Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - CROSSOVER: Indianapolis Colts, Daniel Jones Can Establish Credibility vs. Denver Broncos, Bo Nix
Episode Date: September 11, 2025The Indianapolis Colts host the Denver Broncos on Sunday in a game featuring a ton of intrigue. Colts QB Daniel Jones looks to continue his explosive start, while Broncos QB Bo Nix looks for a rebound....Colts HC Shane Steichen faces Broncos DC Vance Joseph, while Colts DC Lou Anarumo gives Broncos HC Sean Payton his best shot.What are the main storylines, key matchups, and biggest factors in winning for the Colts vs. the Broncos in Week 2?Sayre Bedinger (@SayreBedinger) of Locked On Broncos joins for Crossover Thursday! Become a Locked On Colts insider! Ask your burning questions and get prompt answers from someone who's around the team every day! Get special access from the locker room, practice field, and press box! JOIN HERE! Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-colts/📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nfl/ Follow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOn_SI, as well on TikTok and Instagram! Crossover Thursday is presented by PrizePicks. Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. 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%2FYahoo 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 non-withdrawable free bets that expire 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)
Transcript
Discussion (0)
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.
collab of your daily podcast covering the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos part of
locked on podcast network your team every single day crossover Thursday is presented 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 horseshoe huddle.com and of course the locked on Colts podcast I'm joined today by
Sarah Bedinger of the locked 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. 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.
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 turns,
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. So the biggest question, the biggest storyline is, can that offense
catch up against the Colts? Yeah, and 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. 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.
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? And 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. They were, 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? 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 it's the 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 essentially and really getting this new era. While all the while,
Shane Steichen from the outside looking in, it almost feels like, hey, you enter 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, 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?
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
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 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.
it 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.
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 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 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 of 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
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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All right, locked on every dayers.
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.
Midwestern hospitality.
What do you got here as your key matchup that you're looking for?
Well, I'm looking straight at the Colts skill players versus the Broncos' defense.
Offensive 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 Peyton refers to when 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. 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.
Jaquan Macmillan made plays, Jadae Barron made plays.
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, 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 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 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 Sir Tan and Bonito, who you didn't even
mention there because you talked about the secondary. It's a good defense overall. And this
Colts 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 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 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, 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.
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 you're relying on drop passes.
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. 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. So the biggest match.
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 Bulls Quinn Minards just fantastic players and
Bo Nix is good at evading pressure and getting the ball out 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, 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 Anerumo 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.
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 down field. Does he always make the right decision? No. But Sean Peyton calls a ton of longer developing past plays deep in routes over the middle of the field that he relies on that 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 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 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 to 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 chand is
one of the best runners in football you i mean you guys saw that a couple years ago with that 70
point, just explosion that they had.
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.
Now, R.J. 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 Achan, 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 to watch because you're right.
I mean, not everybody is A. Chan.
He's a special player and he's got special speed, special vision.
But yeah, the Broncos do have a couple of guys that provide something different than obviously what Giovante Williams brought to the table the past couple of years.
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 Dobbins 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? 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 NFL. Whoever wins the trench is going
to win the game. But I think that approves doubly right here with this game against the Colts and
Broncos. 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.
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Already, 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. 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 talk 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 Knicks 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
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.
Bo Nix playing efficient, get after the quarterback, and run the ball early for the
Denver Broncos.
Love it.
Love it.
I think that is very important.
Now, for the Colts, it's just the three keys or 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.
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 3rd and 10, out of 3rd and 12,
because this Broncos defense will make you pay
if you're in 3rd and 12, 3rd and 14, 3rd 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, Mack and saw this.
I thought they were fantastic.
And the Miami Dolphins tested them all game long, 51% blitz rate in week one.
Daniel Jones was what, pressured six times, hit once and sacked once.
That is a fantastic showing from young players on the interior.
Keep that going against some really good players 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 Bo 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
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 turned the ball over from Fump.
to interceptions to, again, whatever happened with A.D. Mitchell and Jonathan Taylor in that
game. 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 defense to close this out, I really just need this colds team to
force those turners.
They forced 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.
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.
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.
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 to fumble in week one.
If Dre Greenlaw plays this week,
Jadae 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.
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. You guys know from Locked on Colts, I hate talking kickers. But when you have
defensive coordinators like this and talented defenses, I think the Colts defense is pretty
underrated talent. 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 about, 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 an 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.
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, you know, 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 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 talking 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 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.
You know, first to 20 should be pretty in the clear in this game because, yeah,
the Broncos still figuring things 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?
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 Brumns.
Broncos. Make sure you guys are excited to tune in this weekend on Sunday afternoon. Afternoon game for Colts fans on Eastern Time Zone. A 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 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.
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We'll have a great day.
And you guys will see you back here on our respective shows tomorrow.