How the Colts might be disrespecting the Broncos this week
The Denver Broncos are set to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football. On Wednesday, we learned that superstar running back Jonathan Taylor won't be active for the Colts on Thursday. Taylor, the NFL's leading rusher last season, is dealing with an ankle injury. The former Wisconsin running back said earlier this week […]
The Denver Broncos are set to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football.
On Wednesday, we learned that superstar running back Jonathan Taylor won't be active for the Colts on Thursday.
Taylor, the NFL's leading rusher last season, is dealing with an ankle injury.
The former Wisconsin running back said earlier this week that he was planning to play on Thursday night, which created some optimism for Colts fans that he'd suit up against Denver.
Pro Football Focus insider Doug Kyed reported on Thursday that Taylor pushed to play against the Broncos, but Indianpolis decided against letting him take the field.
This is essentially a must-win game for the Colts. They were a trendy pick to win the AFC South before the season, but they haven't looked good through the first four weeks of the season. Indy is 1-2-1 with a fluke win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Colts have scored just 57 points so far this season — the fewest amount of points scored by a team in the NFL through the first four weeks of the year.
If Indy drops this game to the Broncos, they're going to fall further behind in the AFC South. And while the division hasn't looked strong so far, it's easy to see the Colts quickly becoming an afterthought.
In other words, the Colts can't afford to lose this matchup. And I think they know that.
But despite the urgency, they're not playing their best player — who obviously wants to play.
If I'm a player on the Broncos, there's only one way I'm taking this decision — Indianapolis thinks they can beat Denver without their best player, so they're choosing to give him some extra time to rest.
Maybe that's not the case. We'll probably never know for sure. But it certainly feels like that's the message the Colts are sending.
Denver has struggled a bit to start the season, but that was to be expected with a new head coach and a new quarterback. We saw some flashes last week of how dynamic the offense can be when it hits on all cylinders. The Colts, as a result of the Broncos' slow start, are likely underestimating Denver — a decision they'll probably end up regretting.
Featured image via Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
