The Indianapolis Colts hadn’t been tested much prior to Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Even in their one loss of the season to the Los Angeles Rams, it was simple mistakes which were the difference; the Colts had played well enough to win that game too.
But after a 38-24 win over the Chargers, Indy is now 6-1 and holds the top spot in the AFC. It’s become clear — this Colts team is a legitimate contender.
After beating up on bad teams in their first six games, the Colts needed to prove against the Chargers that not only could they compete with the best, but beat the best. They did just that, with a very simple formula.
The league’s top scoring offense (33.1 points per game) is the engine that makes the Colts operation run. Quarterback Daniel Jones is executing at a high level, spreading the ball out to the myriad of playmakers the Colts have. On Sunday, Jones threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Even while the Colts were without two of their wide receivers, eight different players caught a pass.
When head coach Shane Steichen doesn’t call on Jones to deliver the ball, he goes to his MVP-caliber running back in Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor leads the league in rushing yards, yards per game and touchdowns. For opposing defenses, it doesn’t matter if they know what’s coming. Guess a run? Taylor will rip one down your throat. Think a pass is coming? Jones will make a play to keep the drive alive.
There just isn’t a weakness anywhere. The offensive line is strong, paving the way for Taylor in the run game and surrendering just five sacks so far, the fewest allowed by any team this season. The skill position players all do their jobs at an elite level. From running backs to tight ends to receivers, everyone knows what their role is and how to execute it properly.
Sunday against the Chargers was a great example of how unstoppable the Colts offense can be. Despite a defense hampered with injuries allowing Justin Herbert to pass for a career-high 420 yards and score 24 points, Los Angeles simply couldn’t slow Jones and Indy down.
Indianapolis is playing the highest level of football they’ve played in over a decade. Blow out bad teams, check. Win close games, check. Go on the road and steal a win, check.
Now, they can say they can beat the elite, too. Sunday wasn’t about proving themselves to anyone — it was a coming-out party.
What’s scary too is that the defense isn’t at full strength. Neither of their preferred starting perimeter cornerbacks were available and two defensive ends left the game with injuries. Still, Lou Anarumo’s defense intercepted Herbert twice and sacked him three times.
Just imagine their potential with a healthy lineup.
At this point, it’s hard to know if there’s anything that can stop the Colts. Especially if Jones and Taylor can remain consistent and keep the Colts offense above the rest of the league. If the defense makes a couple tweaks and additions at the trade deadline, all the pieces are in place for the Colts to make a deep postseason run.
Still, there are reasons for some pause. Indianapolis has played just one game against a divisional opponent, a 21-point blowout of the one-win Tennessee Titans. While the Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled with consistency and the Houston Texans haven’t met expectations, division games are always difficult to win. Especially when the Colts haven’t gone into Jacksonville and left with a win since 2014.
Of their remaining 10 games, four opponents are currently in playoff position. That doesn’t include the Atlanta Falcons or Kansas City Chiefs, who are both just on the outside of the picture and will more than likely be fighting for their own spot in the postseason when they meet up with Indianapolis.
It starts next week with their second matchup with the Titans before the schedule picks up with a trip to Pittsburgh in two weeks. Anything less than a season sweep of Tennessee would be unacceptable.
So the Colts are winning the games they need to win now, and stealing some more wins where they can. Given we can now look at them as contenders, beating teams in contention should be the expectation for Indianapolis going forward. After all, that’s what championship teams do.
The expectations in Indianapolis have changed. Playoffs are no longer just the goal — they’re the bare minimum.
