Colts vs. Broncos, Week 5

All eyes on the Colts’ backfield. With Jonathan Taylor (ankle) out for Thursday Night Football, the Colts will have to deploy the plan they put in place this week in case their All-Pro running back couldn’t go. We’ll see what that plan looks like on Thursday, but it could include Nyheim Hines, Deon Jackson and/or Phillip Lindsay, the latter of whom is on the practice squad but can be elevated to the active roster for gameday. If Lindsay does get the call-up, it’d be his first game back in Denver – his hometown – since he spent the first three years of his career with the Broncos.

Russell Wilson and the Broncos’ offense. Denver is 30th in scoring (16.5 points per game) through four games, which is not where this team expected to be after trading three first-round picks to acquire Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks in March. Maybe the biggest factor why Denver is so low in scoring is they’re last in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage, scoring touchdowns on just 30 percent of their trips inside the 20. Wilson hasn’t been bad this year – he’s 16th in passer rating and 10th in yards per attempt – but the Colts are expecting his best in primetime on Thursday.

“He’s good – he likes quick game, he’s confident in his ability to throw down the field and his ability to make plays with his feet,” linebacker Bobby Okereke said. “He’s kind of that total package guy who can really affect you in a lot of ways. Unique, tough matchup but we’re up for the challenge.”

Limit explosive plays on defense. Of the Broncos’ six touchdown drives in 2022, four have gained 75 or more yards on six or fewer plays. Those drives were aided by completions of 67, 55, 35, 35, 22 and 20 yards – the kind of explosive plays the Colts have, for the most part, avoided giving up through the air this year. Of Denver’s 16 drives that’ve had seven or more plays, they’ve attempted 10 field goals (eight of which were made), punted four times, scored one touchdown and had one turnover.

Wilson is…