INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts (1-0) have a chance at redemption on Sunday as they host the Denver Broncos (1-0) at Lucas Oil Stadium at 4:05 p.m. ET.
The two teams squared off late last season in Week 15. The Colts controlled the game through the first half, but a comedy of errors by them led to the Broncos blowing the game open in the second half en route to a 31-13 win. The game essentially ended the Colts' chances of making the postseason.
Both sides underwent significant changes over the course of the offseason, particularly the Colts, who entered win-now mode and made a slew of uncharacteristically aggressive moves. Both teams are also coming off of opening-week wins: the Colts over the Miami Dolphins, and the Broncos over the Tennessee Titans.
To find out more about what to expect from the Broncos' side of things, Colts Roundtable got in touch with Bob McCullough of Broncos Roundtable for a quick Q&A:
Colts Roundtable: What staples are there in a Sean Payton offense? The matchup between him and Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo seems to be intriguing because their system is based on countering their opponent rather than sticking to firm keys.
Broncos Roundtable: "The staples for Payton in this offense are motion. He did this for years with Drew Brees, and he’s doing it more with Bo Nix. Payton probably leaned into this too much against the Titans, so he’ll probably dial it back to protect Nix."
CRT: The Colts' offense did well in both the run and pass game last year by attacking the middle of the field, as well as the left side of Denver's defense. Are those still areas of concern?
BRT: "The left side is still to be determined because the Broncos swarmed Titans quarterback Cam Ward from all sides in their opener. The middle is definitely stronger, as safety Talanoa Hufanga was a tackling machine against Tennessee, and he added some much-needed toughness, as planned."
CRT: Is there a sneaky strength of the Broncos that people don't talk enough about?
BRT: "The sneaky strength is the running game. It’s real, even if Payton went away from it and hung Nix out to dry some. RJ Harvey looked explosive, but the key will be keeping J.K. Dobbins on the field."
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast, can be seen on WTHR+, and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.