The Colts fumble away a win, the playoffs, and potentially multiple people's jobs after a terrible Week 15 loss vs. Broncos

The Indianapolis Colts had an extra week to prepare for quite literally the most important game on their 2024 schedule against the Denver Broncos. A win and you feel very confident in your chances to earn a spot in the AFC playoffs, but a loss puts those dreams on the lifeline. They squandered the opportunity and fumbled […]

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer
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Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) runs past the tackle of Denver Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) in the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High.
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The Indianapolis Colts had an extra week to prepare for quite literally the most important game on their 2024 schedule against the Denver Broncos. 

A win and you feel very confident in your chances to earn a spot in the AFC playoffs, but a loss puts those dreams on the lifeline. 

They squandered the opportunity and fumbled away (literally) what looked like a gift-wrapped win, and who knows how drastic the consequences will be. 

The Colts made mistakes bad football teams make vs. the Broncos

A common theme of this season has been unforced errors by the Colts on both sides of the ball. It's only fitting they play a major role in their season essentially ending in Week 15. And boy, oh boy, did they save the best for last in this case. The team held a 13-7 lead in the third quarter, and Jonathan Taylor busted through a massive hole to score what appeared to be a touchdown to put the Colts up multiple scores. But not so fast; after further review, Taylor let go of the ball in celebration at the one-yard line, and it's a touchback and Broncos ball. If that wasn't enough, how about a trick play on second down in the fourth quarter in a one-score game that results in an intercepted lateral returned for a touchdown to now give the Broncos a two-score game? You truly couldn't write a more disastrous collapse than what the Colts put on display today. 

Colts' defense did its part and have nothing to show for it

It's been a roller-coaster season for the Colts defense. They've heard loud criticisms of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and multiple players not playing up to their expectations. And while those critics have been warranted at times, they certainly deserve praise when they put up a performance like we saw today. They forced rookie Bo Nix to throw three interceptions and only allowed 193 total yards on the day. They allowed 121 passing and 72 rushing, that second number being very important with how much they've struggled to stop the run this season. There are no real moral victories in a loss of this magnitude, so the performance was truly wasted. So add that to the long list of disappointments from this loss. 

This loss could cause a domino effect that drastically changes the Colts 

For weeks, many others and I have said that this game against the Broncos could drastically affect the franchise as a whole. For every positive that could come from a win today, there was just as significant of a negative that could come from a loss. And now that the loss is official, it's hard to imagine anyone in this locker room or in the front office feeling safe. The Colts have to win out to finish above .500 at 9-8, which is the same record they finished a year ago. It is a record that many looked at and saw hope for this season due to multiple key factors that played a role in the team falling just short in 2023. This year a 9-8 record that most likely still keeps you out of the playoffs would be considered the worst case scenario and to many a true failure of a year. Crazy how different a year can change things. With another playoff-less season, you have to think Chris Ballard's seat is hotter than ever, and if the team elects to make that change, who knows how many others could follow. 

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