The Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1) are coming out of the bye week with four games remaining before the offseason arrives.
Coming out of the bye week, the Colts couldn’t do anything to truly help their standing in the power rankings. They hold a top-10 pick, and there’s a chance they move up the draft order a bit over the final four games of the season.
Here’s where the Colts sit in the power rankings entering Week 15:
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 28 (+2)
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Author’s Take: “Pretty cool to read about deposed HC Frank Reich continuing his community service efforts in Indianapolis – his foundation, kNot Today, aiming to hinder sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children.”
Touchdown Wire
Author: Mark Lane
Rank: 29 (-1)
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Author’s Take: “The Colts were on a bye. They get back in action on the road at the Minnesota Vikings.”
Bleacher Report
Author: NFL Staff
Rank: 28 (-1)
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Author’s Take: “As the Indianapolis Colts have navigated a miserable 2022 season that already saw head coach Frank Reich be fired, they have already changed the starting quarterback—twice.
Maybe the third time will be the charm.
Granted, Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday didn’t explicitly say that Matt Ryan was going to get the hook for the second time this season. But after getting embarrassed in Week 13 in a game in which the Colts turned the ball over five times and were outscored 33-0 in the fourth quarter, Saturday also didn’t say he wouldn’t.
“We’re going to look at everything—no position in particular, but everybody—and look and see what we think is going to be best,” Saturday told reporters. “I told the guys we’ve got a four-week season. That’s almost a quarter of the season, and it’s for all the marbles. So we need the best 11 on the field.”
Given that the Colts already tried youngster Sam Ehlinger under center (with disastrous results), it stands to reason that Nick Foles would be next up on the quarterback carousel. But while Ryan hasn’t played well, he also isn’t the only reason the Colts have face-planted in 2022.
And from all indications, when the 2023 season dawns for the Colts, it will do so with the team’s seventh different Week 1 starter in as many seasons.”
ESPN NFL Nation
Author: Stephen Holder
Rank: 28 (–)
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Author’s Take:
“Offense: 31
Defense: 14
Special teams: 12
The offense is, perhaps, the most vivid example you’ll find of why the Colts have struggled this season. They are not a completely hapless team devoid of talent. Their FPI rankings on defense and special teams are in the top half of the league, and that feels like an accurate reflection of what we’ve seen on the field. But that isn’t nearly enough to overcome an inept offense that has a league-worst minus-14 turnover margin and ranks 31st in scoring (16.1 PPG). The Colts are fundamentally bad on offense, struggling in critical areas like protecting the football and blocking, which explains a lot.
Sporting News
Author: Vinnie Iyer
Rank: 28 (-1)
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Author’s Take: “The Colts gave it their best with Jeff Saturday and now get to play on a Saturday in a tough post-bye matchup against the Vikings in Minnesota. They’ve no doubt been one of the league’s huge disappointments, too.”
Pro Football Network
Author: Dalton Miller
Rank: 27 (–)
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Author’s Take: “The Colts played well against Dallas for three quarters in Week 13 but took an absolute shellacking in the fourth quarter, unlike we’ve seen for a long time at the NFL level. They were outscored 33-0 in the final 15 minutes.
Nobody yet knows what will become of Chris Ballard in the offseason, but the Colts GM must swiftly figure out the team’s QB situation in a hurry if he’s to survive 2023, That is, if he survives to see 2023 at all.”
NFL.com
Author: Dan Hanzus
Rank: 31 (–)
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Author’s Take: “The Colts got a bye week to sit with their embarrassing 54-19 prime-time loss to the Cowboys in Week 13. How pleasant. Interim coach Jeff Saturday started a new week with optimism — claiming Indianapolis has “four winnable games” to close the season with matchups against the Vikings, Chargers, Giants and Texans. Expect Matt Ryan to take this team to the finish line if his body allows it. “He has battled. He is a realist,” Saturday said. “We talked about it about Dallas and even about our game vs. Pittsburgh not being what we want, and I think he shoulders a lot of the burden.” Added the coach: “If we are going to win, we need Matt playing his ‘A’ game.” Ryan hasn’t had his “A” game in several years now, of course, but he still profiles as the best option in a lost year.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 28 (-1)
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Author’s Take: “They come off their bye with a Saturday game at Minnesota. Is this the final four-game stretch for the Jeff Saturday experiment?”
