Colts Hand Broncos First Loss, Texans Lose Cushing for the Season

As fate would have its way, the Indianapolis Colts (5-2) defeated the Denver Broncos (6-1), 39-33 on Sunday, handing them their first loss of the season.

Andrew Luck

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had three passing touchdowns and added another score with his legs. It wasn’t an offensive masterpiece for the Colts as running back Trent Richardson only grabbed 37 yards and veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne had 5 catches for 50 yards but his night came to an end in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury.

Wayne left the field in tears, according to CBS Sports. His injury came as he lunged to catch a pass by Luck and twisted his knee while doing so. It appeared serious and on Monday, Wayne will have an MRI. Since entering the league in 2001, he has played in 189 straight games–the longest streak among league players.

Luck took blame for the injury and said after the game, “It was my fault. Terrible throw. We know he’s a fighter. We’re hoping for the best.”

For the game, the Colts entered halftime with a 26-14 advantage. By the fourth quarter, they led 36-17 but the Broncos found a second lease on life and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get the advantage for the win.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning admitted it had been emotional to return to Indianapolis. He didn’t appear to be playing as his self but he went 29 for 49, 386 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He was also sacked four times.

The Colts have now defeated three of the league’s top teams including the San Francisco 49ers (5-2), the Seattle Seahawks (6-1) and the Broncos. They remain atop the AFC South and should they keep winning, they could again meet the Broncos in January play.

The Colts sit at 20/1 to win the 2014 Super Bowl while the Broncos are 5/2.

This week, the Colts have a bye week and will return to play against the imploding Houston Texans (2-5).

On Sunday, the Texans suffered their fifth straight loss after the Kansas City Chiefs (7-0) defeated them 17-16.

Looking to shake things up, the Texans inserted third-string quarterback Casey Keenum on Sunday to pinch hit for the injured Matt Schaub. In his NFL debut, Keenum went 15 for 25, 271 yards and one touchdown. But he was sacked four times in the fourth quarter.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak said of Keenum via the Associated Press, “He did a great job. He’s got some things he’s got to understand when they come after him. But he made some great football plays to get his team in position to win.”

It looks like the Texans may have a quarterback controversy on their hands but the real story of the game was the two team injuries: running back Arian Foster left in the first quarter by re-injuring his hamstring and linebacker Brian Cushing exited the field in the third quarter on a cart thanks to a left knee injury.

Brian Cushing

Foster remained out for the rest of the game and said on Sunday he didn’t think it was too severe. Cushing is a different story.

NFL.com has reported Cushing may have torn his LCL and broken his leg. He will have an MRI on Monday and undergo season-ending surgery. For the player, this is the second time he’s undergone a season-ending injury as it happened in 2012 on the same leg.

Cushing did not speak to the media after Sunday’s game.

For the Texans, they’ll have a bye week before returning to face the Colts. This team can only improve and after entering the season with such high expectations, they now sit in the third spot in AFC South and 75/1 to win the 2014 Super Bowl.