It was a controversial, yet electric finish at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday as Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader was gifted a second opportunity to deliver a game-winning field goal from 45-yards out to defeat the Denver Broncos 29-28 in walk-off fashion. The Colts are out the gate to their first 2-0 start since their last Super Bowl appearance in 2009 and made history in the process, becoming the first team in NFL history to score on each of their first 10 possessions to begin a season.
The Colts (2-0) caught some monumental luck when the 42-yard try from Broncos kicker Will Lutz ricocheted off the right upright to give the Colts life before their final drive to complete the comeback. Indianapolis trailed 28-26 with just 3:15 left, but Steichen orchestrated a conservative final drive by feeding running back Jonathan Taylor on seven carries. Taylor continued to be Indy’s workhorse, rumbling for 165 rushing yards on 25 carries. The two-time Pro Bowl tailback added 50 receiving yards, including a 7-yard touchdown catch to gain a total of 215 scrimmage yards. It was the 25th career 100-yard rushing performance for Taylor, which broke the tie with Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson for the second-most all-time in franchise history.
With the mission hanging in the balance, Shrader trotted onto the field with just three seconds left to play. The tension began to build a mile high before the Colts lined up for what seemed like a desperate 60-yard attempt, but Broncos’ Dondrea Tillman was penalized for leveraging Colts’ Grover Stewart to vault himself in an attempt to block the kick that missed wide right. Instead of a missed kick that would have ended the game, the personal foul moved the ball 15 yards closer to the goal within Shrader’s range for another try. The Westfield-native made the Broncos pay and capped off his five field-goal performance by burying the game-winner to give the Colts their second win of the season.
Shrader’s steady leg connected on three field goals in the second half, including a 36-yarder in the third quarter, followed by a 28-yarder midway through the fourth to keep the Colts alive. Indianapolis avoided punting for the second consecutive week and Shrader, who still hasn’t missed a field goal in his NFL career, took advantage of a costly mistake to redeem himself and emerge as Sunday’s hero.
Quarterback Daniel Jones delivered another sharp performance in his second start with the Colts as the seventh-year veteran completed 23 of 34 passes for 316 yards and two total TDs. The Colts set the record for most consecutive scoring drives after Jones snuck into the end zone from 1-yard out for his third rushing TD to reclaim a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter.
The Broncos (1-1) fired their first punch to retaliate when quarterback Bo Nix found receiver Marvin Mims streaking into the back corner of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown to take a 7-3 lead. But each time the Broncos delivered a blow, Indianapolis had an answer. Jones engineered a crisp two-minute drill before halftime, which included launching a deep shot to receiver Alec Pierce for a 44-yard connection, followed by a designed screen to rookie tight end Tyler Warren for another 14-yard chunk gain before Taylor’s score cut the deficit to 21-20 before halftime.
The Broncos leaned on running back J.K. Dobbins for 76 rushing yards on 14 carries, including a score from 5-yards out to extend the Broncos lead to 28-20 in the third quarter. Denver missed two massive opportunities in the fourth quarter when safety Camryn Bynum terminated a potential Broncos’ scoring drive with an interception inside the red zone, plus the missed FG from Lutz.
Both teams hit the road for divisional matchups as the Colts travel to face the Tennessee Titans, while the Broncos visit the Los Angeles Chargers.
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