Jarrett Stidham, Bo Nix and Zach Wilson lead Broncos to 34-30 win over Colts

INDIANAPOLIS — After weeks of working towards situational soccer, the Broncos took benefit of a dwell alternative.

In Sunday’s preseason opener in opposition to the Colts, the Broncos took over at their very own 16-yard line with 1:24 to play within the first half and one timeout remaining. Locked in a 10-10 recreation, Denver held an opportunity to create separation.

With a pair of 16-yard completions from Bo Nix to Lucas Krull and a 29-yard go interference name drawn by Devaughn Vele, Denver moved the ball contained in the 10-yard line and kicked a brief discipline objective to take the lead.

The sector objective was only one second of a stretch during which Denver scored factors on 5 of seven possessions, and the drive stood out to veteran Courtland Sutton in a 34-30 win over Indianapolis.

“I feel he dealt with it very effectively,” Sutton stated of Nix. “[He] had a variety of poise, a variety of management. The second wasn’t too large for him. The moments are solely going to get larger. The preseason video games do not rely, however come Week 1, whoever they resolve to place on the market as our starter, they are going to must deal with that scenario one of the best they probably can.”

Nix’s two-minute drive was a part of a day during which he accomplished 15-of-21 passes for 125 yards, a landing and a 102.3 score. He additionally recorded three carries for 17 yards.

“It was a great day,” Nix stated. “I believed we ran the ball effectively, made some good performs within the go recreation. Transformed some third downs, acquired factors once we wanted to. It was a great job going into half with factors after which popping out with factors — [it] felt like that was a great level within the recreation. However general, felt like we did a great job. Large crew win.”

Jarrett Stidham, who began the sport and accomplished 4-of-7 passes for 37 yards, had his two drives foiled by penalties and an interception that bounced off the arms of operating again Samaje Perine.

“Actually, I believed we moved the ball very well,” Stidham stated. “We sort of shot ourselves within the foot — primarily these first two drives with penalties and that form of factor. A whole lot of good, I believed. Clearly, we’ll check out the movie and get higher from it. Clearly, clear up the penalties. Like I stated, that was in all probability the most important factor. Thought we had been fairly environment friendly there fairly early on. Clearly, simply the penalties, we have got to determine that out.”

Tim Patrick, Courtland Sutton and Mike McGlinchey had been all whistled for penalties throughout Stidham’s preliminary drive, which progressed to the Indianapolis 29-yard line earlier than regressing backward.

“He will get a tricky break the place the ball bounces off of Perine,” Head Coach Sean Payton stated. “We’re in scoring place earlier than Tim’s penalty. We’re in scoring place, [and] the penalty brings us out of scoring place.”

After Stidham’s two collection, Nix entered and led the Broncos to a discipline objective on his opening drive. His first two go makes an attempt fell incomplete earlier than he scrambled to his left and fired a sideline go to Sutton for a 22-yard achieve.

“That was a giant play,” Nix stated. “Massive third-down conversion there. … [Sutton] did a great job of being conscious of the sideline. I appeared up and he was open, and people are all the time the nice ones, if you see an open man.”

Nix and the Broncos’ offense scored 20 factors throughout 5 possessions, with the lone missed alternative coming through a Krull fumble on the penultimate drive earlier than halftime.

On Nix’s second drive, he capped a 10-play, 56-yard drive with a 1-yard landing go to huge receiver Marvin Mims Jr.

“It was a pleasant play by Marv,” Nix stated. “He did a great job of attending to the nook, and we executed it effectively. We have been working towards and repping that play rather a lot, and so they bumped it off and had some area and we had been capable of get a landing. General, simply felt prefer it was good to get on the market and throw some completions, see a brand new protection and in the end simply get on the market and compete.”

Nix additionally confirmed his capability to scramble, and all three quarterbacks demonstrated a capability to keep away from sacks. In 41 mixed dropbacks, not one of the Broncos’ three quarterbacks had been sacked.

“[The] ball is out,” Payton stated. “I just like the timing, the tempo of once we’re releasing it. That was a giant concern for us a yr in the past with the minus performs. We had been in direction of the again, again half of the league – I feel fourth [lowest]. So, I used to be happy with the timing of what we had been doing throwing the ball. It is essential.”

Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Colts represented the primary time since 2022 that the Broncos posted a sack-free recreation within the preseason.

Wilson performed the ultimate 5 drives of the sport, and he posted the very best quarterback score of the three passers with a 103.7 score. Wilson accomplished 10-of-13 passes for 117 yards, and he stated Sunday represented a “new crew, new begin” for him.

“I believed we put some nice drives collectively,” Wilson stated. “Not a ton of detrimental performs. I believed we did a great job of staying forward of the sticks.”

Stidham stated he was “tremendous proud” of the Broncos’ full offensive effort, and the trio of quarterbacks mixed to finish 29-of-41 passes for 279 yards, one landing and one interception.

“All three of them did a great job,” Payton stated.