The Indianapolis Colts (5-2) have been on a bit of a hot streak lately as winners in five of their last six games. Their most recent victory came against the Detroit Lions (3-4) on Sunday.
In Touchdown Wire’s power rankings following the Week 8 games, the Colts moved up one spot from No. 10 to No. 9. Here’s what Mark Schofield had to say about Indy:
For the past few weeks the case has been made that the Indianapolis Colts are going to be led by their defense. Entering Week 8, the Colts defense ranked fourth in Total Defense DVOA at Football Outsiders, and that number is likely to improve in the wake of what Indianapolis did against Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Right now, the Colts and the Tennessee Titans have matching 5-2 records, and only the Titans’ winning percentage in the division has them in the lead in the AFC South. But with these teams set to meet twice over the next four weeks, the division race could be decided before December. With the way the Colts — and their defense — are playing, it is hard to bet against them right now.
The Colts defense has turned into a legitimately strong unit thanks to the play of the front seven. They have been an elite unit against the run while the pass rush has been strong with a high pressure rate thanks to the addition of DeForest Buckner and the emergence of players like Denico Autry and Tyquan Lewis.
The road gets tough for the Colts now, though. They host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9 before a Thursday night game against the Tennessee Titans followed by a home game against the Green Bay Packers.
But for now, the Colts are holding the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff race and will look to continue their strong play back at home in Week 9.
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