The Indianapolis Colts were 8-2 with Daniel Jones under center last season, and eight wins would be the most they would post, due to Jones suffering a season-ending injury. Instead of progressing forward with Philip Rivers taking over at quarterback, the Colts fell backward, losing every game from that point forward.Â
That 8-2 record is something the Colts hope to relive again with Jones back and healthy, or at least with a record better than, or at least relatively close to, but it won't come easily, considering how much better the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans can certainly be next season. If they are better, the Colts might not stand a chance.Â
That's what four AFC South beat reporters envision, anyway, regarding who will win the division. Realistically, the Jaguars and Texans should be given the favorite honors; they are considered the better teams, after all. According to Colts reporter Stephen Holder, winning the division is out of reach, and missing the playoffs could create a snowball effect down the line.Â
ESPN's Indianapolis Colts reporter Stephen Holder sides with his AFC South counterparts
Beat reporters for each AFC South team -- D.J. Bien-Aime (Texans), Michael DiRocco (Jaguars), Turron Davenport (Titans), and Holder (Colts) -- recently predicted their winners of the division next season, and the Colts received zero votes, as did the Titans. There's no surprise with the Titans, but it’s not a stretch to vote out the Colts either.Â
According to all four reporters, there will be no division upset, though. Of all four team reporters, three votes went in favor of the Texans, while one sided with the Jaguars. These results would flip the script from last season, when the Jaguars took the division. It was the Texans who won a playoff game, though, while the Jaguars were bounced in their first game.Â
The Colts never made the playoffs at all, and even Holder, who reports on the Colts' sideline, is picking the Colts to at least miss out on winning the division. It could end worse for the Colts if the Jaguars and Texans both make the playoffs again, and those chances are quite good.Â
According to Holder, it shouldn't be a surprise if the Colts don't win the division. Furthermore, Holder concedes that it should be difficult to know what type of team Indianapolis puts on the field next season, and it doesn't take a beat reporter to predict how that could go.Â
"If you're finding it difficult to decide how to view this team, that's nothing new," Holder writes. "Take last season, for example, when the Colts' season was something of an identity crisis. They were, perhaps, the hottest team in the NFL for the first half of the season, jumping out to an 8-2 start heading into their Week 11 bye. Along the way, their league-leading offense was setting records on a seemingly weekly basis.
"This season, ownership is looking for clarity on which team this really is. What happens next will determine the future of the team's brass and, most likely, some key players."
There are two worst-case scenarios the Colts could face next season, and both could knock them out of playoff contention before the midway point of the campaign: Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Stroud having great years.
Both quarterbacks could make life for the Colts difficult, even if Jones is playing well in Indianapolis. If Lawrence and Stroud are playing better and the Texans and Jaguars each already have better teams across the board than the Colts, the AFC South will be a two-team race.
When it's all said and done, what Holder says about the Colts' future will be a storyline throughout the season, especially if the Colts fall behind their division rivals to the point of no return.Â
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