Entering the 2023 season, no one was picking the Indianapolis Colts as a team to win the division. The majority of people gave the nod to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and a few people thought the Tennessee Titans would be able to reclaim the throne. Indy and the Houston Texans, however, were expected to battle at the bottom of the division.
Now, three weeks into the season, the Colts are the No. 1 team in the AFC South with a 2-1 record. The three other teams all have 1-2 records. To be fair, it has only been three weeks, and the season is extremely young. However, just looking at how each team has played so far, the division is currently wide open, and the Colts are a serious contender to win it.
Colts can establish themselves as leaders in the AFC South
In the first three weeks of this season, Indianapolis has already played two divisional opponents: the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. In Week 1, the Colts played a competive game with the Jaguars but ultimately lost 31-21. However, Jacksonville went on to lose their next two games, including being embarrassed by the Texans on Sunday in a 37-17 loss.
The Colts played Houston in Week 2, though, and won 31-20. Then there’s the Tennessee Titans, who lost 16-15 to the New Orleans Saints, won 27-24 against the Los Angeles Chargers in overtime, and lost to the Cleveland Browns 27-3. Their first matchup against Indy comes in Week 5.
It’s important to reiterate that it’s still very early in the season, and the Colts have had their fair share of struggles as well. However, considering the fact that they are 2-1, was competitive in their only loss, have played the last seven quarters without their starting rookie quarterback, and haven’t had Jonathan Taylor at all this season, it’s not absurd to think that Indianapolis could win the division and get into the playoffs. But, that’s why they play the games, and everyone tunes in every weekend. We’ll see if Indianapolis can reclaim the AFC South throne.