Can the Colts catch the Titans and win the AFC South?
The Indianapolis Colts are two games back of the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South.
After a huge victory on Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts are 7-6 as they head into their bye week. They have now won six of their last eight games and have their sights set on a playoff push.
For most of the season, it’s looked as if Indianapolis’ route to the postseason would be snagging one of the three Wild Card spots. The parity in the NFL has contributed to a lot of AFC teams hovering around the same record and fighting for those three spots.
However, as the season nears completion, Indy may have another route to the playoffs. The Tennessee Titans have left the door open for the Colts to win the AFC South, and it’s still a possibility that Indianapolis can make the postseason as a division winner.
Titans still in reach of Colts in AFC South race
Tennessee is currently 8-4 and had a bye in Week 13. Although the Titans are two games ahead of Indianapolis and have a tiebreaker due to the season sweep, the division race still may come down to the final weeks of the season.
Tennessee has lost their last two games after being upset by the Texans and dominated by the Patriots. In addition to the losing streak, they are without Derrick Henry, AJ Brown, Julio Jones and several other players, with no clear return dates. All things considered, the Titans may stumble to the finish line.
The Titans’ top three skill players on offense - Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones - are all now on injured reserve.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 27, 2021
Indianapolis, on the other hand, has been finding much more of a rhythm. In the last three weeks, they’ve dominated the Bills and the Texans and came up just short to the Buccaneers. Additionally, the Colts had the No. 4-ranked scoring offense entering Week 13 and the top-ranked defense in forced turnovers.
It’s evident that Indy is trending up while the Titans are trending down, so the AFC South is still up for grabs. The deciding factor, however, will be the remaining schedule for both teams.
The final five weeks will decide AFC South
Although both franchises are trending in different directions, things are much tougher for Indianapolis down the stretch of the season. They have the seventh-toughest remaining strength of schedule, while Tennessee has the easiest remaining lineup of games.
The Colts have to play the Patriots, Cardinals, Raiders, and Jaguars while the Titans will play the Jaguars, Steelers, 49ers, Dolphins, and Texans.
However, games are decided on the field and not on paper, so there’s no telling how things will unfold. If the Indianapolis team that played Buffalo shows up, they can beat anyone, and if the Tennessee team that was upset by Houston returns, they’ll lose a lot more games.
The performance of both teams over the next five weeks will be crucial in deciding the division.
