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The Indianapolis Colts welcomed the red-hot Dallas Cowboys to town in Week 15 for a game in which they desperately needed to win. The NFL playoff picture remained very unclear entering the week, but one thing that’s certain is that the Colts helped themselves out. Indianapolis knocked off the Cowboys in a dominant 23-0 victory.
Following the win, the Colts now find move in position to make a major push on the AFC’s final Wild Card spot, which is currently occupied by the Baltimore Ravens. Although the Week 15 action hasn’t wrapped up, we’re going to take a look at the updated standings and playoff chances for Andrew Luck and company.
Let’s take a deeper dive into things and layout what must happen for the Colts to land in the postseason.
Who’s Ahead of the Colts in the AFC?
*Notates division leaders
- 1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)*
- 2. Houston Texans (10-4)*
- 3. New England Patriots (9-4)*
- 4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5-1)*
- 5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-3)
- 6. Baltimore Ravens (8-6)
- 7. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
- 8. Tennessee Titans (8-6)
- 9. Miami Dolphins (7-7)
- 10. Cleveland Browns (6-7-1)
To note, the Colts hold the tiebreaker over the Titans currently due to their win over Tennessee earlier this season.
Moving forward, the Colts find themselves in a solid position to keep pushing forward but need some help to make the postseason. With the No. 5 seed out of reach, the Colts are attempting to hold off the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins and even the Cleveland Browns to wrap up the season. Moving forward, the focus for the entire AFC Wild Card picture may be more on the AFC North.
When evaluating that spot, the Pittsburgh Steelers hold a narrow division lead at 8-5-1 while Ravens are close behind at 8-5. Both the Steelers (at Saints) and Ravens (at Chargers) face tough tests in Week 16, so the outlook for the Colts to jump ahead with a key win down the stretch is very realistic. With that said, they still have to keep their winning ways going over the final two games.
Colts Schedule to Finish 2018 NFL Season
By far the most important aspect, of course, is the Colts’ own schedule. They’ll draw a home game against the New York Giants in Week 16 and then head on the road for what could be a pivotal Week 17 matchup with the Titans. There’s a chance the Colts and Titans could each be playing for the postseason in that game so there would be plenty of fireworks when Andrew Luck and Marcus Mariota square off.
Regardless of how you look at it, the victory over the Cowboys on Sunday puts the Colts in a great position and could very well have just set them up nicely for a playoff opportunity. But Week 16 should provide a lot of clarity on that front, and Colts fans will have their eyes locked on the box scores of other games.
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