The Indianapolis Colts (3-2) are coming off a big 23-16 divisional win over the Tennessee Titans (2-3) and head into Week 6 ready for another AFC South bout.
Proving to be a scrappy and competitive team, the Colts will be moving forward without rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson for the time being. He was placed on the injured reserve list and could potentially miss up to eight weeks due to a shoulder injury he suffered in the win over the Titans.
Most analysts have the Colts sitting in the teens when it comes to the power rankings. Their highest spot is No. 13 while most sites have the Colts sitting around No. 17 in the rankings.
Each week, we’ll round up where the Colts sit in the power rankings according to several outlets. 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 6 power rankings:
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 17 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “QB2 Gardner Minshew II may be the league’s best reliever, but Indianapolis surely didn’t count on him playing 50% of the snaps to this point – a figure that’s going to rise as Anthony Richardson’s sprained throwing shoulder heals.”
Touchdown Wire
Author: Jarrett Bailey
Rank: 15 (+3)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The Colts got a bad break with Anthony Richardson’s injury. Luckily, Gardner Minshew has helped lead them to two wins and their defense has been playing very well. It seems that Jonathan Taylor came back at the perfect time for Indianapolis.”
Bleacher Report
Author: NFL Staff
Rank: 16 (+5)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The Indianapolis Colts’ win over the Tennessee Titans was quite the roller coaster.
The Colts got star running back Jonathan Taylor back for the game. But it was backup Zack Moss who stole the show, gouging one of the NFL’s best run defenses for 165 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.
The Colts lost rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson to a shoulder injury, but as he did when Richardson was sidelined by a concussion, backup Gardner Minshew came in and played well, completing 11 of his 14 pass attempts.
After the game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen said the team would need to wait for further testing on Richardson’s shoulder.
“I don’t [know how serious it is]. I just know he has the shoulder,” Steichen told reporters. “We ran something similar to that last week where he popped the big one and then, obviously, this week, he got the shoulder on that play. That’s stuff that you’ve got to look at, be smart with and it’s part of the game and you don’t want it to happen.”
Later reports indicated that Richardson has a sprained AC joint. In and of itself, that’s a concern for Indianapolis. That Richardson has gotten banged up in three of his first five NFL games, on the other hand, is a much larger one.
“The Colts serve as the NFL’s version of the spunky movie sidekick who delivers the right line or action at the appropriate time,” Sobleski wrote. “No one expects them to save the day, but everyone starts to root for them based purely on their pluckiness. Indianapolis’ roster has issues. The Colts are starting two rookies at outside corner. Their starting left tackle missed the last two weeks with a concussion. Tight end Jelani Woods has yet to even play this season because of a hamstring injury. On top of it all, rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a sprained AC joint against the Titans.
“Yet this group is finding ways to compete and even win some games. With Jonathan Taylor now back in the fold, Zack Moss running extremely well and some of those names slated to return in the coming weeks, the Colts will be a difficult team to play each week, even if this squad doesn’t quite have what it takes for leading man material.”
ESPN NFL Nation
Author: Stephen Holder
Rank: 17 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Fantasy surprise: RB Zack Moss
His usage figured to be higher than expected once it became clear Jonathan Taylor would not be ready to start the season. But few could have predicted Moss would break out the way he has, averaging 111.3 rushing yards and scoring four total touchdowns. And because Moss has had such a hot start, he’ll likely continue to get his share of touches even though Taylor has now returned to the lineup.”
Sporting News
Author: Vinnie Iyer
Rank: 15 (+2)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The Colts lost Anthony Richardson again and slowly worked in Jonathan Taylor, but their running game still rolled with Zack Moss and the defense delivered. Gardner Minshew gives them a chance as one of the league’s better backup QBs. They are already the second-best team in the AFC South after Jacksonville with early coach of the year candidate Shane Steichen.”
Pro Football Network
Author: Dalton Miller
Rank: 14 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The Colts won, but there is already a disturbing trend forming in Indianapolis. Anthony Richardson has been electric on the field, but he’s missed time in four of five possible games, and he left the Colts’ game against the Titans in the second quarter.
Having a backup like Gardner Minshew, who has experience with Shane Steichen, is a nice Plan B. However, Minshew limits the explosive potential of the offense, and it is incredibly difficult to sustain drives at the NFL level. Creating explosives makes scoring touchdowns simpler.”
NFL.com
Author: Eric Edholm
Rank: 17 (+9)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “On the one hand, things are very much looking up. The Colts have logged three wins in four games, and Jonathan Taylor is back with a big new contract. On the other hand, Anthony Richardson’s early-career injuries are reaching a concerning level. It’s nice to have perhaps the NFL’s best backup QB in Gardner Minshew, who has indeed been the ideal reliever. But Richardson has now suffered three different injuries in a four-game span, and the AC joint sprain in his right shoulder is expected to cost him a month-plus. It’s a catch-22: Richardson’s running might be his most dangerous quality, but the more he runs, the more he’s exposed to injury. If the Colts can keep pace over the next five games, they’ll still be in decent shape to contend for the AFC South title. Shane Steichen deserves early Coach of the Year sentiment for what he’s done so far.”
Yahoo Sports
Author: Frank Schwab
Rank: 17 (+1)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “What can you do with Anthony Richardson? He has played in four games and been knocked out of three of them with injuries suffered running the ball. A Week 2 concussion caused him to miss a game and a Week 5 shoulder injury will apparently cost him multiple weeks. He can’t reach his ceiling if the running game is taken from him, but the running game is putting him in harm’s way too often. When he returns, we’ll see how he adjusts how he plays, if at all.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 13 (+7)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “They beat the Titans with Gardner Minshew coming off the bench for the injured Anthony Richardson. Now he will face his former team in the Jaguars for first place in the division, but they do have a running game with Zack Moss and Jonathan Taylor to help.”
