What is the floor for the Colts in 2019?

HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 05: Lamar Miller #26 of the Houston Texans is stopped for a loss by Jabaal Sheard #93 of the Indianapolis Colts in the second quarter during the Wild Card Round at NRG Stadium on January 5, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 05: Lamar Miller #26 of the Houston Texans is stopped for a loss by Jabaal Sheard #93 of the Indianapolis Colts in the second quarter during the Wild Card Round at NRG Stadium on January 5, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Coming off of a great 2018 season, expectations will be high for 2019. What is the worst case scenario for this Colts team?

The Colts will be a trendy pick to win the AFC South next year, and maybe even make some noise in the playoffs. But that is the best case scenario for this team. What happens if things don’t come together? What is the worst case scenario for this team next season?

Of course the worst case scenario would be another injury to Andrew Luck. That would de-rail this team completely and send them into the abyss. It wouldn’t kill them as much as it did in 2017 because the team around him is better, but it still would kill them.

But barring any injuries to their key players, the worst case scenario for this team is honestly a .500 football team. If they have key guys all season, they shouldn’t finish any worse than 8-8. That record is only because they play a relatively hard schedule next season.

Their road games are extremely hard. They play teams such as Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Kansas City. Those are all tough teams, even if the Steelers will be worse without their star running back and wide receiver.

The schedule isn’t the only thing that could de-rail them. They could have some chemistry problems with new free agents that they sign. They have enough cap space to sign a couple of marquee free agents, but that always comes with a risk of upsetting the locker room balance.

This Colts team shouldn’t be scared though. They have a good enough foundation where they should only be focused on making the playoffs and getting further than they did this season. Worst-case scenarios aren’t in their mind.

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