The Denver Broncos lost a heartbreaker to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. Indy hit a field goal as time expired, sealing a 29-28 victory over Denver. But the big storyline coming out of the Broncos’ crushing defeat is the leverage penalty that essentially cost Denver the game.
Down 28-26 with 3:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, Daniel Jones led the Colts on a nine-play drive. Indianapolis couldn’t advance beyond the Broncos’ 42-yard-line, setting up a 60-yard field goal attempt for second-year kicker Spencer Shrader.
Shrader missed the kick but the Broncos’ aggressive attempt to block the field goal resulted in Dondrea Tillman getting called for leverage. The penalty moved the Colts up 15 yards and gave the team another shot at the game winner. Now 45 yards out, Shrader hit the field goal and the Broncos fell to 1-1 on the season.
UNREAL SEQUENCE LEADS TO A COLTS COMEBACK WIN!
Spencer Shrader initially missed the game-winning field goal, which would have ended his perfect FG streak in the NFL. After a leverage penalty was called on Denver's Eyioma Uwazurike, Shrader got another shot… AND NAILED IT. pic.twitter.com/gGjzXpAfAJ
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 14, 2025
Denver fans were already upset that the team gave Indianapolis a second crack at the kick. But on Thursday, special teams coach Darren Rizzi added fuel to the fire with an odd admission. Rizzi told reporters that the Broncos had never called the play they went with on the 60-yard FG attempt ever before, per DNVR Broncos.
Broncos’ special teams miscue leads to brutal defeat
Most fans would expect a special teams coordinator to have a trick up his sleeve for a potential FG block with the game on the line. But the Colts were attempting a 60 yarder. Shrader’s career-long is just 48 yards. And the inexperienced specialist had only attempted 13 kicks at the NFL level.
It was highly unlikely the Colts were going to make the kick from 60 yards out. But with an assist from the Broncos, Shrader got to move up and hit the game winner. The bitter defeat is even more difficult to stomach knowing Denver had never even run that particular block play before.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton took responsibility for the miscue. “We had a certain field goal block in the event of a game-winning field goal. That’s on me in that situation. It’s not on Darren (Rizzi). It’s not on (Dondrea) Tillman. The alignment was wrong and the (penalty) call was correct,” Payton explained.
While much of Week 2’s loss has centered around the final kick, Will Lutz's missed opportunity to put the Broncos up 31-26 with 3:19 remaining can't be ignored. Lutz missed a 42-yard field goal on Denver’s final possession. Had he made the kick, the Colts would have needed a touchdown to win.
