Every NFL season, there are teams that end up better than expected and those that end up worse than expected. What a team looks like on paper in min-May isn’t always an indicator of how they’ll perform on the field.
So, as we dissect the Indianapolis Colts’ 2024 schedule, it’s all speculation at this point. However, as of now, it does look like the Colts will have the opportunity to finish the season strong, given their opponents.
Beginning in Week 13, the Colts travel to New England to face the Patriots. Then, in Week 15, they play at the Denver Broncos, followed by taking on the Tennessee Titans at home, and then the New York Giants on the road in Week 17.
Also mixed into that stretch is the bye in Week 14, while in Week 18, the Colts at least are able to finish off the season at home, taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As I said, things can change for each of these teams, but right now, all four rank near the bottom of the NFL in projected win totals for the 2024 season. You can read more here, but in short, the Patriots rank 31st, the Broncos 30th, the Titans 28th, and the Giants 27th.
These final games come after what could end up being the most difficult part of the schedule for the Colts. Prior to playing New England, the Colts will be coming off a three-game stretch where they face Buffalo, the New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. The good news is that the Buffalo and Detroit games will be at home, at least.
And before the Buffalo game in Week 10, the Colts have another three-game stretch right before then where they play Miami, Houston, and Minnesota–with the Houston and Minnesota games both being on the road.
Those final five games of the season for the Colts could give them a good opportunity to finish the season strong and potentially make up some ground that could be lost during that middle portion of the season.
As I made my initial record prediction for the Colts, that exact scenario played out. Coming off the Week 12 Detroit game, I had the Colts at 6-6, but a strong finish to the year made them a playoff team.
On the flip side, if the Colts are able to navigate that mid-season gauntlet, that final stretch of games could give them the opportunity to separate themselves within the AFC South and push for a higher playoff seeding.
Who knows, maybe this final stretch ends up being a difficult one for the Colts, but all we can do right now is make educated guesses, given the time of the year it is. But on paper, anyway, the opportunity for a late-season surge by the Colts certainly seems to be there.