The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson gives his scouting report for Sunday’s game between the Broncos and Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Offense

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix vows to “be better” after he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in a 20-12 win over Tennessee in the opener. The Broncos will look to get the running game going earlier than against the Titans, when 14 of their 17 first-quarter plays were passes. J.K. Dobbins finished with 16 carries for 63 yards and rookie RJ Harvey had six attempts for 70 yards. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is a threat through the air and on the ground. In the Colts’ 33-8 opening win over Miami, he completed 22 of 29 passes 272 yards and a touchdown, and he ran for two scores. The Colts have a versatile offense while also having top-notch running back Jonathan Taylor and intriguing rookie tight end Tyler Warren.

Advantage: Colts

Defense

There has been ample talk of Denver having the best defense in the NFL, and that certainly was the case against the Titans. The Broncos had six sacks and gave up a meager 133 yards to rank first in the NFL in total defense after Week 1. Edge rusher Nik Bonitto didn’t miss a beat after signing a four-year, $106 million extension and cornerback Pat Surtain II was his usual stingy self, not allowing a catch on the one ball thrown his way. The Colts will be without starting cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Jaylon Jones due to injury, but their front seven is solid. Indianapolis led up front by DeForest Buckner and Grover and Stewart and Zaire Franklin is an impact linebacker. The Colts didn’t allow the Dolphins to score until Miami was down 30-0.

Advantage: Broncos

Coaching

Denver’s Sean Payton has said his team is capable of going to the Super Bowl and Sunday’s game could stir some memories. When Payton was coaching New Orleans, the Saints defeated the Colts 31-17 to win Super Bowl XLIV in February 2010. Despite his resume, Payton admitted his play calling could have been better in the opener, saying he should have looked to establish the run earlier. Expect that to be the case against the Colts. Third-year coach Shane Steichen has the Colts off to a good start with the dominant win over the Dolphins. He made what looks like a good choice before the season in naming Jones the starter over Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft and the primary starter the past two seasons.

Advantage: Broncos

Intangibles

The Colts are home for the second straight Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, where they should be very comfortable before a raucous crowd. The Colts could use as motivation what happened in a 31-13 loss last December at Denver. They led 13-7 early in the third quarter and looked ready to go up 20-7 after an apparent 41-yard touchdown run by Taylor. But Taylor in a premature celebration dropped the ball just before going into the end zone, and the Broncos took over on a touchback at their 20 and scored the game’s last 24 points. The Broncos have struggled in Indianapolis, where they have lost seven of the last eight games. The lone win in the stretch was 25-13 in 2017 when Vance Joseph was the Broncos’ head coach, and Joseph will try to get another as their defensive coordinator.

Advantage: Colts