Colts Power Rankings: Indy slides entering Week 18

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich talks with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz (2) on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich talks with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz (2) on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. /
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The Indianapolis Colts suffer a dramatic drop in the latest round of Power Rankings.

The Indianapolis Colts entered Week 17 with the most momentum in the NFL. They were coming off massive wins against the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals and were just one win away from clinching a playoff spot.

All of that momentum was zapped away when the Las Vegas Raiders successfully kicked a last-second field goal to defeat Indianapolis.

It was far from Indy’s best game and the Colts didn’t look like the team that many anointed as serious contenders. It was a massive letdown for Indianapolis and everyone else viewed it the same. The disappointment is reflected in the latest round of power rankings.

Where the Colts rank across expert Power Rankings

Entering Week 17, Indy was viewed as a team just outside the top five. The performances in Weeks 15 and 16 made the Colts look like the most dangerous team in the league and that’s why they had an average ranking of 6.8 last week. Ahead of Week 18, Indy’s average power ranking has plummeted to 12.2.

ESPN dropped Indianapolis six spots to No. 12, arguing that Carson Wentz needs to be more consistent for the team.

The official NFL site also moved Indy down six spots to No. 11. The experts there made similar comments about Wentz’s shortcomings.

CBS Sports only knocked the Colts down four positions, ranking them at No. 13. They also used this moment to pile on Wentz.

FanSided ranked Indianapolis No. 13 as well, five spots lower than last week. The main reason for the drop is the “hideous loss” to Las Vegas.

The Ringer dropped Indy from No. 6 to No. 11 and also moved them from the “Top Shelf” teams to the group of contenders.

Colts’ Super Bowl odds entering Week 18

The odds at WynnBET have Indianapolis at +1200 to be the last team standing. While those are better odds than last week, the odds for a couple of other teams have jumped Indy.

Last week, the Colts had the eighth-best Super Bowl odds in the NFL, this week they are tied for tenth.

If Indianapolis wants to help anyone cash in on those odds, it’ll have to start on Sunday with a win over the Jaguars. That clinches Indy’s spot in the postseason, then the journey to the Super Bowl begins.