The Indianapolis Colts kick off in Houston for Week 1. Hoping for a win, what does the entire 17-game schedule prediction look like now?
The Indianapolis Colts are hoping to end many curses with the additions they made to the roster in the offseason including trading for players like Matt Ryan and Yannick Ngakoue. They also signed former Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore.
These additions should put Indianapolis closer to the playoffs than what the Indy fanbase has seen in recent years. But are the Colts still a nine-win team? Or are they somewhere in the ballpark of 10-12 wins? Maybe even more?
Back in June, I broke down each game on the schedule which resulted in a 12-5 record. Is that still realistic as teams have filled out?
Fox Sports host, Nick Wright, said on Twitter that the Colts will be the No. 1 seed in the AFC, making this two years in a row that the AFC South division winner is the top seed. Let’s see if they’ll have the record to be in that conversation.
#8: The Colts should be in contention for the #1 seed in the AFC. Ryan is the best QB Reich has ever had, their defense should be outstanding & they have a far softer schedule than the other top AFC teams. Could be another year where the AFC South champ gets the bye.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) September 6, 2022
Week 1 – Colts at Texans
With no T.Y. Hilton on the roster, we won’t get the same kind of vibe as we have since 2012. This is a completely different team since then.
The Colts have not won in Week 1 since 2013 when they defeated the Oakland Raiders 21-17 in Indianapolis. Since then, they’ve lost to the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Seattle Seahawks.
Hoping that things are different, Indianapolis ends this drought by defeating the Houston Texans easily.
Colts Win (1-0)
Week 2 – Colts at Jaguars
Another curse the Colts are facing early is beating the Jaguars in Jacksonville which is something Indy has not managed to do since 2014.
The Colts have historically been bad in Jacksonville as of late, which is something that Matt Ryan cannot relate to. Ryan is 4-0 against Jacksonville in his career. Maybe that will help this time for Indy.
Colts win (2-0)
Week 3 – Colts vs Chiefs
Finally, Indianapolis gets to play at home after starting on the road in the first two weeks. This time, against the powerhouse that is Kansas City.
The Chiefs are coming off an offseason that shipped away Tyreek Hill and brought in Juju Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and drafted Skyy Moore.
How well will Indy be able to keep a handle on the Chiefs’ new-look offense with the new receivers? With an improved defensive secondary, the Colts should be able to compete a bit better.
The new receivers are starting to look better with Patrick Mahomes, which could be bad timing for Indy if they are able to get into a grove by Week 3. This won’t look great at home for Matt Ryan’s big debut in Indianapolis.
Colts lose (2-1)