The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) have a difficult road to the playoffs over the next five games following their 20-17 loss against the Houston Texans (7-4) at NRG Stadium on Thursday night.

The Big Picture

In just one game, the Colts went from holding a top-four seed in the AFC playoff picture to being one of the teams on the outside looking in. They are currently eighth in the playoff picture tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), Oakland Raiders (6-5) and Tennessee Titans (6-5).

The Steelers and Raiders both hold the tiebreaker over the Colts given their respective wins earlier in the season while Indy currently holds the tiebreaker over the Titans thanks to their Week 2 win.

With five games remaining, the Colts will have a difficult road to the playoffs, especially with the passing game taking another hit as they lose Eric Ebron to the injured reserve list.

This Week’s Talking Point

To keep their playoff hopes alive, the Colts are back at home hosting the Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. This matchup is huge for both teams looking to stay in the hunt for one of the final spots in the conference.

The Colts currently hold the tiebreaker over the Titans in the AFC playoff seeding, but that could all change if the Titans come out victorious in Week 13. The Colts have lost three of their last four games and face a do or die situation.

We’ll Also Discuss

The impact of Ebron’s absence now that he is lost for the season. The Colts’ passing offense has been struggling in its own right and now it just lost one of its biggest contributors—even if Ebron wasn’t putting up production close to his career year.

Full Playoff Picture

1. New England Patriots (10-1)
2. Baltimore Ravens (8-2)
3. Houston Texans (7-4)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
5. Buffalo Bills (8-3)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
7. Oakland Raiders (6-5)
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
9. Tennessee Titans (6-5)
10. Cleveland Browns (5-6)