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Week 17 rooting guide: All the teams Colts want to win to help Indy’s playoff path

With two weeks left, the Indianapolis Colts are close to a playoff berth. Some help from other teams would make Indy’s playoff push easier.

By Jaleel Grandberry

Pittsburgh Steelers v Indianapolis Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers v Indianapolis Colts / Justin Casterline/GettyImages
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If the playoffs ended today, the Indianapolis Colts would be the seventh and final seed in the AFC. However, there are two weeks left in the regular season before the postseason field is finalized. The simplest path for Indy to punch it’s ticket is to win out. If the Colts are victorious the next two weeks, they have a pretty good chance of ending up no lower than No. 7 in the conference.

However, Indianapolis can also still improve its seeding and create room for error just in case they do drop one of the final two games. That means scoreboard watching in Week 17 for Colts fans. While hoping that Indy defeats the Las Vegas Raiders, let’s take a look at other teams that Colts fans should pull for in Week 17.

The teams that need to win in Week 17 to help the Colts

Since te AFC South is still wide open with Indy, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Houston Texans all having 8-7 records, let’s start in the division. If the Jaguars drop one of their final two games and the Colts win out, Indianapolis will have its first AFC South title since 2014. That means Indy will put its faith in the 2-13 Carolina Panthers to upset Jacksonville on Sunday.

The Texans are the first team out of the playoffs so they’re either hoping that Indy slips up or that they can defeat the Colts when the teams meet in Week 18. Things will be a bit easier for Indy if Houston loses to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

One spot ahead of the Colts are the streaking Buffalo Bills with a 9-6 record. A loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, along with an Indianapolis win, would give Indy the same record as Buffalo, strengthening Indy’s chance of grabbing a wild card spot. Another way that happens is if the other 8-7 teams lose. We already covered the Texans; the other 8-7 teams in the AFC are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. It would help the Colts if they both lost.

Let’s recap the official Week 17 rooting guide for Colts’ fans.

1. Colts vs. Raiders

What Indy needs: Colts to win.

2. Jaguars vs. Panthers

What Indy needs: Panthers to win.

3. Texans vs. Titans

What Indy needs: Titans to win.

4. Bills vs. Patriots

What Indy needs: Patriots to win.

5. Steelers @ Seahawks

What Indy needs: Seahawks to win.

6. Bengals @ Chiefs

What Indy needs: Chiefs to win.

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