INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen grew as weary of the Colts' inexplicable slow starts as the team's fans.
So he changed the training camp routine. He instituted more physical practices, believing it would give his starters more snaps and more competitive snaps with the hope it would pay dividends in September.
So far, so good. Last week Indy won its first season opener in 12 years, and if the Colts beat the Denver Broncos on Sunday, they will end yet another drought with their first 2-0 start since the 2009 AFC championship season.
“The same way for the past seven years we came here trying to not overreact to a loss — we’re not going to overreact to a win,” linebacker and team captain Zaire Franklin said Wednesday.
"Coach Shane has been preaching since the spring about the daily process, about getting better and focusing on being the best version of ourselves every single day. I think it’s more true today and this week.”
Indy (1-0) certainly played better than expected in its 33-8 victory over Miami.
New starting quarterback Daniel Jones was on target early and often as the Colts became the first NFL team since 1977 to score on every possession. New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo saw his rebuilt unit force three turnovers and nearly deliver a shutout. And rookie tight end Tyler Warren certainly made an impact in his NFL debut.
Now, though, the Colts face a more daunting challenge.
Indy's rebuilt offensive line must contend with one of the league's top defenses. Denver (1-0) led the league with a franchise-record 63 sacks last season and again is atop the NFL rankings with six more sacks last week against Tennessee in Week 1.
If that's not enough, they also have cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
But, like the Colts, the Broncos have struggled early in the season. They've lost their first road game each of the past three years, which partially explains why they haven't started 2-0 since 2021.
“I think it’s very important to get to a fast start, just knowing how hard it is to win in this league and the deficit you have to face if you don’t have a fast start," Surtain said. "So having a fast start going into the season, knowing we’ve got bigger games ahead, is very important and crucial.”
How important?
Denver lost its first two games last season and rallied to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Indy lost its first two games and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year. A win Sunday could put the Colts on track to end that drought, too, but that's not what Steichen is talking about this week.
“I think it comes down to discipline," Steichen said. “Each and every week, you’ve got to be ready to roll."
Manning only played for two NFL teams during his 17-year career and his legacy still looms large in both Indianapolis and Denver.
He led both franchises to two Super Bowls, winning one in each city. Manning also was the leader of the most recent Indy team to go 2-0 and the architect of Denver's most recent back-to-back playoff appearances. The Broncos went four straight times, from 2012-15. Denver didn't make it back till last season.
But Manning also has a statue outside Lucas Oil Stadium, an Indianapolis children's hospital named after him and he spoke during last week's Ring of Honor induction ceremony for the late Jim Irsay.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is coming off a three-turnover performance in Week 1 when the Broncos were the only one of nine NFL teams to win despite committing more turnovers than their opponent. Nix even lost his first fumble since 2021 at Auburn. In December's victory over Indy, Nix also threw three interceptions.
He knows he needs to be better.
“In the future maybe not be so aggressive, but at the same time that’s what makes us quarterbacks good,” Nix said. “It’s a fine line of being aggressive, but sometimes it just happens, and you just have to move on. I can definitely take a little bit more calculated attempts and that’s what I’ll attempt to do in the future.”
Just days after signing a four-year, $106 million extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in Broncos history, edge rusher Nik Bonitto generated a career-high nine pressures on 22 pass rushes in Week 1. That included five pressures in under 2.5 seconds.
“As long as I know Nik is on the field, I’m very confident,” Surtain said. “His ability to disrupt games, his ability to affect the quarterback and change the whole situation of the game — I think it’s pretty special and rare.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Denver also contributed to this report.
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