The Indianapolis Colts are struggling through the first six games of the season, and things don't appear to get any easier in Week 7 against the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings.
An interesting part is that Indy will have gone from playing a previously winless team in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans (the Titans won the game, of course) to a team that hasn't lost yet. Maybe the Colts can reverse that trend just as Tennessee did the game before.
That's the hope. Maybe a lost season can turn around. As head coach Shane Steichen likes to say, "There is still a lot of football left to play."
- Colts inactives and injury updates
- Vikings inactives and injury updates
- How to watch Colts vs. Vikings in Week 7
- Storylines to watch for Colts in Week 5
- Prediction
Colts inactives and injury updates
Inactives
- Sauce Gardner
- Tyler Warren
- Anthony Gould
- Others will be updated when the full list is released an hour and a half before the game
On Friday, Indianapolis ruled Gardner out with a calf injury. He is week-to-week, but an injury to the same leg in 2025 forced him to miss several games. As for Warren, he will be missed against the Vikings, as he would have been an excellent check-down option with Daniel Jones under heavy pressure.
Vikings inactives and injury updates
Minnesota will also update its inactive list an hour and a half before kickoff, and this list will be updated then, too, but their key players are healthy. In other words, the Vikings aren't going to make things easier for Indy by being banged up.
How to watch Colts vs. Vikings in Week 7
- Date: Sunday, October 25
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Network: CBS
- Announcers: Ian Eagle, Ross Tucker, Evan Washburn
The game can be viewed in Indy on channel 4 (WTTV) and will be the featured game in most of Indianapolis up through the upper midwest. If you don't live in that area, you can watch and stream the game with a subscription to YouTubeTV's Sunday Ticket. You can also stream in Indianapolis on NFL+.
Storylines to watch for Colts in Week 5
Can Shane Steichen show he needs to keep his job?
Steichen was hired in 2023 because of his offensive acumen. He has been excellent at starting games well, though his second half adjustments have been lacking. Often, the team is among the league leaders in scoring in the first quarter, but that falls in later quarters.
In Week 7, he will be facing the Vikings' excellent defense coordinator, Brian Flores. If Flores dominates Steichen, the head coach is almost as good as gone by the end of the season, at least.
Can Daniel Jones stay upright and productive?
Minnesota blitzes a lot, and Jones and Indy struggled with that greatly in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans. Jones was sacked six times and hit 11 times. It is easy to imagine him getting hit more in Week 7, and the hope is that he stays healthy.
Jones has been so bad this season that one might wonder if he needs to be replaced anyway, but no one should hope that happens because he is hurt. Anthony Richardson might be no better.
How will the team respond to Chris Ballard's firing?
Much of the current roster was added by Ballard, but after nine years of no real success, he was fired. Will this change how the players approach the future? That would seem unlikely, but human beings are human beings, of course. Emotions will be involved.
Perhaps Ballard's termination causes the team to unite further and play more together. A win against Minnesota would be surprising, but could also be a sign of things to come.
Prediction
Colts 16, Vikings 25
The game could get ugly if Indianapolis doesn't start fast. After a massive organizational change, a good start seems likely, with Jonathan Taylor getting the ball a lot and scoring an early touchdown.
One good way of keeping Daniel Jones clean is to, of course, run the ball well. Taylor is just the answer for that.
Still, Lou Anarumo isn't a great defensive coordinator, and the Vikings will take advantage of a Sauce Gardner-less group. Even if the Indianapolis Colts play surprisingly well offensively, they will likely be outscored.
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