With training camp for the Indianapolis Colts set to open on July 23rd, thoughts begin to turn away from the season that was in 2024, to the season that can be in 2025. Last season, the Colts' longest winning streak (if one can call it a streak) was two games, and they did that twice. They lost five of their first nine games, and each loss was by one score - and three of those losses were by three points or less. Yet as fans, we don't think about those losses perhaps quite the way we should.
Let that sink in for a moment. The Colts could just as easily have been 7-2 after their first nine games, had they been able to convert those three close losses into wins. Having the rest of the season play out as it did, with the team going 4-4 in those final eight games, would've meant an 11-6 record. This would also mean the Colts would have been AFC South champions, hosting a playoff game. Close, but close only counts in the game of, well, horseshoes.
This season, Indianapolis will play their usual compliment of AFC South opponents, along with some repeat foes from this past season. The Colts will once again play Miami, Denver, and Pittsburgh, while also facing Los Angeles (NFC & AFC), Las Vegas, Arizona, Atlanta (Berlin game), and Kansas City. It won't be an easy schedule, nor should it be. After all, this is professional football, and each team is capable of beating any other team on the proverbial any given Sunday.
Currently, the oddsmakers have the Colts as favorites in six games, and a toss-up in the season opener against the Dolphins... not exactly a ringing endorsement of expectations for this version of the Shoe, and understandably so, given the given the shaky QB situation. But the Colts had a shaky QB situation in 2024, and as shown earlier in this article, the season could have easily had a much different outcome.
How do I see this upcoming season playing out? I'm optimistic the QB situation will finally sort itself out, as Daniel Jones will likely start the season and make a case to be the field general for most of the season. The shoulder of Anthony Richardson will play a part in what does (or doesn't) happen with Jones, and rookie Riley Leonard will be able to learn and grow from the sidelines. Tyler Warren (TE) will take on a starting role, and give the Colts a threat they haven't had at the position in quite some time. Defense wins championships, but let's not put the cart before the horse (pun intended). I see the Colts beating the odds and taking the AFC South crown with an 11-6 record, riding into the playoffs where it's one-and-done and anything can, and usually does, happen.