NFL 2022-23 Thursday Night Football Preview Week 5: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos

   

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Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1) at Denver Broncos (2-2)

The two teams that used to have Peyton Manning square off here. Both teams had high hopes for a strong season, but after four games each, both are struggling and looking far more shaky than most people expected from either team.

For what it's worth, the Broncos have been the more impressive of the two teams thus far, with two wins and two losses. They would seem to have the superior talent of the two teams, most likely, as well. And despite how shaky they have appeared so far, they nevertheless are only one game back to the division leading Chiefs in the AFC West, and tied with the Chargers for second place.

As for Indy, they really have looked far more shaky than expected. They very nearly dropped their first game against the still winless Houston Texans, and managed to salvage a tie, not a win. Now, the Colts did manage a win, and it was a surprising one, too. They are the only team so far this season to have beaten Kansas City, and so they did Denver a favor there. But getting shut out against Jacksonville a few weeks back, plus losing to the Titans last weekend, means that they are winless within their division. In short, they have to do better. Yet, despite how badly they have played, they are even closer to the division lead in the AFC South than the Broncos are in the AFC West, as they are only half a game out, trailing the Jaguars and Titans. 

Both teams are struggling, and neither has looked very good. Neither can really afford to lose this game, as they both need to break out of their current ruts. That is true of both teams. Neither is where they expected, much less wanted, to be at this point in the season. It is difficult to say that this is a must win game for both teams, because it is only Week 5, and there is still plenty of football left to be played, one way or another. But clearly, neither team wants to suffer their third loss already this earlier in the season. 

What I expect to happen is that the Broncos pull it together just enough, taking care of home field advantage and pulling off a close win against a Colts team that at least shows up in this one.

My pick: Denver