The Colts didn't get any help in the AFC wildcard race

While the Indianapolis Colts handled their own business with a big Week 15 win, the rest of the week didn't benefit the Colts.  As they were not able to improve their standing in the AFC playoff picture.  The most important outcome of Week 15 went the Colts way, which was their own game against the […]

Destin Adams NFL News Writer
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Dec 16, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew II (10) hands the ball off to running back Trey Sermon (27) against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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While the Indianapolis Colts handled their own business with a big Week 15 win, the rest of the week didn't benefit the Colts. 

As they were not able to improve their standing in the AFC playoff picture. 

The most important outcome of Week 15 went the Colts way, which was their own game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They put up a dominant performance, beating the Steelers 30 to 13. With their game coming on Saturday, they had the rare opportunity to watch the entire Sunday slate, and three games directly impacted the AFC wildcard race. 

  • Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns
  • Houston Texans @ Tennesee Titans
  • Dallas Cowboys @ Buffalo Bills 

The Colts were rooting for the Bears, Titans, and Cowboys in these matchups. The Bills made easy work of the Cowboys 31 to 10. The other two, on the other hand, gave the Colts hope as the Bears and Titans led the majority of their games. The Bears held a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter but allowed 13 straight points by the Browns to lose. And the Titans led the Texans 13-3 at the half and 13-9 heading into the fourth quarter. The Texans would force overtime, kicking a field goal to snatch the win away from the Titans. As a result of these games, the Colts are one of four teams in the AFC that have an 8-6 record, and the Browns remain ahead of this group at 9-5. 

The Colts will remain the 7th seed in the AFC playoff picture, the same rankings they held when the week began. On the bright side, though, the Colts did see one other game go in their favor, just not one that impacted the AFC wildcard race. The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered a 23 to 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and now also have an 8-6 record. This means there is now a three-way tie at the top of the AFC South between the Jaguars, Texans, and Colts. The Jaguars hold the tiebreaker over both, so they still have a grip on the division but now have very little room for error as the Colts and Texans are on their heels.