Even before the Indianapolis Colts lost quarterback Daniel Jones to an Achilles tendon tear, the season's narrative was beginning to change. The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars had caught up to Indy by Week 14. Still, the fall from first was precipitous and stunning. Just as the signing of retired Philip Rivers was.
After a loss in Week 14, both of Jones and the game to the Jaguars, had the season ended then, Indianapolis would have been out of the playoffs. The good part is the season didn't end then, and even after a close loss in Week 15 to the Seattle Seahawks, Indy still has a chance to make the playoffs.
This is the case even though the schedule the NFL handed Indianapolis was always going to be brutal at the end. The Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Texans were all expected to be good. The Jaguars are slightly better than expected this season.
Indianapolis Colts are still in the hunt for the playoffs but need to be perfect the rest of the season
The Colts, however, likely need to win their final three games. The issue may not be the Texans or the Jaguars. Indianapolis might be able to finish third in the AFC South and still make the postseason. That is because Indy played the AFC West this season, with one of the victories coming against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers, however, defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15, and now LA is 10-4. If somehow the Chargers finish with the same number of losses as Indy, but second in the AFC West to the Denver Broncos, the Colts have the advantage in the tie-break because Indianapolis defeated LA in Week 7, 38-24.
The Chargers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15, though, which could make things more difficult for Indy.
The Chargers are extremely unlikely now to lose two of their final three games, while Indianapolis wins all three of its remaining games. Even better would be the Jaguars and Texans losing their final three games while the Colts win out. Unlikely, yes, but there is still a chance.
With three games left, and assuming Philip Rivers can lead the Indianapolis Colts back to how well the offense was running earlier in the season, so many potential scenarios exist that Indy could still make the playoffs even after losing to Seattle. The brutal truth is, however, that Indianapolis likely cannot afford another loss.
Rivers wasn't fantastically statistically impressive in Week 15, but he proved against a great Seahawks defense he could manage the offense well enough to maybe get an unexpected victory. He might save the season.
Against a stacked schedule, few expect the Colts to go unbeaten the rest of the season. But no one expected Indy to start 7-1 either. Anything is still possible, even with the Texans and Jaguars playing brilliant football.