] us as a whole is not putting our defense in the situation that we put them in with turning the ball over," Sutton said. "I think if we are able to control the line of scrimmage, control the time of possession and take care of the opportunities of when we get into the red zone [with] scoring touchdowns and not just field goals, that will help us as a collective be able to have a chance to come out with a victory."
Nix and the Broncos will face a difficult test from new Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who led the Bengals' defense in recent years. Payton said the Broncos had a "late night" trying to develop a third-down plan to be ready for Indianapolis' pressure looks, but he believes Denver will be ready to meet the challenge.
"They give you a lot," Payton said. "… It took a while, but we feel like we have a good plan."
As the Broncos approach Week 2, it's also important to note that improving on offense doesn't necessarily mean quantifying that process.
"I think we're just chasing improvement," tight end Evan Engram said Friday. "You can lose focus trying to measure how far the leap [is] or whatever. We're just trying to improve. We want to play better than we did last week. We want to protect the football a lot better. We want to score more points, and we want to put the defense in better positions. I think we're honestly just chasing improvement, in general. We've been working hard all week, and that's the goal."
CAN DENVER WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE?
A combination of the two previous questions, this may be the most telling statistic of all.
The Broncos earned a win despite four turnovers and a minus-two turnover differential against the Titans, but earning a win under those circumstances is a rarity. Teams that lost the turnover battle were 1-8 in Week 1, and the Broncos were the lone team to grind out a win.
"You can't live that way," Payton said Wednesday. "It's tough."
The rarity of winning with four turnovers was clear, as it was the first time since Week 17 in 2015 that the Broncos earned a win under those conditions. Toss in the caveat of scoring 20 points or fewer, and it was the first time since 1992 that Denver earned a win in that setting.
Yet while Nix had a pair of interceptions in Week 1, he's also shown a consistent ability to play clean football. Since Week 8 last season, only Lamar Jackson (8) has more games than Nix (6) with at least two passing touchdowns and no turnovers.
"It's a fine line of being aggressive, but sometimes it just happens, and you just have to move on," Nix said Wednesday. "I can definitely take a little bit more calculated attempts, and that's what I'll attempt to do in the future."
After forcing five turnovers in last year's win against the Colts, the Broncos will look to find more success in Indianapolis. As previously mentioned, they'll likely need to find a way to force Jones into mistakes, as he had just the third game of his career with three touchdowns and no turnovers. Particularly against pressure, Jones was effective; he completed 5-of-6 passes for 74 yards, a touchdown and a 157.6 rating.
If Denver's defense can earn a few more takeaways and the Broncos' offense can play cleaner football, it may be the edge Denver needs to improve to 2-0.
