It was only a week ago that we saw the Indianapolis Colts' fortune take a drastic turn in their matchup with the Denver Broncos. After getting out to a lead and taking it into the second half, things got out of hand as the Broncos outscored Indy 24-0 in the third and fourth quarter.
The momentum shift came when running back Jonathan Taylor thought he had a long touchdown run, but dropped the football just shy of the goal line, which resulted in a called fumble and a touchback for Denver.
Fast forward to Week 16 against the Tennessee Titans, and it was Taylor whose performance shone the brightest. Taylor was the catalyst, motor and biggest star for this offense on Sunday. He completely dominated the Titans defense, which had previously been one of the top units in the league on a yards-per-game basis.
It felt like a much-needed outing for Taylor as he put last week's debacle behind him.
Taylor ended the day with a whopping 218 yards on 29 carries, including a trio of touchdowns as well.
Now that the Colts have improved to a record of 7-8, they still sit on the outside looking in at the postseason. But, there's still a chance. How do things bode for the Colts' current playoff chances? Let's take a look at the updated playoff picture.
Updated AFC Playoff standings following the Colts' Week 16 win over the Titans
1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (12-3)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
4. Houston Texans (9-6)
5. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
7. Denver Broncos (9-6)
8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
9. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
In Week 17, in order to keep hope alive, the Colts get a relatively winnable game when they travel to take on the New York Giants, who are in contention for a top-3 pick at the moment. But they will need some help from the Denver Broncos as well.
Denver takes on the Cincinnati Bengals in a crucial matchup for both teams, with playoff implications squarely on the line. Should Denver lose, then their conference record would drop to 5-6, while the Colts' conference record is an even 5-5.
From there, the Broncos would be 9-7 and, hopefully, the Colts are 8-8. The Bengals would also be an even 8-8.
In Week 18, Colts fans would hope they can handle business against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile, the Broncos would need to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Bengals would have to drop their contest to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Colts to get a spot in the playoffs.