Colts shock Broncos in OT: Here are eight of the craziest facts from Indianapolis’ wild Thursday night win

When an NFL game goes to overtime, that usually means that it was an exciting game, but that definitely wasn’t the case for the Colts‘ 12-9 win over the Broncos on Thursday night. 

Although it was definitely exciting in certain parts, it could also be described as a travesty of football. As a matter of fact, things got so ugly in Denver that Broncos fans actually decided to leave the game BEFORE the start of overtime. 

You can’t really blame the fans for leaving because Thursday’s game wasn’t just bad, it was historically bad, and when we say historically bad, let’s put it his way: It was so bad that we were able to compile nearly 10 facts to show you just how bad it was.

Let’s check out eight of the saddest facts from this game:

• Colts and Broncos combine to make some ugly history. The Colts’ win over Denver marked the first time in NFL history where two opposing quarterbacks threw for at least 250 yards in a game where neither team scored a touchdown (via ESPN Stats and Info). 
• Colts and Broncos combine to make some ugly history, Part II. The Colts’ win marked the first time since October 1987 where zero touchdowns were scored in a game where both teams took multiple sacks, threw multiple interceptions and had multiple fumbles. The last time it happened came back in Week 6 of 1987 when the Bills beat the Giants 6-3 (via OptaSports)
• Colts get one of the ugliest wins in history. The Colts’ win marked the first time SINCE 1973 that an NFL team won a game where it scored zero touchdowns, threw multiple interceptions, and got sacked at least six times. The only other time that’s happened in the Super Bowl era came 49 years ago when the Browns beat the Giants 12-10. 
• Colts do something that no one has done since the Colts. Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan combined to throw four interceptions, making Thursday’s game the first time in 19 years that there were at least four picks thrown in a game with no touchdowns (via NFL research). The last time it happened came in 2003 when Peyton Manning’s Colts beat the Browns 9-6. In that game, Manning and Kelly Holcomb combined for four interceptions. 
• Matt Ryan is in a league of his own when it comes to fumbling. The Colts QB has fumbled 11 times on the season, which is the most by any NFL QB through five games since the merger in 1970. Ryan tied the record of 10 with his first fumble against Denver and then set the record with his second fumble, which came on Indy’s final possession of regulation. Ryan is on pace for 37.4 fumbles this year, which would smash the NFL record of 23. 
• Comparing Matt Ryan to past Colts quarterbacks, Part I. Ryan got sacked six times on Thursday, which means he has now been sacked 21 times for a loss of 168 yards through five weeks. To put that in perspective, he’s already been sacked more than Philip Rivers was during the ENTIRE 2020 season (Rivers only took 19 sacks for a loss of 118 yards that year). 
• Comparing Matt Ryan to past Colts quarterbacks, Part II. When the Colts traded for Ryan, the thought was that he would be an immediate upgrade over Carson Wentz, but that hasn’t happened, at least not in the interception department. Ryan already has seven picks through five games, which is notable, because Wentz only through seven interceptions over the entire 2021 season. 
• Broncos red zone woes continue. The Broncos’ red zone percentage this season is just 21.43%, which is not only the worst in the NFL, it’s the lowest by any team through five weeks since 2006 when the Falcons converted just 17.65% of their red zone trips into touchdowns. A big part of Denver’s struggles are happening because of Wilson, who is 2-for-18 on passes thrown into the end zone this season. 

Although this could go down as the worst Thursday game ever, let’s not give it that title just yet, because the crown could eventually go to next week’s game: Commanders at Bears.