The final month of the season commences this week as the Indianapolis Colts (7-6) look to get back in the win column after snapping a four-game winning streak.
In what was easily their worst loss of the season, the Colts had no answer for the Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) in the 34-14 loss on the road in Week 14. Other teams around them in the playoff race suffered similar fates so there’s still a chance they make it into the dance if they can right the ship.
The majority of outlets dinged the Colts in the power rankings due to the loss, but they still sit in the middle of the teens for the most part. A win at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) in Week 15 should help their standing.
Next to their ranking, the number in parentheses indicates the change from the previous week. A positive number means they’re moving up the power rankings.
Here’s where the Colts stand in the Week 15 power rankings:
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 16 (-1)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “They’re definitely leaking oil in the run game since All-Pro RB Jonathan Taylor underwent thumb surgery. Indy has gained 101 rushing yards, total, in the two games Taylor has missed since the operation.”
Touchdown Wire
Author: Jarrett Bailey
Rank: 17 (-6)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “That was a bad loss for Indy, and now they’ll host Pittsburgh in what will basically be a loser leaves town match, as whomever loses this game will be all but eliminated from the playoffs.”
Bleacher Report
Author: NFL Staff
Rank: 14 (-1)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The Indianapolis Colts entered Week 14 one of the hottest teams in the league after winning four straight.
They left it wondering what the heck happened after getting rolled by the Bengals in Cincinnati.
Head coach Shane Steichen said the Colts were their own worst enemy Sunday.
“A lot of self-inflicted stuff,” Steichen told reporters. “Penalties in critical situations and some misfortune stuff that happened out there today. It was just kind of an avalanche of stuff that happened that we can’t allow to happen going forward.”
However, Gregg Doyel of the Indy Star wrote that it may well be the Colts are a mediocre team that was exposed Sunday.
“The Colts won those four games in a row,” he said. “We saw them happen. They won with weird things like a pair of Kenny Moore pick-6’s against Carolina and a pair blocked punts against Tennessee. They won against a delightfully terrible New England team that scored just six points. They won against Tampa Bay thanks to some shenanigans from coach Shane Steichen. In real time, that looked like a four-game winning streak, period, end of story. Today? After this loss in Cincinnati full of turnovers, stupid penalties and brutal mistakes? Maybe that winning streak was smoke. Maybe it was mirrors. Maybe this team isn’t very good after all.”
ESPN NFL Nation
Author: Stephen Holder
Rank: 16 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Biggest improvement: Pass rush
The Colts are tied for third in the NFL with 42 sacks, and exactly half of that total (21) has been accumulated in the past five games. The Colts had an underwhelming pass rush performance against the Bengals on Sunday, but they recorded six sacks in each of their previous two games against the Buccaneers and Titans. Interestingly, the Colts have done it by committee. Their sack leader, Samson Ebukam, has just eight. But the Colts have four players with five or more sacks in 2023.”
Sporting News
Author: Vinnie Iyer
Rank: 15 (-3)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The Colts continue to be on a roller-coaster ride with Gardner Minshew offensively and they suddenly have lost their running game again without Jonathan Taylor. The defense also might have too many holes to overcome soon.”
Pro Football Network
Author: Dalton Miller
Rank: 16 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Sloppy play was the theme for Indianapolis in this one, and they’ll meet what feels like half of the AFC at 7-6. The Bengals dominated the game on their own accord, but mistakes from Indianapolis made the game entirely one-sided.”
NFL.com
Author: Eric Edholm
Rank: 15 (-2)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Facing a Bengals team that had struggled to pass protect and stop the run coming in, the Colts figured to have a pretty good matchup as they continued their run for the postseason. But Indianapolis’ pass rush and run game were nowhere to be found in Cincinnati, and the Colts committed a slew of unforced errors in the blowout loss. Indianapolis kept Bengals RBs Joe Mixon and Chase Brown more or less under wraps as runners, but each of them ripped off killer long screens. There were also special-teams gaffes that cost the Colts, including missed field-goal and extra-point tries and a muffed punt that led to a Cincy field goal. This is exactly the kind of sloppy ball that will leave you home come playoff time. Still, Indianapolis’ schedule lines up pretty well, and the roster will be reinforced by the return of injured players. Will it be enough?”
Yahoo Sports
Author: Frank Schwab
Rank: 12 (+4)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The Colts got blasted Sunday, and that’s mostly because they’re not a great team. They’re at seven wins because they are well-coached and they have won some close games. Just because they lost Sunday, let’s not lose sight of the fact that they are having a much better season than anyone anticipated and have done so through major injuries.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 14 (-3)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The winning streak ended by getting blown out by the Bengals. The defense let them down in that game.”
The Athletic
Author: Josh Kendall
Rank: 15 (-4)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Fantasy spotlight: Zack Moss
Moss is why no team in the NFL wants to pay running backs. After a preseason full of angst over Jonathan Taylor, Moss, a third-round pick by Buffalo acquired in a trade and counting $1.2 million against the salary cap this season, is second on the team in fantasy points (130.3) behind only quarterback Gardner Minshew. Sunday wasn’t a good day, though. With Taylor out, Moss was held to 28 yards as Indianapolis had a four-game winning streak snapped.”
