How does an 11-6 record sound for the Indianapolis Colts this season? That’s what USA Today’s Nate Davis predicted as he put out his 2024 record projections for each NFL team.
At 11-6, the Colts win the AFC South in Davis’ projections, but they do lose in the first round to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were the sixth seed. Davis has the Houston Texans missing the playoffs completely at 9-8.
The two main reasons behind why Davis believes the Colts can get to 11 wins is that they have “strategist extraordinaire” Shane Steichen as the head coach and a lot of talent on this roster.
On both sides of the football, the Colts have what should be top tier offensive and defensive lines. As the old saying goes, if you can control the line of scrimmage, you can control the game.
At the skill position, the Colts added Adonai Mitchell, who brings a different element to the offense with his speed and explosiveness as a route runner. Mitchell joins the uber-reliable Michael Pittman and slot receiver Josh Downs, who appears poised for a Year 2 leap.
Joining Anthony Richardson in the backfield of Steichen’s RPO-heavy offense will be Jonathan Taylor, who is fully healthy, after the two were on the field for only two snaps last season.
“To have Anthony and JT back there,” said offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, “JT has an extensive history with a lot of success, leading the league in rushing. Now we’ve got Anthony, where a defense, gosh, there may be that mesh on a run play and it’s JT going left and it’s Anthony going right, and as a defense, how do you defend that?
“You have two really explosive players that maybe have a chance to end up with the ball on a run play, how do you defend all that? It is exciting.”
Of course, the big question mark, and why many analysts are in wait-and-see mode when it comes to the Colts is what to expect from Richardson, who has just 98 career dropbacks.
Although it was a small sample size, Richardson did progress over the four games he appeared in last season, and we all know his ceiling is sky high. However, with the talent around him, it’s not as if Richardson has to be Superman every play either.
In addition to that, and as Davis alluded to, Steichen’s quarterbacks have found success under him. With the Los Angeles Chargers and working with Justin Herbert in 2020, he as the Offensive Rookie of the Year. In Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts found himself in the MVP conversation with Steichen as his offensive coordinator.
Not to mention that there is something to be said for the continuity that this team has with there being relatively very little roster turnover from 2023 to 2024.
“Well, I think you can see the communication and the chemistry with the guys,” said Steichen during minicamp. We signed a lot of our guys back, which I think that’s a bonus and I think that’s a plus for us.
“Sometimes, you get so many new faces here and then you got to recreate the communication piece of it. Guys know the standard. Guys know how to operate and I think that’s going to pay dividends come September and in the fall.”
Davis would also note the Colts’ schedule. While the middle portion from Weeks 7-12 could prove to be challenge, but they do have three of their first round games of the season at home and finish the year with a stretch of games where they should be favored.