THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW:
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1-2-1) AT DENVER BRONCOS (2-2)
Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season gets underway on Thursday, October 6 (8:15 PM ET, Prime Video) as the Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1) visit the Denver Broncos (2-2) in a matchup between two clubs with new veteran quarterbacks. Denver leads the all-time regular-season series, 14-11, as the two teams meet for the first time since Week 8 of the 2019 season.
Indianapolis quarterback MATT RYAN, who spent 14 seasons with Atlanta prior to joining the Colts during the offseason, ranks second among active quarterbacks in passing yards (60,860) and third in touchdown passes (372). Ryan passed for a season-high 356 yards last week and is the only quarterback in the league this season with two games of 350-or-more passing yards. In 18 career road games, running back JONATHAN TAYLOR has 1,937 scrimmage yards (107.6 per game) & 18 touchdowns (15 rushing, three receiving) and his career average of 111.4 scrimmage yards per game is the second-highest among all active players. Running back NYHEIM HINES aims for his third in a row in Thursday games with at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown while wide receiver MICHAEL PITTMAN has 165 receiving yards (82.5 per game) and a touchdown reception in two career Thursday games.
Linebacker ZAIRE FRANKLIN led the club with a career-high 15 tackles in Week 4, the second-most tackles among AFC players last week. He is one of three AFC linebackers (MYLES JACK and C.J. MOSLEY) with three games of 10-or-more tackles in 2022. Defensive end KWITY PAYE registered his third sack of the season last week and he is one of three AFC players (MAXX CROSBY and JONATHAN GREENARD) with a tackle for loss in each of the first four weeks. Cornerback STEPHON GILMORE has eight passes defensed in his past three Thursday games while cornerback KENNY MOORE has four passes defensed and two interceptions in four career games played on Thursday.
Denver quarterback RUSSELL WILSON, who became a Bronco this offseason after 10 seasons in Seattle, ranks fifth among active quarterbacks with 296 touchdown passes and in Week 4, surpassed Ryan (295) for the third-most touchdown passes by a player in his first 11 seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers PEYTON MANNING (333) and DAN MARINO (298) have more. In his last start against Indianapolis (Week 1, 2021), Wilson recorded four touchdown passes with no interceptions for a 152.3 rating. Wilson is 9-2 in 11 career starts on Thursday and has a passer rating of 110-or-higher in eight of the nine victories. Running back MELVIN GORDON has seven touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving) in his past eight at home and has four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in his past three on Thursday. Wide receiver COURTLAND SUTTON recorded his first touchdown reception of the season last week while wide receiver JERRY JEUDY notched his fifth-career touchdown catch in Week 4.
Linebacker JOSEY JEWELL led the team and tied a career high with 14 tackles last week and has five tackles for loss in his past three games. He aims for his fourth in a row overall with a tackle for loss and his fifth in a row at home with at least five tackles. Linebacker BRADLEY CHUBB has 4.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and one forced fumble in two career Thursday games and aims for his third in a row on Thursday with multiple sacks. Cornerback PAT SURTAIN II had a career-high eight tackles in Week 4 and has eight passes defensed and two interceptions in 10 career home games. He aims for his third in a row in 2022 with at least two passes defensed. Cornerback RONALD DARBY has 15 passes defensed in six career Thursday games while safety KAREEM JACKSON has 14 passes defensed in 18 career games against Indianapolis.
Prime Video will stream 15 Thursday Night Football games this season (Weeks 2-17, excluding Thanksgiving). The game will feature Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung on the call.
For the Week 5 Indianapolis-Denver capsule, click here.
COURTESY NFLmedia.com
