Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Bo Nix, Broncos Offense Must BOUNCE BACK vs. Colts in Week 2

Episode Date: September 11, 2025

The Denver Broncos offense and starting quarterback Bo Nix must bounce back quickly with a tough matchup on the road against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. Cody Roark is a credentialed beat report...er for Mile High Sports and covers the Broncos daily in person. Sayre Bedinger is the site expert for Predominantly Orange. Both bring Broncos Country the most in-depth and objective coverage of the Denver Broncos. WANT MORE DAILY DENVER BRONCOS CONTENT?For all of the latest Denver Broncos news today -- Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBroncos?sid=YouTube Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL Follow on Twitter: @CodyRoarkNFL and @SayreBedingerFollow the show on Twitter: @LockedOnBroncos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!5-Hour ENERGYTee up that trip! Enter for a chance to win a dream golf trip for two to any golf tournament* in the USA. Visit https://5HEWIN.com for full rules and entry. No purchase necessary. Excludes the Master’s tournament. Ends October 31, 2025. DoorDashWith DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18. Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnfl for 50% off your first year. UpsideDon’t let this offer drive on by, download the free Upside app now using my limited time promo code TOUCHDOWN for a limited time 25 cent per gallon bonus! Offers vary by user and location, Go to upside.com for terms and conditions.Click Here to download the app: https://getupside.onelink.me/zlLr?af_xp=custom&pid=barrington&c=barrington_lockedon25&deep_link_value=promo&deep_link_sub1=lockedon25&af_dp=upsideapp%3A%2F%2F Yahoo FantasyPresented by YahooFantasy #YahooPartner. Draft now at https://yahoofantasy.com/lockedonnfl. PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuelRight now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 The Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos face off yet again in another showing for Peyton Manning's love. Let's get to it. You are Locked on NFL crossover. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day. Thank you for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day. This is a collab of your daily podcast covering the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos, part of Locked on podcast network. Your team every single day.
Starting point is 00:00:35 Crossover Thursday is presented by. by prize picks. Download the prize picks app today and use code locked on NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Hello everyone. Everyone. My name is Zach Hicks of Horsesuhdle.com and of course the Lockdown Colts podcast. I'm joined today by Sarah Bedinger of the Lock on Broncos podcast. And even though I tease in the opening, we're not going to sit here in debate who Peyton Manning belongs to. We can share. We can share. We got joint custody of Peyton or at least I'm going to argue for that there. But we got everything covered for you guys today.
Starting point is 00:01:09 We're going to talk all about the Colts and Broncos for this upcoming weekend. Talk about the biggest storylines, the biggest matchups and what the keys to victory are for these two teams. So, Sarah, since you are the guests and you're coming into Indy, what do you think is the biggest storyline for the Denver Broncos this week? Well, I think the biggest storyline for the Broncos is can the offense catch up to the defense at all? And is that even possible, right? because the defense for the Denver Broncos was outstanding in week one. Obviously, they got to Cam Ward six times, allow just 12 points, the fewest amount of yards of any defense in the entire NFL.
Starting point is 00:01:47 And of course, by comparison, if the offense struggles at all, it's going to be like, hey, why is the offense not doing its part? But to say they didn't do their part, that might be an understatement because the offense turned the ball over three times. You had a muffed punt for a fourth turnover. You had two turnovers on downs for the Broncos offense. just not a good game at all in week one. Didn't inspire much confidence in the fan base.
Starting point is 00:02:10 So the biggest question, the biggest storyline is, can that offense catch up against the Colts? Yeah, I think one thing to add to that too is last year we saw this Broncos offense, even though they put up 31 points against the Colts. It was another tough showing for Bo Nix in that game too. I think he had three first half interceptions against this Colts team and what was essentially a playoff game for both these two teams.
Starting point is 00:02:31 So getting that Broncos offense going, was it more, in your opinion, because of like Bo Nix's struggles or just the whole offense in general was out of sorts? It really felt like the whole offense was out of sorts, right? I mean, Bo Nix's mistakes came after other mistakes as well, right? You had a dropped potential touchdown by Tyler Badegh, a screen pass from about 20 or so yards out. I mean, he just had a clear path to the end zone, just dropped a screen pass. And that's the kind of stuff that you can't have because then when mistakes follow that, obviously then you're going back to that point.
Starting point is 00:03:03 You're saying, hey, if this was different, right? So Bo, I think tried to press a little bit too much on one of his interceptions, a little bit reckless with, you know, his mechanics and things like that. And you almost wonder, is he, is he just trying too much? Is he, you know, not trusting in his protection? What's the case there? But it just didn't feel like a clean operation. We were looking all last season for what's the easy button for the Denver offense, right?
Starting point is 00:03:27 And it didn't feel like we really found it at any point. and that was kind of the case against the Titans as well, didn't really feel like there was any sort of easy button for this team. Yeah, and I think when it comes to the Colts, I think that transitions really well here, because for the Colts, it's how much can this easy button last for this entire Colts team? Because week one, every aspect of that game was on easy mode for this Colts team.
Starting point is 00:03:50 They came out the gate fast, they went out and got three points right out the gate. They got the interception on the next drive, which they turned into seven points the other way. And then just from there, it was a dominant showing for this Indianapolis Colts team. And for a team that a lot of people expect to be a bottom five, bottom 10 team in football this year, how much of that first week is a mirage of week one just random occurrences?
Starting point is 00:04:14 Or is this what this Colts team is going to be? Are they going to be a competitive roster that can push for a playoff spot and maybe make a team like Denver sweat? So I just think the biggest storyline for the Colts is looking at the team in totality saying, how much can they ride this hot streak that they're going into this game after that week one dominant showing against Miami Dolphins. Right, because it's a lot of new pieces, right? It's a new defensive coordinator. It's a new starting quarterback after, you know, benching a first round pick
Starting point is 00:04:40 essentially and really getting this new era. While all the while, Shane Stuyken from the outside looking in, it almost feels like, hey, you entered this year kind of on the hot seat. If you're going to bench a former top five pick and put Daniel Jones out there, feels like you're a bit on the hot seat. But it just also felt like this Colts roster is way too good at a lot of different spots for them to be as bad as a lot of people are expecting. Was that something that you kind of anticipated going into week one as well of just saying,
Starting point is 00:05:08 hey, there's too many pieces. Like there's Michael Pittman Jr. There's Tyler Warren. Like Alec Pierce is the fourth guy in the pecking order at receiver. I mean, when you're that good and that deep at the skill positions and you make additions like Cam Bynum, which are various ward, who I know we're monitoring this week on the injury report, when you add guys like that to an already talented roster, I mean, yeah, what was your expectation going into this?
Starting point is 00:05:32 Because it feels like they should be competing. Yeah, I was not buying into the national narrative that they were going to be this bottom three, bottom four, bottom five team. I mean, you guys saw last year in Denver where, again, the Colts were trading punches with the Broncos, arguably we're going to win that game if Jonathan Taylor doesn't drop that ball at the goal line in what was essentially a playoff game. And that was with Richardson starting a quarterback with Flacco starting games last year. So I never bought into the notion that this team was going to be.
Starting point is 00:05:59 some bottom five team, but to be completely transparent, I didn't expect them to come out and win by 25 in week one either and have 100% of their offensive drives turn into points. So I think there is going to be a middle ground between those two aspects. But like you said, this is a talented Colts team. And anyone who thinks, you know, you can just look at this roster and say like, oh, Daniel Jones is starting quarterback. That's an easy win there. I think as long as Jones just operates like the point guard he did last week, this team is talented enough to compete with anybody, including the Broncos this week. I think it's going to be a very competitive game like it was through three quarters last
Starting point is 00:06:35 year between these two teams. And yeah, the Colts seem to have found their footing at least a little bit in week one. So both these teams kind of riding different vibes, I guess, going into week two, but both coming off of wins, which is really fun for both of them. So we'll see what if like the Broncos' offense can figure it out, if the Colts can just maintain what they're doing. But yeah, these are pretty impressive storylines for both these teams going into week two. Yeah, it's really exciting because it's an opportunity for both of these teams to get two early AFC wins.
Starting point is 00:07:05 We're talking about two teams that last year. I mean, yeah, it was really on the line in that game that they played, which wasn't like at the very end of the – I mean, it was at the end of the regular season. But it wasn't like we're talking week 17 and 18. I mean, that game had playoff implications, you know, near the end of the season. But if these two teams can get off to two and those starts both against AFC opponents and get those wins under your belt, that's going to pay off huge because it, gives you that margin for error later in the year to say, all right, yeah, we're going through a cold spell just like every team does at some point seemingly. You know, you have that built in, okay, yeah, we got those two wins early in the year. How big does that feel now? That's where I think
Starting point is 00:07:43 the stakes are so much higher in this type of a game early in the season is knowing that these aFC wins over the past couple of seasons, they've mattered so much later in the year. Yeah, no for sure. And I always hear, I think Bill Belichick was the one who coined this where September is the extended preseason where you're still figuring yourself out as a team, figuring yourself out as a roster, but with it being extended preseason, these games still count. So even if you're still finding your soul, finding out who you're going to be, you want to come out of this month three and one, four and oh, even two and two, whatever it's going to be to give yourself that margin of error later in the season.
Starting point is 00:08:19 Because when you hit those cold streaks, when the injuries pile up, you want to just stack those wins when you're healthy early in the year so you can survive the grueling part. of the season, get into the playoffs, and once you get in the playoffs, anyone has a chance. Well, maybe not in the AFC the last couple years, but hopefully going forward, anyone has a chance when you get to the playoffs. So, yeah, I think just getting these September wins are vital for both of these teams. But coming up, guys, we're going to continue this conversation on Colts and Broncos. We're going to talk about the most crucial matchups and how I think for both of these teams, it's going to come down to the trenches like it always does in the NFL.
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Starting point is 00:10:37 No purchase necessary, excluding the Masters tournament ends October 31st, 2025. Already, locked on everydayers. We are back with our Colts and Broncos preview. I am Zach Hicks, joined by Sarah Bettinger of Locked on Broncos. And now we're going to dive into the most crucial matchups for this weekend. So Sarah, again, you are my guests here. We're going to be cordial on this show. Western hospitality. What do you got here as your key matchup that you're looking for?
Starting point is 00:11:07 Well, I'm looking straight at the Colts skill players versus the Broncos defensive backs. And I'll lump in the linebackers there as well because we know Tyler Warren was one of the highest graded players out of any rookie in the league, out of any tight end in the league in week one. And he is exactly what Sean Payton refers to. So many Broncos fans have been hearing this term, Joker. Tyler Warren is a Joker. He can get handed the ball out of the backfield. You can give him the ball on a screen.
Starting point is 00:11:34 You can run him up the team. You can do any sorts of things that you want to with him. And it really dictates everything else for a defense. And yeah, the Broncos have guys who can match up one on one pretty much anybody. Pat Sertan, he can guard anybody. Riley Moss, we saw in week one, man, he can guard anybody when he's healthy. Jekwon Macmillan made plays. Jada Baron made plays.
Starting point is 00:11:55 But this week, we could be getting Dre Greenlaw and his debut for the Denver Broncos. We'll see what happens over the course of the week, but obviously one of their biggest additions this offseason, man, it just feels like that's the missing piece for this. And Justin Sernod played extremely well. But a guy like Drey Greenlaw is considered a top five player at his position. You get him back. It brings that toughness to your defense,
Starting point is 00:12:18 continues to make it feel like you've got more than 11 guys out there. If he can be healthy for this game, I feel like that's a huge matchup to watch. Yeah, this Denver Broncos defense is a fascinating one to say. study because it's not one of those defenses that leans too heavily on either the pass rush or past coverage like we see across the league where some teams just have a dominant front four and that front four carries the defense others have that dominant secondary but if you look at the broncos they hit that key that you're looking for across the defense where you have an impact player at each
Starting point is 00:12:49 level of the defense and once green laws comes back if it's going to be this week or next week whenever it's going to be they have true impact players at all levels of the defense and that's not just kind of impact guys. It's like true impact players like Sartan and and Bonito, who you didn't even mention there because you talked about the secondary. It's a good defense overall. And this cold skill position group, I think, is going to be a good test for them, especially with Tyler Warren, like you mentioned, where the Colts in week one went out of their way to get the ball to Tyler Warren in terms of play action bootlegs, throwing it to him in the flat to using him against zone beaters and blitz beaters over the middle and then the occasional deep ball down the sideline. And I
Starting point is 00:13:29 think the fun part is we still haven't seen enough of him at fullback. We still haven't seen enough of him at Wildcat quarterback, which I think we're going to get some of this year. So we might see even more wrinkles with that joker player that you mentioned there. Yeah, that's exciting too for a player like him to be able to come into the NFL and do that right away. They're just, they're putting a lot on his plate. And like you said with Daniel Jones earlier in the show, you know, that allows him to be
Starting point is 00:13:51 that point guard out there as opposed to feeling like you got to carry the weight of this offense on your shoulders. Like you've got to go make these big plays. no, you've got guys that can make place for you. Just get the ball into their hands. Just be on time, be accurate, make good decisions, take sacks when you need to, but also push when you need to. And you have the opportunity to sort of dictate the pace of a game,
Starting point is 00:14:12 even against a defense like this to where you're just, hey, we can pick you apart with zone beaters. We can pick you apart. If you're going to blitz from over here, we'll throw it right out where you blitzing from. You know what I'm saying? So that's a thing for this Colts team, I think, to watch for in this game is the Broncos could have given up a lot more plays against the Titans.
Starting point is 00:14:29 Titans dropped a lot of passes. And, you know, you hate to say, well, they got lucky in the second half, but because the defense was dominant, I don't want to take away from that. But if the Colts aren't dropping a bunch of passes, you're going to be giving up a lot more than 12 points. Yeah, no, for sure. You're going to give up that to anybody, not just the Colts, but to anyone if they're not, if you're relying on drop passes.
Starting point is 00:14:47 So that's really excellent analysis there with that week one game. I'm going to go to the other side of the ball because you handled a lot of that side there. The other side of the ball, the Colts defense is coming off a game against the Miami Dolphins where they had such a distinct game plan for Tua in that Dolphins offense where it was in true passing situations we're going to drop eight guys into coverage because Tua is still going to throw that ball quick. So who cares about getting the pass rush? That ball is going to come out quick regardless. Let's drop eight into coverage. We're going to mix in some corner blitzes, mix in some safety blitzes.
Starting point is 00:15:17 And it was the perfectly crafted game plan for the Dolphins. That exact game plan is not going to work against the Denver Broncos. Bo Nix is fine with scrambling around. I mean, he wants to get the ball out quick, too. Don't get me wrong. But Bo Nix is not Tua where he has to be the point guard. He can be the playmaker as well. So you can't just drop eight guys into coverage.
Starting point is 00:15:36 So the biggest matchup for me is can this Colts defensive line generate pressure in week two? Can they generate pressure with four, maybe with five? Because this Denver Broncos O line is one of the best in football, one of the best past blocking offensive lines the last two years in the league. Have some really great players like Garrett Bowles, Quinn Minerts, just fantastic players. And Bo Nix is good at evading pressure and getting the ball out.
Starting point is 00:15:58 So I think for this Colts defense to have that same success they had in week one, it's going to come down to generating more pressure. They didn't have to pressure Tua much because Tua, I guess, puts pressure on himself just to get that ball out quick. But with Bo Nix, again, Bo Nix, if you drop eight guys into coverage,
Starting point is 00:16:14 he'll scramble. He'll run for 50, 60 yards in the game that Tua won't do. So that same game plan is not going to work. They're going to have to change this up a little bit, maybe do some more man coverage concepts. I'm curious to see what Lou Aniromo has, but again, how do they craft this game plan for him and how did they get pressure on Bo Nix? Because that's going to be more important this week.
Starting point is 00:16:34 Yeah, 100%. You're right. Exactly. And I think with Bo Nix, there's this misconception out there that he really is a checkdown guy or, you know, really the only thing that he excels at is the short passing game. I think it's kind of the opposite. Like, he really excels pushing the ball downfield. Does he always make the right decision? No, but Sean Payton calls a ton of longer developing pass plays deep in routes over the middle of the field that he relies on that pass protection that you're talking about. He relies on guys clearing things out deep down the field to take those shot plays. Because the short passing game is part of what they do, it's not just an extension of the run game, though.
Starting point is 00:17:14 The Broncos really believe in guys like Marvin Mims after the catch, Troy Franklin after the catch. but they want to push the ball vertically as well. And they will do that a lot in this game to open up the running game. And I think that's the thing for Denver offensively, that matchup, can you run the ball against this Colts defense, whatever they're throwing at you? Because they've struggled to run the ball effectively up until the fourth quarter against the Titans. They could not do it. So that offensive line versus the Colts defensive line,
Starting point is 00:17:40 are you going to be able to get that push? Are you going to be able to create the running lanes for your backs out there? That's going to be huge in week two. Yeah, I think that's another good additional one throw here. at the end of the segment where just the running game for the Broncos offense versus the Colts defense because the Colts defense did struggle to stop the run last week. But again, for my money, I think Devon A. Chan is one of the best runners in football. I mean, you guys saw that a couple years ago with that 70 point just explosion that they had.
Starting point is 00:18:07 A. Chan is a special, special talent. So it's hard for me to look at that game and say, this is what the Colts run defense is going to look. Although I do have some concerns because they're going to be a nickel or dime 90 plus percent of the time. So these are going to be favorable boxes for the Broncos to run into. The Colts need to be on their peas and cues when it comes to run fits, but the Broncos have an opportunity to exploit that. So I'm really curious to see what direction the running game goes for the Broncos, because J.K. Dobbins is not A. Chan.
Starting point is 00:18:34 Now, RJ Harvey has a little bit of explosiveness to him, a little bit of a boost to his game. But again, he's probably not the same as A. Chan even. So do the Colts contain the run a little bit better? Do they win at the point of attack? Or do the Broncos finally get their running game going in week two? Yeah, that's going to be really fun. watch because you're right. I mean, not everybody is A-chan. He's a special player and he's got
Starting point is 00:18:53 special speed, special vision. But yeah, the Broncos do have a couple of guys that provide something different than obviously what Javante Williams brought to the table the past couple of years. A major disappointment had just 26 rushing yards or 26, excuse me, 66 rushing yards on 26 attempts over his final six games with the team last season. I mean, that's, that was their running back one last year. And so now you've got guys like Dobbin. who can break tackles and RJ Harvey who can make guys miss. That really helped this team seal the deal against the Titans in week one. Can they actually get it going early in the game, though?
Starting point is 00:19:29 That'll be the bigger question. Yeah, for sure. In the NFL, it's all about winning in the trenches. Both these teams want to win up front. They want to dominate on the ground and set things up for the passing game. So look, we can say this every single week in the NFL. Whoever wins the trenches is going to win the game. But I think that approves doubly right here with this game against the Colts and Broncos.
Starting point is 00:19:48 But coming up, guys, we are going to close out this show by talking about our keys to victory for both teams and how, again, these trench play is going to really come down to it for both of these teams. But first, the NFL season is almost here, and Fanduil is making sure that you're ready for kickoff with a can't miss offer. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your first bet wins, you get $300 in bonus vets to use across the app. I love using Fandul because it just fits however you want to bet. You got player props, you got building the same game parlay, or even got jumping in. the live as the live action unfolds.
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Starting point is 00:20:36 That's fandle.com to place your first $5 bet. All righty, locked on Colts, locked on Broncos, fans, we are back yet again to close out this show talking all about this big matchup this weekend. Again, the big key to victory is just getting Peyton Manning back to Indy. But I promise I won't talk about that too much more here on this show here. But Sarah Bettinger from Lockdown Broncos, give me your most important keys to win this game. Yeah, absolutely.
Starting point is 00:21:06 So I think key number one is going to be Bo Nix playing mistake-free football. I think that's going to be huge for this Broncos team. Obviously, we talked about the turnovers last week. I felt like they had seven plays or seven instances in this game where they deliberately set the opposing team up with points. You just can't, you're not going to win very often in the NFL doing that. So Bo Nix with three turnovers in specific, you've got to be more efficient with the football. I think rushing the passer is always one of my top keys to victory. We did not see Daniel Jones with too dirty of a uniform after that game against the
Starting point is 00:21:39 Dolphins. So can you hit him? Can you get to him? Can you create pressure that causes him to make too fast of decisions with the football? I think that's going to be key. And then as you mentioned, the trenches dominating on the offensive side. of the ball and really establishing early on, hey, we're not just going to run the ball for the sake of doing it. We're going to run the ball because that's how we want to dictate the entire pace of this game. So I think those are my three keys to victory. Bow Nix playing efficient, get after the quarterback and run the ball early for the Denver Broncos. Love it.
Starting point is 00:22:09 Love it. I think that is very important. Now, for the Colts, it's just the three keys are to do the opposite of all those things, make those three things part of the Colts. But now, to go into exactly what mine are. I think the first one here for the offense with Daniel Jones, we saw a lot of success. last week. Again, points on 100% of their offensive drives. That's not sustainable. You're not going to do that against the Denver Broncos. But keep the offense ahead of schedule. Keep things positive.
Starting point is 00:22:33 Even if you're going to have a minimal gain on the play, make sure it's a gain on the play. So keep that success rate high. Get out of third and 10, out of third and 12, because this Broncos defense will make you pay if you're in third and 12, third and 14, third and 15. It's hard to convert those in the NFL, but especially against this type of defense. Going to the offensive, line continue pitching that perfect game that they basically pitched in week one two new starters on the interior tanner bordellini mcdon solvice i thought they were fantastic and the miami dolphins tested them all game long 51% blitz rate in week one daniel jones uh was what pressured six times hit once and sacked once that is a fantastic showing from young players on the interior keep that
Starting point is 00:23:15 going against some really good players on this on this broncos defensive line zach allen nick benito they're paid handsomely because they are great players. And then on the other side of the ball, force Bow Nix into turnover. So I guess I really am doing the opposite of your first one there. Where, you know, again, this Colts team was able to take a lead early last year and be on the cusp of putting it into a big deficit
Starting point is 00:23:37 because they forced turnovers. They forced those turnovers, made Bo Nix antsy in the pocket. And he, you know, threw some pretty boneheaded picks. And the game didn't swing back in the other direction until the Colts started turning the ball over from fumble, to interceptions to, again, whatever happened with A.D. Mitchell and Jonathan Taylor in that game.
Starting point is 00:23:56 It was a crazy one. But force those turnovers early on Bo Nix, getting his head, and develop that lead early. And then the Colts can just get into their game plan. So for me, again, on offense, keep that success rate high, keep the ball moving forward at all times, avoid the negative plays and penalties. O-line, keep doing what you're doing. Please give me a repeat of week one. And then on defensive, close this out. I really just need this Colts team to force those turners. They force three on Tua pretty early in the last game. Can they do the same thing with Bo Nix? That's going to be the key to victory in this one. Yeah, absolutely.
Starting point is 00:24:29 The Broncos, we talked about this in last week's crossover too, but the Broncos aren't even very good when they are even in the turnover battle. I mean, they are still, they have a pretty significant losing record under Sean Payton when they're just, hey, we're matching whether we turn the ball over the same number of times or whether it's zero, zero, it doesn't matter. They don't have a great record when they're not forcing the issue, when they're not the ones that are winning the turnover battle.
Starting point is 00:24:55 So that's always key in the NFL. Obviously, you want to take care of the football, you want to play ball control, you want to create long fields for the opposing team. When you're giving the ball away, you're giving extra opportunities to a team, like the Colts that you said, 100% success rate in terms of scoring the football when they had chances.
Starting point is 00:25:13 So, yeah, I think that's a huge thing in this. game is not just taking care of the ball, but actively taking it away from the other team. That's where the newcomers for Denver are going to be huge. Talano Hufanga, force a fumble in week one. If Dre Greenlaw plays this week, Jadee Barron had a fumble recovery. So the newcomers for Denver's defense making an impact in that way already. Absolutely. And, Sarah, you're getting my dog all excited here.
Starting point is 00:25:38 I love it. Everything you're saying here. Yes. But yeah, before we get out of here, though, I don't know if we want to make a full score prediction here, Sarah. But one prediction I want to make is I think the kicking battle is going to be big in this one. And you guys know from Lockdown Colts, I hate talking kickers. But when you have defensive coordinators like this and talented defenses, I think the Colts defense is pretty underrated.
Starting point is 00:25:58 They're not Broncos level, but I think they're going to be a pretty good showing this week. I think the kicking battle is going to be pretty big for both these teams because I think a lot of this game is going to be about who can get to 20 points first. Who can get around 20 points first. It might be a little bit of a slug fest of the early season game. So I think the kicking battle is going to be pretty big in this one. Yeah, it is. That's another area where you can't really afford to have missed opportunities, right? If you're missing field goals in this game, it's just like a turnover.
Starting point is 00:26:25 You're setting the other team up with great field position. So, yeah, the kicking game, Will Lutz has been very good for the Broncos. Of course, last year had a block kick against Kansas City that lives in everybody's minds rent free at this point. But also a rookie punter. I mean, the Broncos rookie punter, Jeremy Croshaw was awesome in week one after a terrible preseason. So we'll see how he can do on the road, you know, for the first time here going up against the Colts. He helped pin cam more deep, which is what the Broncos defense needed, long fields to work with. Can you do that against the Colts once again? Yeah, that's another big part of this game is
Starting point is 00:26:58 just that field position because with the new kickoff rule, teams are returning the ball out to the 45, 50 yard line sometimes. So that field position would big. So when you do decide to punt it, can you get that offense starting in their own 10 within their own five? We could go on for another half hour, about special teams here because we're both nerds like that, Sarah. But to all you guys listening from Locked on Coles, locked on Broncos, make sure you're tuning into our shows,
Starting point is 00:27:21 the rest of the week to really break down this matchup between the two teams. I think it's going to be a really exciting weekend. And look, for me, I'm expecting more of a lower scoring game. Are you in the same boat there, Sarah? Or do you think it's going to be offensive explosion somehow? I like what you said about first to 20.
Starting point is 00:27:37 You know, first to 20 should be pretty in the clear in this game because, yeah, the Broncos still figuring things out. out if we see an offensive explosion from them, I think it would be rather unexpected. But I go into every crossover saying this. So I don't want your listeners to get upset with me. The Broncos are 17 and 0 until they ain't, right?
Starting point is 00:27:55 And I know that cold fans feel the same way. It's 17 and no until we ain't. So we'll see what happens. But I like what you said. First to 20 in this game seems right. Yep. Two undefeated teams squaring off this season, both with positive point differentials. I mean, these are powerhouses right now in the league, the Colts and the
Starting point is 00:28:13 Broncos. Make sure you guys are excited to tune in this weekend on Sunday afternoon. So afternoon game for Colts fans on Eastern Time Zone. Really fun game coming up. We do want to thank you guys, though, for making Locked on Colts and Locked on Broncos, your first listen today. The NFL season is finally here. So if your next listen, get a double dose of Locked on NFL podcast. Tyler Madman Rowland gives you a shot of espresso to start your football day.
Starting point is 00:28:36 While Tony Wiggins takes you to the barbershop for the smoothest breakdowns to end the day. Find Locked on NFL on YouTube wherever you list of your podcast. If you guys don't already, make sure you're following us on socials at Zach Hicks 2 and at Sarah Bettinger. We make it very easy for you guys to find us on socials there. And subscribe to us on YouTube as well wherever you get your podcast. We'll have a great day. And you guys will see you back here on our respective shows tomorrow.

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