2022 NFL season: Four things to watch out for in the Colts-Broncos game on Prime Video

• WHERE: Empower Field at Mile High (Denver)
• IF: 8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video, NFL+

Thursday night’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos will see two injury-stricken teams struggle with offensive offenses, and both are quite hungry for a win.

Both teams kept their seasons afloat with big wins over serious opponents in Week 3. But in Week 4, both teams were left with divisional losses and will have to deal with their significant injuries to turn around quickly.

On paper, a match between Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson looks pretty appealing. But both have had their share of growing pains with their new franchises (although Wilson seems to be on the upswing), and they both have major concerns on the offensive side of the ball.

Too early to say that this looks to be a crucial game for both teams and their respective coaches? We don’t think so.

Here are four things to watch out for when the Colts visit the Broncos Thursday night on Prime Video:

1. Both running games hurt. The Colts and Broncos were expected to be run-heavy rosters after 2021 ended as second- and 10th-ranked teams, respectively, in yards per carry. Injuries to Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle), who was ruled out for this game, and Broncos RB Javonte Williams (out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury) have changed that, but it’s not like either team previously dominated on the ground that they get hurt. The Colts’ run-game struggles were shocking. Taylor’s longest streak so far this season is 21 yards, and he has just one touchdown in four games after leading the league in that category in 2021. Indy’s other two backs, Nyheim Hines and Deon Jackson, have combined 10 rushes for 8 yards. The offensive line – which accounts for nearly 20% of the Colts’ salary cap – was also a shell of their former selves. Denver has real problems too. Williams has been Denver’s most trusted runner, in part because Melvin Gordon has fumbled four times this season, often in critical spots. They reached out to Mike Boone late last week and signed Latavius ​​Murray from the Saints’ practice team. So it’ll be fascinating to see how they split up the carries against the Colts, who’ve defended the run pretty well this season, even with Derrick Henry rushing for 99 yards Sunday.
2. Each team must replace a defender. Thursday’s game will be a roster stretch for both teams, but not just on the offensive side of the ball. Shaquille Leonard had just returned to the Colts’ lineup last week, but after 16 snaps, the All-Pro linebacker suffered a concussion and a broken nose in the loss to the Titans. With Leonard ruled out for Thursday, the Colts have three healthy LBs in Bobby Okereke, Zaire Franklin and EJ Speed ​​to get back up, but none of them cover and play the way Leonard can. Perhaps Denver tight end Eric Saubert is a sneaky option to make a game or two after he blitzed on a 25-yard catch on Sunday. The Broncos placed edge rusher Randy Gregory (knee) on injured reserve, so they need more pass-rush juice from Bradley Chubb, who has been quiet since a two-sack game in Week 1, and Baron Browning, who is seeking his first NFL -Sack after taking on more of a pass-rush role this season. If the Colts are struggling to block a front without Gregory, the concern meter will increase even more.
3. Is Russell Wilson coming around the corner? Can Matt Ryan join him? Last week was Wilson’s best game as a bronco, throwing for two points and running for another. He threw with more conviction and was more willing to use his legs than in the first three games. Not having Williams in the backfield might make it easier for the Colts to defend him, but Wilson seems to be settling in after some early bumps. But Ryan, after a strong game-winning drive against the Chiefs in Week 3, lost a fumble in the first quarter that resulted in a Titans TD, took another sack fumble that knocked the Colts out of field goal range, and threw a pick deep in his own zone that gave Tennessee another TD and a 24-3 lead. Slow starts on offense were a big problem for Indy. In 22 drives in the first half, the Colts have two TDs (one from a turnover at the Chiefs 4), three field goals, 10 punts, three interceptions, two lost fumbles, and two turnovers on downs. As with the running game, the Colts’ O-line must take some blame. Ryan’s ball security – five INTs, nine fumbles (three lost) – cannot be overlooked either. The margin of error for this Colts offense is small enough when everyone is sane, so Ryan needs to be a better janitor here, even if Denver only has four takeaways in 2022.
4. Head coaches feel under pressure. Is Frank Reich in the hot seat? Could Nathaniel Hackett be one and be done? Both statements are premature. But both coaches will feel a lot of pressure if things don’t change quickly. Reich has a 38-30-1 coaching record and two playoff appearances in his more than four seasons in Indy. Considering how last season ended and how this one began, it’s not wild to speculate about Reich’s status. Right now, 20% of the Colts’ offensive drives result in a turnover. It’s a hallmark of an undisciplined club – and a trend that needs to end if they are to start winning games. Hackett got off to a rough start with his late-game decisions in the Week 1 loss in Seattle, and his reputation as an offensive guru has yet to be realized in Denver, averaging 14 points per game. Also, there is a lack of discipline. The Broncos committed the league’s worst 37 penalties, of which a whopping 15 were pre-snap penalties. After 25 penalties in their first two games, Denver has cleaned up some things, but it’s clear this isn’t a tightly run ship just yet. Reich can rightly point to his previous teams’ slow starts in 2018 (1-5) and 2021 (1-4) as proof that hope is not lost; Both of these Colts clubs ended up in the playoffs. Hackett has time on his side, too. This will be his fifth game, and no matter what anyone says, that’s too small a sample size to draw any massive conclusions about his future. Both head coaches remain employed but also on the hot-seat watch as their teams start slowly.