NFL Power Rankings: Colts near the middle of the pack

The Indianapolis Colts are currently on a three-game winning streak, and with all three wins coming against the AFC South, they now have a commanding lead over the division just five weeks in at 3-2.

Even more impressive is the fact that two of those wins have come while Andrew Luck was sidelined with a shoulder injury, meaning that Matt Hasselbeck took the reigns and helped lead Indy to two wins in five days - even while battling an illness the week leading up to Thursday night's game.

The Colts are now at 3-2 and in first place of the AFC South, but we're still not quite sure what to make of them.  We should find that out soon enough, however, as they face four unbeaten teams in their next five games.  At this point, however, the power rankings reflect that: the Colts are ranked about average or even slightly above average in the rankings, but people aren't sold on the Colts yet.  Here's a look at the power rankings this week:

NFL.com's Elliot Harrison has the Colts ranked 14th, the same spot as last week:

It's impossible not to pull for Matt Hasselbeck. He runs around with the energy and enthusiasm of a 25-year-old, while treating every drive with a sense of urgency. Not talked about enough from his performance Thursday night: The absolutely gorgeous throw to T.Y. Hilton to seal the game. That's not an easy toss in that situation. It was a third down, where many teams would run to burn clock. That tells you the confidence this team has in its backup. #respect

ESPN ranks the Colts 13th, which is up one spot from a week ago:

Matt Hasselbeck is 2-0 this season and has no interceptions in 76 attempts. Andrew Luck still has the second-most interceptions despite not playing the past two weeks. Just saying.

CBS Sports' Pete Prisco has the Colts at number nine, up two spots:

Matt Hasselbeck has saved their season. The improved play of the offensive line helped in Houston. But when Andrew Luck is back, he's the starter.

CBS Sports' Pat Kirwan ranks the Colts number at number 15, up four spots from last week:

Three straight wins over division opponents, two with a backup QB, and all is right again with the Colts. But the Patriots come to town next. Let's see if Andrew Luck learned anything while watching from the sidelines.

Shutdown Corner's Frank Schwab has the Colts ranked number 14, up two spots:

One of the NFL's best stories all season: Matt Hasselbeck, at 40 years old and barely able to play at Houston because he was so sick, perhaps turning around the Colts' season last Thursday night in relief of Andrew Luck.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio ranks the Colts 16th, which is up four spots from last week:

Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Bert Jones, John Unitas. Does it really matter against the Patriots?

The MMQB's Peter King has the Colts at number 15 in his Fine Fifteen:

The Colts should know what's coming to central Indiana Sunday night: New England's running game. Last year, Jonas Gray. This year, Dion Lewis. Chuck Pagano will lay everything at the feet of his run defense in the next few days, and let those players know that if they don't win their battles against the Patriots' line, the Colts aren't going to win the game.

FOX Sports has the Colts at number 14, up two spots from a week ago:

The Colts rallied around the absence of Andrew Luck for two straight wins -- this is something that winning teams do. The Colts also generated no pass rush and fell apart in pass coverage against Blake Bortles and Brian Hoyer in consecutive weeks -- this is not something that winning teams do.

SB Nation's Danny Kelly ranks the Colts 12th, up four spots from last week.