Who would have imagined Thursday night soccer would have ranked so low on the list of things NFL fans could have seen?
The Broncos and Colts‘ game in Denver was not as interesting as fans had hoped, with both teams playing rather slowly in the first half.
How horrible was it, then? Wilson only gained 69 yards on the ground as the Broncos scored two field goals over the course of five drives to take a 6-3 lead into halftime. The Colts punted on their first four drives, with their last two ending in an interception and a 52-yard chase McLaughlin field goal. Ryan, on the other side, had four sacks and recorded 140 yards.
For what it’s worth, due to the tragic injuries sustained by Broncos rising star Javonte Williams and Star Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, expectations for the TNF game were slightly tempered. Williams’ season was over early in Week 4 after ripping a cruciate ligament against the Raiders, while Taylor was already out earlier in the week due to an ankle injury.
Given the experience of the opposing quarterbacks (Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan) and the wide range of outstanding receivers on both ends, there was still a chance for a good game (Michael Pittman, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy). But it’s clear that didn’t happen.
As a result of the terrible first half, viewers irritated by the lack of action posted a flurry of comments on social media. Al Michaels, a legendary play-by-play announcer, may have summed up the evening in a single statement when he declared on the air that the competition is taking place. The sort of game that would air on CBS on Sunday as the sixth regional Ouch.
