The Indianapolis Colts starting the 2026 season with two straight losses is no fun, of course, but as head coach Shane Steichen likes to say, there is a lot of football left in the season. That doesn't mean good things will happen, of course, but maybe quarterback Daniel Jones turns into something akin to Andrew Luck, and fans can relive 2014 all over again.
The last time the Colts won the AFC South was in 2014, and while that fact is depressing, it is important to remember that, just like the current team, Indy started the season 0-2. After that, Indianapolis won 11 of its last 14 games to finish 11-5, win the division, make the playoffs, and make a decent run once there.
The Colts lost in the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots. That was an ugly loss, but almost everything between that game and Week 3 was beautiful.
The 2026 Indianapolis Colts could follow the same path as the 2014 team
Interestingly enough, the 2014 team began their run to success after dropping the first two games by getting a win against a divisional opponent. Indianapolis defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 44-17 in Week 3. In this season's Week 3, Daniel Jones' team will take on a different divisional rival, the Houston Texans, but the same kind of pattern as in 2014 could develop.
Ultimately, the season isn't over, and Indianapolis could make the playoffs. They aren't mathematically eliminated, and they won't be for a long time to come, if they are at all.
Coincidentally, the 2014 Colts lost in Week 2 by three points, just as this year's team did. Both teams also only forced one turnover through two games. Do all those coincidences mean anything? Only one, really: Hope.
The Indianapolis Colts have been here before, and while the 2014 and 2026 teams obviously have differences (this season's team is seemingly far worse than the 2014 one, for instance), a number of similarities exist through two games as well.
Is Daniel Jones as good as Andrew Luck at his best? No, but even that doesn't matter. Jones is a good fit in Shane Steichen's system, and that schematic fit is many times as important as raw talent. Jones also isn't without talent, either, and he led the 2025 team to a 7-1 start.
If Indianapolis loses in Week 3 to the Houston Texans, even then panic should not set in. 14 games are left, but the team will be running out of time to make a postseason push. However, if the Indianapolis Colts defeat the Houston Texans in Week 3, maybe 2026 could look a lot like 2014, and that would be just fine.
Add us as a preferred source on Google