Important games to watch and who to root for during Week 14 with the Indianapolis Colts on bye
The Indianapolis Colts are entering their bye on a high note, having won in Week 13 over the New England Patriots.They now sit at 6-7 and are the eighth seed in the AFC, one spot out of the playoff picture. They are also second in the AFC South, only trailing the Houston Texans. With no game […]
The Indianapolis Colts are entering their bye on a high note, having won in Week 13 over the New England Patriots.
They now sit at 6-7 and are the eighth seed in the AFC, one spot out of the playoff picture. They are also second in the AFC South, only trailing the Houston Texans.
With no game for the Colts this week, they won't be moving up or down in the AFC standings, but that doesn't mean there aren't important games to monitor that could significantly affect the Colts' chances of earning a playoff spot.
With the Colts in second place in the AFC South, it would be great to see the Texans drop a game during the bye to make the gap smaller, but sadly, they are also on bye this week. So, no ground can be made up there in Week 14, but multiple games can help put the Colts in a better position to land a wildcard spot if necessary.
Current AFC Standings heading into Week 14
1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (10-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
4. Houston Texans (8-5)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
7. Denver Broncos (8-5)
Outside of the AFC Playoff Picture
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
9. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
11. Cleveland Browns (3-9)
12. New York Jets (3-9)
13. Tennessee Titans (3-9)
14. New England Patriots (3-10)
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
The first game that Colts fans should pay attention to this week is the AFC East matchup between the Jets and the Dolphins. The Colts have already played and beat both teams this season, and both sit behind them in the AFC standings. The Dolphins are just one spot behind the Colts as the ninth seed in the AFC with a record of 5-7. If they were to win this game, they would have the same record as the Colts but still behind them due to Indy having the tiebreaker. But to make the gap larger, Colts fans should be rooting for the Jets to take down the Dolphins.
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers
The Colts beat the Steelers earlier this season, which makes them a team they would have the tiebreaker over if both teams finish with the same record. There's a large gap between the two teams at this moment, so a loss in Week 14 to the Browns wouldn't immediately help the Colts by any means. But giving the Colts as many paths to a wildcard spot as possible is in their best interest. So, Colts fans should be rooting for some Jameis Winston magic that will lead the Browns to pull off the sweep of the Steelers.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
The last game that I think should be important to Colts fans is the Chargers vs. Chiefs Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 14. First of all, this could be the best game on the entire slate in Week 14. But it also involves the Chargers, who are currently the fifth seed in the AFC with an 8-4 record. The Chargers and Colts won't play this season, so we will have to wait and see who has the tiebreaker between them if, for some reason, they end up tied after the regular season. But a Chargers loss brings a top wildcard team closer to the Colts, which I would consider a win for them during their bye week.
The Colts have two clear paths toward the AFC playoffs in front of them following their bye week
The Indianapolis Colts pulled out a narrow win in Week 13 over the New England Patriots. They now enter their bye week on the outside looking in of the AFC playoff with a 6-7 record. The biggest conversation amongst fans this week is about what has to happen for the team to make the playoffs. […]
Multiple Indianapolis Colts players performing well in the early stages of Pro Bowl voting
You know we are getting late into the NFL regular season when we start seeing results coming in from the league-wide fan voting for the upcoming Pro Bowl. With the Indianapolis Colts sitting outside the AFC playoffs with a lackluster 6-7 record, it shouldn't be a surprise that not many of their players are leading the […]
