Colts kicker Spencer Shrader attempted a 60-yard field goal as time ran out and he missed short, giving Bo Nix, Troy Franklin and the Denver Broncos a 28-26 lead with no time left on the clock.
Trouble was, Broncos linebacker Deondrea Tillman was flagged for leverage on the play, a 15-yard penalty, so Shrader got another try, from 45 yards.
Shrader powered that one through the uprights, sending the Broncos home 29-28 losers. A practice squad nomad early in his career, the Colts new kicker starts his first NFL season 5-5. The Broncos fell to 1-1.
SPENCER SHRADER WINS IT FOR THE @COLTS! pic.twitter.com/LIjazH29Sj
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025
It wasted a spectacular day for the Nix-to-Franklin connection, one that Duck fans will remember fondly. The former Heisman Trophy Finalist hit on 22-30 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns while Franklin led the Bronco receivers with eight catches for 89 yards and a score.
The two hooked up on a 42-yard completion on a scramble drill, looking like the old times at Autzen Stadium.
Quack https://t.co/uVsAJZN5fY
— Sam (@samuel101ts) September 14, 2025
After the game Nix told reporters, "I felt like it slipped away from us. Got away. We made errors at the end that cost us. Started with my turnover and then felt like that's when we kind of lost a little bit of our momentum."
The second-year pro from Pinson, Alabama won 22 games as a Duck, losing five. In 2023 he threw for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns, setting an NCAA record for passing accuracy at 77.4 percent.
Through three games, incidentally, current Oregon QB Dante Moore has connected on 78 percent of his throws, very Nix-like.
For Franklin, Sunday's loss was his most productive day as a pro after being a part-time player last season, his third touchdown as a pro.