How do the Colts compare to other AFC contenders?
As the Indianapolis Colts continue to establish themselves in the AFC, how do they compare to other contending teams in the conference?
If the playoffs started today, the Indianapolis Colts would be in. Yes, despite Indy’s ugly start to the season, the team would currently be the seventh and final seed in the AFC. However, it’s only Week 7 and none of these standings mean anything right now for the actual postseason. But, this does show that the Colts are currently in the AFC mix and if they keep playing well, they’ll remain there. But how exactly are they viewed in the conference?
The consensus in league circles is that the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs are the conference’s top two teams, though, Indy can brag that it has a win over the Chiefs. After those two teams, ranking the other AFC squads becomes much more difficult. There’s no clear-cut third-best team in the conference. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell looked at possible candidates for the third-best spot in a recent article.
Barnwell didn’t rank the teams but he did list off nine clubs that deserve to be in the conversation and looked at their strengths and weaknesses before actually deciding who he believes is the third best. Barnwell settled on the Baltimore Ravens as the third-best team in the AFC but highlighted the Colts as a team in the mix.
Colts are climbing the rankings in the AFC
Barnwell kept it real with Indianapolis, admitting that the team hasn’t won pretty and that the offense was “moribund.” However, Barnwell argued that with Indy’s quality defense, and the recent offensive explosion from the team in Week 6, the Colts should be able to make some noise this season as long as the offense can continue producing.
With Indy having the league’s worst offense for the first six weeks, the defense was able to keep Indianapolis in games and even win a couple. If what the Colts displayed offensively isn’t a fluke and can be replicated, Indy will definitely be a top team in the AFC and the league in general. However, Indianapolis must continue to prove it can be a serious contender and that starts against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
