Broncos lose stunner to Colts after giving Spencer Shrader a second look at a game winning FG with no time on the clock

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/broncos-lose-stunner-to-colts-after-giving-spencer-shrader-a-second-look-at-a-game-winning-fg-with-no-time-on-the-clock-231510852.html

The Denver Broncos went from victory celebration to heartbreak on Sunday in a matter of seconds.

Their defense came up with the stop they needed and forced Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader into a 60-yard field attempt as time expired with the game on the line.

Shrader missed, seemingly securing a 28-26 win for the Broncos. But a personal foul penalty on the kick gave the Colts second life and moved Sharader 15 yards closer.

From there, Shrader split the uprights for a 45-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to secure a stunning, 29-28 Colts win.

The kick sent Lucas Oil Stadium and the Colts sideline into a frenzy. On the Broncos sideline, stunned silence.

The Broncos had multiple chances to close out a win Sunday, but didn’t finish the job.

After giving up 20 first-half points to the Colts, Denver’s defense kept Indianapolis out of the end zone in the second half. The Broncos led for the entire second half until the clock read zero and two different looks at securing a victory on offense.

Nix’s interception breathes new life into Colts

But a fourth-quarter interception thrown by Bo Nix and a missed field goal by Wil Lutz left the door open for the Colts. And against all odds, they capitalized.

While holding a 28-23 lead, the Broncos came up with a stop on midfield on fourth-and-2 with a blitz that forced a Daniel Jones incompletion with 13:06 remaining. The turnover on downs set the Broncos up in good field position with a chance to milk the clock and extend their led to double digits.

The Broncos drove into field goal range, but Bo Nix threw an off target deep ball on third-and-3 that Colts safety Cam Bynum intercepted at the 9-yard line.

The Colts drove 81 yards on the ensuing drive sparked by a 68-yard run from Jonathan Taylor. But the Broncos held them to a field goal and once again had a chance to win the game on offense with their lead cut to 28-26.

Missed Lutz kick sets up Shrader’s heroics

This time, the Broncos drove 41 yards in 5:18 before their drive stalled out, setting up a 42-yard field goal attempt by Lutz with 3:19 remaining. But Lutz pushed his kick, and the ball bounced off the right upright and missed.

The miss left the Colts with possession of the ball at their own 32 and needing just a field goal to win with 3:15 remaining.

Colts coach Shane Steichen played it conservative with the opportunity after Indianapolis gained a first down at the Denver 43 with 1:44 remaining. Instead of attempting to drive deeper into Denver territory, Steichen called three straight conservative runs for Jonathan Taylor while letting the clock run.

The result was a 60-yard field goal attempt with the game on the line for a kicker with five games of NFL experience and a career-long make of 48 yards. Shrader missed wide right on a kick that never had a chance and the clocked ticked down to zero, setting of a celebration on the Broncos sideline.

But a flag was thrown. Officials called Broncos linebacker Dondrea Tillman for a leverage penalty pushing off the back of the Colts long snapper in an effort to block the kick. The penalty is a personal foul that granted the Colts 15 yards and a first down.

Given a second chance to be the hero from 15 yards closer, Shrader didn’t miss. And his Colts teammates carried him off the field on their shoulders.

This story will be updated.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/broncos-lose-stunner-to-colts-after-giving-spencer-shrader-a-second-look-at-a-game-winning-fg-with-no-time-on-the-clock-231510852.html