Defense dominates in Broncos win over Colts

Spoiler alert.

The Denver Broncos defense is pretty good.

Good enough to carry its team to a Super Bowl 50 win. Good enough to weather offseason transactions and departures. Good enough to stop the reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton in the NFL opener.

Good enough to take over Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts to send the Broncos to 2-0.

For just the 10th time in franchise history, the Broncos scored two defensive touchdowns –– a 46-yard pick six from Aqib Talib and a 15-yard fumble recovery by Shane Ray ¬¬–– on route to a 34-20 win at home.

And both came in the fourth quarter, combining to create the difference in the score.

“I think we had a solid game plan,” Talib said after the game. “Last year, we matched up. When you match up, your game plan is different. We stuck to our game plan and did what we do today against Luck, and we didn’t change anything up. We changed some things up last year, and it was terrible. We went out there and played ‘Bronco D’ today and showed that he doesn’t have our number.”

Talib’s pick-six sent him to the record books as the franchise’s leader in interceptions returned for touchdowns (five). His nine ranks fourth in NFL history.

However, with the Colts trailing by six and driving down the field with less than two minutes remaining in the game, Von Miller’s strip sack and Ray’s scoop and score sealed the deal.

“It’s out job to either give the offense the ball back or, of course, score ourselves,” Ray said after the game. “We take advantage of every opportunity.”

Miller said he tried to pull a fast one of Ray after the play, telling the second-year pro his score didn’t count.

“I was like: ‘Man, Shane, they took away a touchdown?’ … I kind of messed with him a little bit,” Miller said.

But it did count, like the six others since the start of last season (seven if you count Malik Jackson’s fumble recovery in Super Bowl 50.)

It’s also first time two Broncos defenders combined for touchdowns since Tony Carter and Chris Harris Jr. did so in a comeback win on Oct. 15, 2015 in San Diego.

“It’s fun when you’re out there making plays,” Miller said. “It’s fun when you’re out there doing your job.”