Broncos at Colts, 7:25 p.m. Thursday, NBC, NFL

INDIANAPOLIS – Jacoby Brissett spent part of his 25th birthday Monday afternoon ambling gingerly through the Indianapolis Colts’ locker room, “still thawing out” – his words – from Sunday’s blizzard bowl in Buffalo.

“Feel a lot older than 25 today,” he joked.

And that’s understandable. Brissett and the Colts were still dragging Monday afternoon, some 14 hours after their plane touched down in Indianapolis following four quarters and an overtime session of snow football in windy, wintry Orchard Park, conditions so dire even the staunchest of Bills fans said they were some of the worst they’d ever seen.

The Colts don’t even have time to watch the film. Being the fortunate football team they are, they have a game in three days.

“How do you feel after running in seven, eight, nine inches of snow, down after down?” asked coach Chuck Pagano on Monday shortly after his team wrapped up a light workout at the team’s West 56th Street facility. “It was a challenge getting on the field and off the field for us (coaches), let alone those players. It was like running on the beach in quick sand. Their legs were dead.”

As the schedule has it, the Colts (3-10) face their quickest turnaround of the season after their most grueling game of the season. They’ll host the Denver Broncos (4-9) Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in a game that could go a long way in determining how high each team picks in next spring’s NFL Draft. The Colts have dropped four straight and seven of eight. They’re currently slated to pick third overall.

Denver finally ended an eight-game skid last week. The Broncos are currently picking fifth.

Indianapolis fell 13-7 to Buffalo in overtime Sunday in “once-in-a-lifetime conditions,” CBS sideline analyst and former Bills wideout Steve Tasker said on the broadcast. “I have never seen the (Bills) franchise play a game in these conditions.” In the locker room after the loss, Colts players admitted to not being able to even see the Bills’ jersey numbers, the ball in the air or the yard lines on the field.

Yeah, it was that bad.

“Can’t get any worse than it was yesterday,” said 13-year veteran Frank Gore, who had a career-high 36 carries for 130 yards.

At least eight inches of snow blanketed New Era Field during the game, forcing the players to work twice as hard (or worse) to complete even the most elementary of football tasks, like running, covering and tackling. It was white-out conditions for much of it. Throw in the frigid temperatures and the fact that the game went into the final minute of overtime, and it was unquestionably the most exhausting afternoon of the Colts’ long season.

“That wasn’t normal, and that was definitely a game you’ll always remember,” linebacker Jon Bostic said. “Problem is we got a game in a few days. It is what it is. This is what we signed up for.”

Pagano will keep the physical workload on his players to a minimum this week, and the team will spend the bulk of its time watching film on the Broncos. Players on Monday vowed to double up on massages and time spent in the cold tub, an effort to heal their bruised muscles from the beating they took in the snow on Sunday.

“For a guy that’s played 10, 12, 13 years in the league, Sunday to Sunday is hard, let alone Sunday to Thursday,” Pagano said.

The good news is the Colts exited Sunday’s game without any major injuries. As for those who missed the game, center Ryan Kelly will practice this week and hopes to clear the concussion protocol on Wednesday. Wide receiver Donte Moncrief remains week-to-week with an ankle injury and isn’t expected to play. Cornerback Rashaan Melvin will practice this week with a wrap on his injured wrist; his status is uncertain but Melvin hopes to return before the year is over.

Gore said he usually begins to feel close to 100 percent by Wednesday or Thursday of each week, depending upon the playing surface from the previous week – turf takes longer to heal from than grass. What about eight inches of snow? Gore’s never seen anything like what he saw Sunday.

“I’m straight,” Gore said confidently. The NFL’s fifth-all-time leading rusher has started 109 straight games, 48 more than any running back in football.

“I’ll be cool by Wednesday,” he added.

Good thing. The Colts are hurting. Now they need to heal. Von Miller and the bruising Broncos’ defense is coming to town in three days.

“We gotta get ready fast,” Colts defensive lineman Jon Hankins said. “Because Thursday’s going to be here pretty soon.”

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.

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