The Indianapolis Colts playoff chances are good. But even if they miss the postseason, this was a fun and exciting year for the team.
Indianapolis wraps up the regular season with a Week 18 matchup with the Houston Texans. A lot is on the line. The Colts will grab a playoff spot if they win. If they win and the Jacksonville Jaguars lose, Indianapolis will come away with the AFC South title. With a loss, they will be eliminated from playoff contention.
The Colts playoff chances were strengthened with their New Year’s Eve win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Will Indy make the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season or will they come up short?
Indianapolis Colts Overachieved Regardless of Week 18 Outcome
Nine or 10 Wins Certainly Weren’t Expected
Heading into last season, the Colts were supposed to win the division and possibly reach the AFC championship game. That sounded reasonable at the time. They had signed former MVP Matt Ryan to join forces with 2021 rushing leader Jonathan Taylor and talented receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
However, things didn’t go so well. It was an epic fail as they finished with a 4-12-1 record.
Indianapolis later drafted Anthony Richardson fourth overall in the 2023 draft. The former Florida QB looked impressive this year but went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5.
Backup Gardner Minshew took over and has surprisingly helped lead the Colts to a 9-7 record. Before the season began, the Richardson-led Colts were predicted to get a couple more wins than the year before.
Yet, nobody envisioned nine victories or 10 if they win in Week 18. They especially didn’t envision that scenario with a backup like Minshew under center.
Playing against rookie phenom C.J. Stroud and the Texans should be a difficult contest. According to the New York Times, the Colts’ playoff chances are at 52 percent. Yet, Minshew and Co. have what it takes to win and head to the postseason.
Shane Steichen is The Man
During the middle of last season, Indianapolis fired head coach Frank Reich and replaced him with former Colts center Jeff Saturday. The inexperienced Saturday went just 1-7 as the interim head coach.
Saturday wasn’t retained in the offseason as the Colts hired Shane Steichen instead. Steichen had achieved success as an offensive coordinator, helping the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl a year ago.
Steichen has emerged as a legitimate Coach of the Year candidate. He likely won’t win the award, though.
Kevin Stefanski, who has guided the Cleveland Browns to a playoff berth, will probably take home the honors. When you win games with former XFL star P.J. Walker, fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and 38-year-old Joe Flacco at quarterback, you deserve to win an award.
Hiring Steichen has been a superb move by the Colts thus far. He could ultimately become the franchise’s best coach since Hall of Famer Tony Dungy.
Steichen has the Colts just one win away from the playoffs despite dealing with key injuries. Their franchise quarterback has played just four games. Plus, star running backs Taylor and Zack Moss have both missed time.
Indianapolis has also dealt with a countless number of suspensions. Back in June, Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry were suspended indefinitely for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. They were both waived shortly after.
Grover Stewart missed six games due to violating the PED policy. Isaiah McKenzie, Tony Brown, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Chris Lammons have also been suspended this season for various reasons.
Many teams would’ve fallen apart. Yet, Steichen has found a way to keep his ball club competitive.
Main Photo: Hali Tauxe/IndyStar-USA TODAY NETWORK
