The Colts will host the Broncos. The Broncos will face the Colts today at Lucas Oil Stadium on Aug. 11, 2024 at 11 a.m. MDT.
NFL 2024 has officially started with preseason. Today is the last gameday of Preseason Week 1. In this event, the two eternal rivals Colts & Broncs are going to face each other for the first time. They are both looking forward. Both teams want to start with a victory.
What do the Broncos think about today’s game?
Head coach Shawn Payton, who takes over for his second season, expects the starting unit to play 15 plus snaps.
Quarterback Jarrett Satidham will begin his sophomore year with the first snap.
Now let’s discuss the players of the Bronx team. At the center of the discussion is the quarterback: Bo Nix. Although this is the first game of Week 1 of the preseason. Still, everyone is looking at the Bo Nix with hope. What does he do on his Denver Broncos debut? NIX have shown incredible skill in two weeks of training camp. He said that he has prepared very hard to give his best. The Broncos quarterback wants to prove it on the field.
The hottest running back of the season Audric Estimé. He could end up having a dominant preseason and should get a lot of reps. Don’t forget the Broncos have a wide receiver: Devaughn Vele. Troy Franklin and Audric Estime to make plays in their NFL debuts, while Tim Patrick could see his first game action since January 2022.
Tight ends: Lucas Krul led the entire NFL last year among tight ends in preseason receptions and yards.
Several position competitions are expected to be on display this weekend. Damarri Mathis and Riley Moss should compete at cornerback, while Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith should also look to make their case at inside linebacker.
How to Watch: Broncos vs. Colts
Here’s what you need to know for the Broncos vs. Colts first football game of the 2024 season!
- Who: Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Game Date: Sunday, Aug. 11
- Where: Lucas Oil Stadium.
- Play-by-Play: Greg Rakestraw
- Analyst: Rick Venturi
- Sideline: Larra Overton
- Game Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- TV: FOX59
- Online streaming: FuboTV (Try for free.)
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What do the colts think about today’s game?
It’s go time.
Over an 11-day span, the Colts will play three preseason games and participate in three joint practices. Those represent six massive opportunities for the 2024 Colts to hone in on details, solidify an identity and be as prepared as possible to beat the Houston Texans when the games start counting on Sept. 8.
The Colts’ preseason curtain-lifter on Sunday against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium, then, will kick off this sprint to the end of August.”
“They’re going to be huge,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “I mean, we’ve been going against each other now for what it is – two and a half, three weeks, and to go against somebody else this Sunday and then next week versus Arizona for two days will be huge for our guys. Then going to Cincinnati will be huge and just keep attacking every day. I mean, the guys are working their tails off. It gets closer and closer every day. I know the guys are excited for that.”
Steichen will play his starters a series or two on Sunday, following the precedent he set last year. In 2023’s preseason opener, most defensive starters played six snaps over two series; the offensive starters played 29 snaps over three series.
And while the offensive and defensives schemes the Colts and Broncos will run will be as plain as they get – nobody puts anything beyond the basics on tape during preseason games – the opportunity to compete against a different opponent is welcome at this point of the build-up to Sept. 8.
“Man, I’ve been waiting on that because our defense, they give me headaches sometimes,” quarterback Anthony Richardson said. “Just some of the plays they be making – like earlier today, Kenny (Moore II) just going up and getting that interception, man. But no, it’s all about making us better as a team, making me better. They’re veteran guys. I love playing against our defense, but it’s time for a new opponent.”
Earlier this week, we covered a few players to watch in Sunday’s preseason opener. Intentionally, none of them were starters – the things non-starters put on tape during preseason games are important data points in determining roles, roster spots, etc. Beyond those guys, though, both of the Colts’ highly-drafted rookies – first round defensive end Laiatu Latu and second-round wide receiver Adonai Mitchell – will be worth keeping an eye on for a few reasons:
- Can Latu not only create pressure – as he’s done consistently through training camp – but finish a sack? Sunday will be his first opportunity to take a quarterback to the ground in the NFL.
- Will Mitchell work at all from the slot, as he did on Friday with Downs out? And if he’s on the outside, can he create separation and win one-on-one against man coverage?
From a bigger-picture standpoint, clean operation and good communication will be important on both sides of the ball (those things matter, but are also probably inscrutable to those of us who aren’t players, coaches or front office staffers).
On special teams, the early returns – pun intended – around the league have been teams not tipping their hand on the league’s new dynamic kickoff, with mostly vanilla setups on those so far. We may not get a good look at how the Colts handle it until the games begin to matter in September.
The Colts have spent the last two weeks steadily progressing and ramping up the intensity during training camp at Grand Park. They’re largely done with installing things on offense and defense. Now it’s about figuring out the strengths of this team and building an identity around those.
And that 12-day sprint to the end of the preseason begins Sunday.