Colts should be able to avoid the kind of slow start that hurt them last season

Last season the Indianapolis Colts had a terrible start to the year but that shouldn’t be the case this season with the way their schedule is set.

Last year, the Indianapolis Colts started the season 1-4. They lost their first three games before beating the Miami Dolphins and then dropped an overtime game to the Ravens.

Although the four losses were all close, they were still losses, and they ultimately haunted the Colts throughout the season.

Indy was able to get things back on track and win eight of the next 10 games and they looked like one of the best teams in football. However, the Colts dropped the last two games of the season and missed the playoffs.

All of the blame for missing the playoffs pointed to the Week 18 Jacksonville game. While it’s true Indy should’ve beaten the Jaguars in a must-win situation, the team isn’t in that position if they start the year off better.

Fortunately, the Colts shouldn’t have that problem this year as the start of their schedule is probably the easiest portion of the year.

Colts should pick up wins early next season

In the first five games last year, Indianapolis played the Seahawks with Russell Wilson, the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams, the Titans, the Dolphins, and a Lamar Jackson-led Ravens team.

This season, in the first six games, the Colts start with the Texans, Jaguars, Chiefs, Titans, Broncos, and Jaguars again. If Indy is as good as it should be, the team’s record should be no worse than 3-3.

Indianapolis has the talent to sweep Houston and Jacksonville, so that should be three victories early. The Broncos with Russell Wilson should be competitive but Indy will probably have the edge.

Games with Kansas City and Tennessee will probably be intense matchups that rival a playoff atmosphere. Games at that level could swing either way.

Ultimately, the worst-case scenario for Indianapolis after six games should be a 3-3 record. That’s much better than starting the season 1-4 and gives Indianapolis more leeway throughout the season.

However, nothing in sports is guaranteed and Indy’s Week 18 loss last season was another example of that. Indianapolis has to start the season focused so that it can take advantage of this easier part of the schedule.

Game-by-game predictions for Colts 2022 schedule

The NFL schedule has finally been released and we know every game the Indianapolis Colts will have in the 2022 regular season. Let’s predict the results.