Indianapolis Colts vs Denver Broncos: Beyond the Box Score

Sep 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) reaches the ball over the goal line for a touchdown during the first half against the against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

While the Indianapolis Colts (0-1) may have dropped their first game to the Denver Broncos (1-0) on the road 31-24, the Colts team that was displayed at Mile High showed they would not go down without a fight.

The Colts’ second-half push was astounding, but not really surprising. If there was anything that the Colts have shown under Andrew Luck, it’s that they are strictly a second-half team proven by tonight’s nearly complete comeback. Luck outperformed Manning in the second half and showed the spirit that has made him so popular in Indianapolis.

It wasn’t a win, but Colts fans can take solace in the fact that this team can go toe-too-toe with the best on the road.

Here’s some other things I saw in Sunday night’s game:

What ACL?: Reggie Wayne had a great night, posting nine receptions for 98 yards, both team highs for the Colts. Wayne looked like the #87 of old and didn’t show any signs of age or deterioration after a torn ACL against the Broncos last season. He has reemerged as Luck’s favorite target in the passing game and still has the possession hands that made him famous. He was matched against rookie CB Bradley Roby for most of the night and took advantage of the young player (other than on the 4th-and-6 play to end the game in which Roby had the upper hand). It’s a good sight to have Wayne back on the field and making catches against a solid defense. He looked good.

Do we really need to run?: But seriously. The Colts had only 10 designed runs on the day and 8 were in the first half. The Colts just look like a better team when they don’t have to waste a down on a run that’s not going to go anywhere. While Richardson did have a better game than his 3.3 YPC suggests, both him and Ahmad Bradshaw had great games catching out of the backfield. Bradshaw posted 70 yards on five receptions for the Colts and was a pivotal cog in moving the ball near the end of the game. I realize that Pep Hamilton wants to establish the run game, but it has to be realized that the interior of the line just isn’t geared to handle that kind of responsibility. Mewhort is still young and raw, Shipley doesn’t have experience on the team and fans are starting to notice that Hugh Thornton really isn’t good.

Safety is a BIG problem: It’s no surprise to anyone that LaRon Landry had the worst game of any Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. He was beaten deep in coverage way too many times and allowed way too many completions on his watch. He may have been going against the best quarterback in the game, but most of those issues were strictly on Landry. Mike Adams was decent in run coverage, but had some issues in deep coverage as well. Safety has quickly become a gigantic concern with Sergio Brown temporarily out. The Colts may have to experiment with different combinations in practice or look elsewhere for safety help, because this is very obviously the biggest problem on the Colts’ roster at the moment.

Life without Mathis: We knew this was going to be an issue since Robert Mathis was handed his suspension, but no Colts stepped up in his absence. The Broncos’ offensive line blocked extremely well against the Colts and the defense couldn’t get Manning on the ground until the fourth quarter when Walden was able to take down the Broncos’ quarterback. Bjoern Werner was nonexistent in this game and was swallowed up by Ryan Clady almost every play. The interior linemen played well against the run but didn’t get much budge in the passing game (though it doesn’t help that Manning releases the ball in less than two seconds nearly every play). This was the biggest game of the non-Mathis schedule, but it’s a cause for concern going forward.

Penalties: It might be the NFL’s tendency to throw more flags nowadays, but the Colts gave away too many first downs by penalties, including some in big moments. This is certainly not the brand of Colts football that worked so well last year. Nine penalties will not sit well with Coach Pagano and there’s a good chance that these Colts will be grilled in the locker room before next Monday’s tilt against the Eagles.

Offensive Problems: T.Y. Hilton was supposed to be the next major receiver in the NFL; he responds to the hype surrounding him with a meager 41-yard opening statement that included a drop. The Broncos made it a priority to stop Hilton and he wasn’t targeted as much as the end of last year, but Hilton had opportunities that he didn’t make the most of. The Colts’ tight ends also had some trouble in this game; while Dwayne Allen grabbed a huge touchdown for the Colts, the supposed rapport between Luck, Allen and Coby Fleener just wasn’t present. Couple that with 54 yards on the ground and this offense has some questions to address throughout the week.

The Colts now travel home with a long week ahead of them as they prepare for the Eagles coming to town on Monday. After almost nearly laying a dud in the national spotlight Sunday evening, don’t count on this team giving away a game against a tough NFC opponent.

Andrew Luck ensures that.