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4 teams who could stand in the way of Colts’ playoff hopes

By Jaleel Grandberry

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 26: Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The Indianapolis Colts will have a tough time remaining in position for the playoffs the next four weeks.

If the NFL playoffs started today, the Indianapolis Colts will be in. Unfortunately for the 7-6 Indianapolis, the postseason doesn’t start for another five weeks.

This means Indy will have to continue to win games as well as hold off several playoff hopefuls that are waiting for the Colts to slip. The AFC is crowded with teams who are a game away from being in the playoffs, so that means Indianapolis has very little room for error down the stretch of the season.

One thing Indy does have on its side is that it holds the tiebreaker over all the teams with the same record, which gives the team a little cushion. If Indianapolis isn’t careful, there are a few teams that can close that gap and steal Indy’s playoff spot. Here are four teams that could stand in the way of the Colts making the playoffs.

Raiders could prevent Colts from making playoffs

The Las Vegas Raiders are currently 6-7, and not only are they a threat of sneaking into the postseason, but they are one of the remaining four teams on Indianapolis’ schedule.

A head-to-head matchup is where Las Vegas causes Indy the most risk. The four remaining games for Indianapolis is the Patriots, Cardinals, Raiders, and Jaguars. It’s fair to predict a Week 18 win over Jacksonville, so that makes the playoffs one step closer for the Colts.

The Patriots and Cardinals games, however, are far from a certain victory. New England and Arizona are two of the elite teams in the NFL so it’s likely those will be challenging games for Indy. Even if Indianapolis loses both, its postseason hopes will still be alive.

That means the game with the Raiders will be one with major implications. Las Vegas is around the same standing as Indy so it could be a competitive matchup. Indianapolis will need to win to at least take two of their last four, and to also have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Raiders in the event that they finish with the same record.

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