DENVER (AP) — Linebacker Nik Bonitto foiled a trick play by stepping in front of quarterback Anthony Richardson and hijacking Adonai Mitchell’s lateral pass, then racing 50 yards for a touchdown Sunday that sealed the Denver Broncos’ 31-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
With five takeaways, the Broncos (9-5) strengthened their grip on an AFC wild-card berth that would end a playoff drought dating to 2016. They began defense of their Super Bowl 50 title that season with a 4-0 start, which was the last time they sat four games above .500.
The Colts (6-8) blew both an early 10-0 lead and a big opportunity to tighten the AFC wild-card race.
A big reason was the tide-turning blunder by running back Jonathan Taylor, who dropped the ball milliseconds before crossing the goal line on what would have been a 41-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Instead of lining up for the extra point to give the Colts a 20-7 lead, the touchback left the reeling Colts clinging to a six-point edge they would soon relinquish — and in such a big way.
Denver had just taken its first lead of the game on Bo Nix’s 15-yard touchdown toss to tight end Nate Adkins that made it 17-13 when Bonitto scored his second touchdown in two games.
Bonitto, who had a pick-6 against Cleveland before Denver’s bye week, was in full stride when he caught Mitchell’s pass — which was officially recorded as a fumble recovery because it was a backward pass.
Denver’s defense was determined to atone after allowing Jameis Winston to throw for nearly 500 yards two weeks ago and they came up with five takeaways that more than made up for Nix’s first three-interception game of his rookie season.
One of Denver’s interceptions was by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who limped to the sideline tent with a sprained right ankle. He went back in the game but was helped off the field just before the 2-minute warning after seemingly aggravating the injury.
The Broncos’ barrage of points started with Wil Lutz’s 44-yard field goal that pulled Denver to 13-10 after the teams exchanged turnovers on back-to-back plays.
Adkins’ TD put the Broncos ahead for good, Bonitto had his defensive touchdown and Nix threw a 20-yard TD pass to Courtland Sutton after the Colts’ neutral zone infraction on a field goal gave Denver’s drive new life.
Richardson completed just five of 17 passes for 56 yards in the first half with no touchdowns and an interception for a paltry 16.3 passer rating. And one of those completions was to himself — and in his own end zone after Jonah Ellis batted down his throw. Yet, the Colts took a 13-7 lead into the locker room.
Twice converting on third-and-10, the Colts took a 7-0 lead when Richardson raced around the right side for a 23-yard touchdown run on the game’s opening drive.
Denver’s first drive ended when linebacker Zaire Franklin intercepted Nix’s pass, which led to a 37-yard field goal by Matt Gay for a stadium-silencing 10-0 lead.
Nix threw a 13-yard dart to tight end Adam Trautman to make it 10-7, but twice in the final five minutes of the first half the Broncos went three-and-out and Anthony Gould’s 36-yard punt return across midfield set up Gay for a 49-yard field goal that gave Indianapolis a six-point cushion at halftime.
Both of these AFC wild-card contenders were coming off a bye week and both looked more rusted than rested.
The Colts outgained the Broncos 122 yards to 32 in the first quarter, but managed just 34 yards in the second quarter when they went 0 for 4 on third down. The Broncos managed a meager 93 yards of offense in the first half
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Colts WR Alec Pierce sustained a concussion in the closing seconds of the second quarter when rookie Kris Abrams-Draine, starting in the nickel in place of Levi Wallace, slammed into Pierce while breaking up a pass in the end zone with 10 seconds left.
Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz (shoulder) and RB Jaleel McLaughlin (thigh) both left late in the third quarter. Surtain got hurt in the fourth, as did DT D.J. Jones (finger).
Up next
Colts: Host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Broncos: Visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night.
