Power Rankings Tuesday: Colts Ranked an Average of Sixth

The Indianapolis Colts overcame a slow start to defeat the Washington Redskins 49-27 and improve to 8-4 on the season.  Andrew Luck threw five touchdown passes while the Colts put up their most points in a game since 2004.  Of course, it was against a bad team in the Redskins and so that might mean they won't rise too much in the power rankings.  But we won't know until we take a look, so here's our weekly look at the power rankings after week thirteen.

ESPN ranked the Colts number six, up two spots from where they were ranked last week:

Andrew Luck has thrown for at least 300 yards in 19 games since 2012. The only quarterbacks with more 300-yard games in that span are Drew Brees and Peyton Manning.

NFL.com's Elliot Harrison ranks the Colts number fifth, two spots higher than last week:

Interesting comment from former Cowboys head coach -- and two-time Super Bowl winner -- Jimmy Johnson, who mentioned that Andrew Luck reminds him of Troy Aikman. Of course, these guys couldn't be more different on the field, in that Luck is on pace to throw for about six billion yards and Aikman never sniffed a 4,000-yard season or 30 touchdowns. Also, Luck is extremely mobile, while the former Cowboy great was more Bledsoe-ian. That said, Johnson's thought revolved around the fact that, like Aikman, Luck's all about the team. And you do get the feeling that the Colts' third-year pro is the kind of leader who can win multiple Super Bowls.

CBS's Pat Kirwan has the Colts sixth, up three spots from a week ago:

The Colts defense probably isn't good enough to get to the Super Bowl, but Andrew Luck will carry them pretty far. It looks like 5,000 yards passing is in the cards for Luck.

CBS's Pete Prisco ranks the Colts ninth, an increase of one spot from last week:

Andrew Luck continues to put up big numbers, but do they have a signature win?

Shutdown Corner's Frank Schwab ranks the Colts sixth, the same as a week ago:

Is the Trent Richardson trade top 10 all-time bad? Top five?

FOX Sports ranked the Colts seventh, up one from last week:

Andrew Luck finds a way to get every weapon he has involved in the passing game and they are often racking up chunk yardage plays. The defense has issues at the point of attack and in the secondary outside of CB Vontae Davis.

Monday Morning Quarterback's Peter King ranks the Colts sixth, up one spot from a week ago:

6. Indianapolis (8-4). Andrew Luck kibitzes with Robert Griffin III on the floor of Lucas Oil Stadium. That's what I'd call hashtag awkward.

SB Nation's Danny Kelly ranks the Colts sixth, an increase of one spot from last week.  Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton ranks the Colts sixth as well, also up one spot from a week ago:

6) Indianapolis Colts (LW: 7) - Two convincing wins over bad teams is a nice way to bounce back after a home loss to New England.

The Colts increased by an average of one spot this week and they're still firmly entrenched in the top ten of these power rankings, in fact getting close to the top five (and already there in one of them).  The remaining schedule is favorable for the Colts, and they'll clinch the AFC South soon.  It's all about the playoffs for the Colts, and while they're currently ranked an average of six, they still have quite a bit of improvement to do before truly competing with the best teams.