Colts Vs. Broncos Score: Ramírez And Vásquez Help Denver Escape With A 31-24 Victory!

Peyton Manning had to wait 322 days before playing the team he spent eleven years of his career with...It was well worth the wait.

Manning threw three touchdowns to tight end Julius Thomas as Manning and the Broncos got revenge on the first team to beat them last season 31-24 on Sunday Night Football in Denver. Manning played with a chip on his shoulder for most of the game, as he started on fire for the hometown team. On their first four possessions, the Broncos had a field goal, and three touchdowns.

The Colts, led by Manning’s heir apparent, Andrew Luck mounted a second half comeback as they outscored the Broncos 24-7 after giving up 24 straight points to Denver in the first half. Luck finished the game 35 for 53 for 370 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Luck also had 19 yards rushing and a 9 yard rushing touchdown for good measure. It was not enough however, as the Colts came up just short on the opening game for both teams.

With Manning’s favorite target Wes Welker, out with a four-game PED suspension for taking an Adderall, Manning found “Orange” Julius Thomas early and often for all of his passing touchdowns in the game. Thomas, a former college basketball player at Portland State, had a hat-trick of touchdowns through two quarters until the Colts began to double team him in the second half, forcing Manning to beat them in other ways.

“He’s phenomenal.” Thomas said of Manning, “What he does is amazing.”

Despite his amazing first half, Manning was pedestrian in the second half as the Colts mounted their comeback. Manning had no touchdowns in the second half, with the only score coming on a three yard rushing touchdown by Montee Ball. Manning finished the night 22 of 36 for 269 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“I thought we (the offense) got off to a good start, I think what happens a lot on opening night is you kinda come out a little sluggish. That is not what we did. We came out really fast. Our problem is in the second half, we got a little sluggish. Had a bad first series in the second half and it stayed with us throughout the second half so we have to find a way to correct that and play all four quarters.” Said Manning after the game.

The Broncos Latino stars Manny Ramírez and Louis Vásquez played phenomenal in the win, creating open running lanes for Ball and keeping Manning’s jersey clean all night as he had plenty of time to throw in the pocket. The Mexican-American linemen were talked about often by NBC broadcasters Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth who called Vasquez “a very intelligent football player who knows how to create angles.”

The Colts had multiple opportunities to win the game, including a 4^th and goal QB sneak call that was thwarted by the Broncos defense at the start of the third quarter. Even with Denver’s goal line stand, the Colts had the ball with just under three minutes left to play and drove into Broncos territory, before Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby broke up a 4^th and 6 pass intended for Reggie Wayne to seal the victory.

Game Notes:
By defeating his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, Manning joined Brett Favre as the only two quarterbacks to defeat every NFL team in their careers. The Broncos victory snaps the Colts six game winning streak against Denver.