During the NFL offseason, the schedule reveal is one of the most anticipated off-field events, and most players admit they check out their opponents as soon as they get the chance. Many players circle specific games for revenge, while others pinpoint matchups based on an importance hierarchy.Â
For some teams, the opening month of the season can be a breeze, at least on paper, anyway, because everyone knows that when players actually take the field, anything can happen. For other teams, the opening month of the schedule is a reminder that life just isn't fair sometimes.Â
For the Colts, life will not be fair. To begin the season, considering their first quarter of set matchups won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination, Indianapolis will have to grind out wins if they secure any at all. Suffice it to say, the Colts will not have it easy at the start, and it could impact their remaining season in a big way.
The Indianapolis Colts' first four opponents could kill their season before it even had a chance
The 2026-27 season is already one of huge importance and significance for the Colts. Head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard are on the hot seat. Daniel Jones is also under some pressure of his own, bouncing back from last year's season-ending injury and trying to prove he belongs as a starter in the NFL.Â
The pressure is on, and it doesn't make anything any easier considering they share a division with two expected playoff teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. Both teams are considerably better than the Colts right now. If Trevor Lawrence can pick up where he left off last season, the Jaguars' offense can be elite; plus, they have a solid defense.Â
The Texans have an elite defense, and if C.J. Stroud can recapture his rookie-year spark, Houston will continue to be dangerous. Their divisional rivals alone make the upcoming season an uphill climb for the Colts, but it's who they play to begin the season that makes matters more concerning.
The Colts take on the Baltimore Ravens to begin the season, followed by matchups with the Kansas City Chiefs, Texans, and the Washington Commanders. Texans aside, the Colts will face three elite-level quarterbacks, as long as you're in the camp that considers Jayden Daniels an elite-level quarterback, or at the very least, very, very good, and most do.Â
According to Colts beat reporter Stephen Holder, it would be better for the Colts to start fast rather than start slow, because momentum down the road later in the season will be crucial.
"Indianapolis has a tendency for slow starts; the Colts have managed a winning record after the first month just once in the past five seasons," wrote Holder. "That has often put significant stress on the team during the second half of the season."
Should the Colts fold in the first month of the season by going 1-3 or worse, the curtains may shut by the second month. If that's the case, the noise in Indianapolis regarding Steichen will grow even louder, and the attention on Ballard will be even closer.Â
It will be tough to overcome the Ravens and Chiefs, and it will be even tougher against the Texans' defense. If Daniels is back on his game, the Commanders could potentially run all over the field on the Colts. The Colts must rise to the occasion and hit the ground running if they're to save any jobs or snap their five-year playoff drought.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google