Things to watch for during the 8-2 Colts bye week ahead of the toughest stretch of their 2025 schedule
The Colts enter their bye week with an NFL best 8-2 record and here are some things they want to see happen before they play in Week 12.
If someone had told you before the season that the Indianapolis Colts would be 8-2 entering their Week 11 bye, would you have believed them? Many predicted this team would bottom out as one of the worst in football, and they’ve completely flipped those expectations.
The team is now at the top of the AFC playoff picture, and one of three with an 8-2 record through 10 weeks. The Colts can’t afford to just be happy to be here, though. After the bye, they have one of the roughest remaining schedules in the NFL.
As they prepare for their much-needed rest, I came up with a few things fans should be watching for and rooting to see happen before they take the field in Week 12 to face the Kansas City Chiefs.
Current AFC Playoff picture
- Indianapolis Colts (8-2)
- Denver Broncos (8-2)
- New England Patriots (8-2)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)
- Buffalo Bills (6-3)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)
In the Hunt
- Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)
- Houston Texans (4-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (4-5)
Teams to root against
While the Colts don’t play in Week 11, there will be multiple games that could have a significant impact on their season. First of all, the Colts are always rooting for their AFC South rivals to lose.
The Jaguars are playing the Chargers, and with the Colts already holding the tiebreaker over the Chargers, a Jacksonville loss would give Indy a bigger lead in the division. The other two AFC South teams go head-to-head, with the Houston Texans taking on the Tennessee Titans. A Texans loss would give the Colts a larger lead in the division, and a Titans win would make their upcoming first-round pick worse.
Outside the AFC South, the Colts want to see other top AFC teams lose. In Week 11, the Patriots and Broncos are teams to root against. Unfortunately, this means the Colts are rooting for the Chiefs to win a football game since they play the Broncos. An argument could be made that a Chiefs loss would be better, since the Colts already hold the tiebreaker over the Broncos. Personally, I think creating some separation between another 8-2 team would give the Colts a bigger advantage in the long run.
Get Charvarius Ward ready to make his return
The Colts made a massive blockbuster trade for Sauce Gardner, and their overall pass defense saw a boost this past week. Getting Charvarius Ward back from IR would help the pass defense improve even more.
In Week 11, we saw the Atlanta Falcons scheme Drake London away from Gardner as often as they could. Getting Ward back will make it harder for teams to try to avoid the team’s top CB. In the Colts’ case, they fully believe they have two lockdown CB1s on their roster, and leveraging that advantage will be huge.
The Colts’ first game after the bye is against the Chiefs, who have seen their offense elevate tremendously since Rashee Rice rejoined their lineup. Having Gardner and Ward would make life much more difficult for Patrick Mahomes and company. Getting Ward back on the field is the most important thing the Colts need to hope to see happen during their bye.
Figure out how to stop the recent increase in turnovers
The Colts began the season with only four turnovers through the first eight weeks. They doubled that number over the past two weeks, with eight turnovers in Weeks 9 and 10. A big part of the Colts’ historic start on offense was their ability to limit turnovers. So, correcting whatever is causing the regression needs to be a major priority for the coaching staff during the bye.
To me, the biggest point to focus on is fumbles. Daniel Jones had two total fumbles through the first eight weeks, but has had six over the past two games. That number has to be cut down for the Colts to keep winning games. The fix could come from better offensive line play, but Jones needs to alter how he operates under pressure to prevent a bad play from becoming a devastating one.