In his preseason debut, rookie quarterback Bo Nix led the Denver Broncos to a 34-30 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, directing four scoring drives. Nix, who was selected 12th overall in April’s NFL Draft, completed 15 of 21 passes for 125 yards, threw a touchdown pass, and added 17 rushing yards on three carries. His performance came before being replaced midway through the third quarter by Zach Wilson, a former New York Jets starter.
Veteran quarterback Jarrett Stidham started for Denver, completing 4 of 7 passes for 57 yards, but also threw an interception. Nix, in his first NFL appearance, appeared to make a strong case for Denver’s starting quarterback role.
“Bo Nix is just a great athlete, and I was so close to getting that dude,” Colts rookie Laiatu Latu remarked. “But I didn’t get him.”
Nix played efficiently, primarily against the Colts’ backup defense, and was instrumental in the Broncos’ victory.
For Indianapolis, the game marked the first appearance of second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson alongside 2021 NFL rushing champion Jonathan Taylor, following injuries that limited their play to just two snaps last season. The duo played two series but had limited success, with Richardson completing 2 of 4 passes for 25 yards and rushing once for 1 yard. Taylor managed two carries for 4 yards.
“We were talking about that in the locker room at halftime,” Richardson said. “We were kind of disappointed we didn’t get more reps than that. But there’s time for that.”
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco led the Colts to a field goal on his only series, completing 3 of 5 passes for 28 yards.
Nix broke a 3-3 tie late in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. Colts’ running back Evan Hull tied the score with a 1-yard touchdown run, but Nix set up a 27-yard field goal by Will Lutz, giving Denver a 13-10 lead just before halftime.
In the third quarter, Audric Estime’s 2-yard touchdown run extended Denver’s lead to 20-10. However, Colts cornerback Micah Abraham narrowed the gap to 20-17 by forcing a fumble from Estime and returning it 45 yards for a touchdown.
The Broncos secured their victory with a 6-yard touchdown run by Blake Watson with 5:55 remaining in the game.
Two Broncos rookies, Audric Estime and cornerback Reese Taylor, made their NFL debuts in Indiana. Estime, who played three seasons at Notre Dame, rushed 10 times for 31 yards. Taylor, a former Indiana Mr. Football and Purdue defensive back, made a tackle on a kickoff.
The Broncos saw tight end Lucas Krull leave the game in the third quarter with a toe injury after catching four passes for 31 yards. Cornerback Art Green also exited in the third quarter and was ruled out with a concussion.
For the Colts, backup running back Trey Sermon was sidelined with a left hamstring injury sustained during the first half. Defensive end Titus Leo, who was carted off the practice field earlier in training camp with a knee injury, also left the game after entering the injury tent in the second half. Running back Trent Penix exited with a groin injury.
The Broncos will host the Green Bay Packers next Sunday, while the Colts prepare to face the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday after two joint practices earlier in the week.
