The first few weeks of the season began rusty for the Colts. Andrew Luck and the Colts offense struggled in Week 1 versus the Oakland Raiders, failing to get anything going. Terrelle Pryor ran all over the Colts defense, and Indy was just lucky enough that it was the former Ohio State star's first game of the season. Pryor ended up clinching the game for the Colts with an interception in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
The next week, the Colts struggled versus the Miami Dolphins. Luck failed to get much of any scoring drives going when it counted most towards the end of the game. Reggie Wayne was non-existent in the loss. The Dolphins took over on all cylinders, as Ryan Tannehill and Mike Wallace connected for a big game.
It was Week 3 that turned things around for Indianapolis. In a must-win situation versus the Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers, it would be huge going forward into the season if the Colts ended up winning. Indy did, shutting down quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers explosive offense, while also forcing damage on the Niners defense. It resulted in 27-7 win for Indy.
The next week was a cakewalk for the Colts, shutting down the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was an easy win, as Trent Richardson also made his debut with the horseshoe helmet.
But it was Sunday where the Colts proved their worth in the NFL in their marquee match-up with Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks, who were 4-0 entering the game, were regarded as the best team in the NFC. Many have Seattle and the Denver Broncos facing off in the Super Bowl, but on Sunday it was a different story. The Colts ended up handing the 'Hawks their first loss of the season in an epic, 34-28 victory.
Luck had a solid game with a QB rating of over 100, along with over 200 passing yards and two touchdowns. It was also another comeback win for Luck, as Indy trailed 12-0 to start out the game. The Colts eventually came back and trailed 19-17 at halftime, thanks to a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.
In the second half, the Colts took over on time of possession and kept Wilson off the field. In the fourth quarter, Indianapolis shut out Seattle, 11-0. Down 28-23, Indianapolis took the lead thanks to a rushing touchdown from Donald Brown and a successful two-point conversion attempt. After that, it was game over with Wilson throwing an interception in the final minute of the game.
Now the Colts stand at 4-1, as they currently lead the AFC South division and are tied for second-place in the AFC with the New England Patriots (Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos tied for No. 1 at the time of this writing). The Colts have had some pretty impressive wins by defeating the Niners and Seahawks. With the Broncos regarded as the best team in the league, are the Colts in second-place?
It might be far-fetched, considering that the New Orleans Saints and the Chiefs are ahead of them record-wise. However, the Colts are continually getting better and better as the weeks go by. Luck has proven thus far he's been the best out of the young QBs right now when faced against versus Wilson, Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III.
Indianapolis will be facing the Broncos in two weeks as Peyton Manning comes back to Lucas Oil Stadium. This will be a game that will show how good the Colts really are. Can they pull off the upset, especially if Denver remains undefeated still by Week 7 and Manning is still on pace for throwing over 60 touchdown passes?
Even if they lose, the Colts enter Week 8 — a bye week for them — with a 5-2 record then, barring that they beat the San Diego Chargers next week on Monday night. After that, the Colts enter the second half of the season with their toughest match-ups being the Chiefs and Houston Texans.
It's very well possible that the Colts could end up winning all of their games following the second half of the season. At most, I see them losing only three games at the most in the second half. So, when we look at it, we're possibly looking at an 11-5, 12-4, 13-3 or 14-2 record.
No doubt, though, I see them finishing ahead of the Patriots in the AFC. In fact, I think they finish with the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Even with that, I still think they have enough to beat some of the NFC's top squads like the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears, based off what we've seen so far. My prediction right now is the Colts and Broncos in the AFC Championship game.
The Colts are only getting better right now. Right now, I think, they're the second-best team in the AFC. Yes, ahead of the Chiefs. It may very well be possible they may even just be the second-best team in the entire NFL, too.
This article was written by Josh Dhani. Follow him on Twitter here and read more of his work here.
