Breaking down the Colts 2016 schedule
By Evan Reller
Week 5 – Bears at Colts
The Colts opted not to take a Bye Week following the long road trip, and it is certainly a gamble. Luckily they’re facing a Bears team that was a mess in 2015 and finished at 6-10. They last squared off in 2012 in Luck’s first regular season game in the NFL. It did not go well for the rookie.
Chicago ranked 31st in defensive efficiency last season but were considerably better on offense. That said, they lost Matt Forte to free agency in the offseason and have a lot of question marks at receiver. Their defense might be better with the additions of Danny Trevathan and former Colt Jerrell Freeman at inside linebacker.
The question for this game will be how the Colts respond to the London trip and if they can get ready to play quickly enough. This feels like a classic “did they even game plan for this matchup?” type of game from the Pagano led Colts though.
Week 6 – Colts at Texans
The first matchup between the AFC South winner and the Colts. Luckily the Colts don’t have to travel to Houston on a short week for a Thursday night game as has been the usual. The Texans might have found their QB in Brock Osweiler and the success of their season is going to depend on how well he plays. The Texans also added Lamar Miller to replace the oft-injured Arian Foster.
A road game against a potentially much improved division opponent is going to be a problem for any team. Houston was featured a top 10 defense last season and if J.J. Watt comes back fully healthy there is no reason to believe they won’t be great on this side of the ball again. The Texans posted a 9-7 record last year.
Week 7 – Colts at Titans
Back-to-back division road games, never something you want to see on the schedule. The Titans were the worst team in football last season, but trading away the first pick in the draft has given them approximately all the draft picks in the first two rounds. They have holes all over the field, but all the picks to seemingly fill them.
The Titans were ranked in the 20s defensively, but had the least efficient offense in the NFL. If they can get Marcus Mariota better protection and some weapons, their future will start looking up. That said, they still have so many issues to solve that there won’t be a miraculous turnaround in 2016.
Week 8 – Chiefs at Colts
These two teams haven’t faced off since 2014 in the playoffs when Andrew Luck went full Superman during a dramatic rally. The Chiefs finished the year at 11-5 and made the playoffs despite losing Jamaal Charles fairly early in the year.
With the turnover in Denver, the Chiefs are firmly in the mix to win the AFC West. The Chiefs just need to add a bit of talent and get healthy in order to be a dangerous team this coming season. There is no reason to believe they won’t be making another playoff push in 2016.
Next: Weeks 9-12