With the Indianapolis Colts on a bye week and taking a much-needed break to recoup and get healthy again, who should Indy fans be rooting for in Week 11? As the playoffs approach, every game is starting to count, and the Colts control their own destiny.
Before the Week 11 Thursday Night Football game, the Colts had the tiebreaker against the New England Patriots as the number 1 seed in the AFC based on their intra-conference record of 6-1. They also hold the tiebreaker against the Denver Broncos based on the thrilling Week 2 win.
Even so, of the top three teams in the playoff picture (New England, Indianapolis, and Denver), the Colts have the best AFC record (6-1 compared to 5-2 for the Patriots and Broncos).
The Indianapolis Colts control their own destiny
In Week 11, there are a few games for Colts fans to pay attention to. With New England's victory over the New York Jets, they are now sitting at 9-2 and lead the AFC Conference standings. Denver plays Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (who the Colts play in Week 12), who seem to be resurgent.
The most critical game this week is the Chiefs playing in Denver. If the Broncos win, the Colts will maintain the tiebreaker after the Week 2 victory, but will not have any wiggle room for any bad games. Despite the successful season, any team can win any game, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are far from a circle-win team this year, despite their record.
Jacksonville has an easy remaining schedule that includes the Jets, the Tennessee Titans twice, and the ailing Arizona Cardinals. On the flip side, Denver has a difficult schedule playing the Green Bay Packers, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Chargers, and Chiefs, but thrown in there are also the Las Vegas Raiders and the Jaguars.
In Week 11, the Colts should be looking for the Chiefs to knock off the Broncos to get a larger lead in the playoff standings. Indianapolis' remaining schedule includes a trip to the Seattle Seahawks, the Jaguars twice, the San Francisco 49ers, and finishing the season in Houston against the Texans, where, in recent years, it has been a difficult place for the Colts to win games.
If all goes well, Indianapolis could go 14-3 and get the first-round bye, and considering the way they played against the Pittsburgh Steelers and against the Atlanta Falcons, losing more than one game is definitely feasible. The Colts must fix all their defensive issues heading into the last third of the season and as New England and Denver continue to play well.