NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Colts Ranked Firmly in the Top 10 By Most

The Colts enjoyed a late bye week, which, due to opposing results, moved the Colts firmly into the playoff picture. The Colts sit at 7-6, and they are currently in the 6th seed after the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals both lost on Sunday. The majority of the national media have firmly implanted the Colts in the top 10 of the power rankings board. As a seven win team, and with losses by opposing AFC rivals, the Colts shot into the playoff picture, and it looks to have sparked major life into the Colts post season hopes. Here is how the Colts stack up in the week 15 power rankings.

ESPN has the Colts at 13.

It’s no surprise that the Colts are ranked in the top 10 offensively, especially with MVP contender Jonathan Taylor at running back. The true test over the season’s stretch run will be on the defensive side of the ball, because the Colts will be tested by the Patriots, Cardinals, and Raiders in their next three contests. The Patriots and Cardinals are on top of their respective divisions, while the Raiders are trying to remain in the playoff hunt in the AFC.

NFL.com has the Colts at 8.

The Colts enjoyed the advantage of a late bye and now have everything in front of them, with back-to-back matchups against the Patriots and Cardinals. Those two teams have a combined record of 19-7, and Indianapolis has a chance to stamp itself as a legit Super Bowl contender in the most crucial two-week stretch of its season. Much has been made about the Colts’ poor record against quality opponents, but their last three losses — to the Ravens, Titans, and Bucs — were all games in which Indy led or was tied in the fourth quarter. If the Colts learn how to close out games, there is no ceiling on their season.

CBS Sports has the Colts at 13.

They are firmly in the playoff chase, but they come off the bye with a home game against the Patriots. That’s a proving-ground game for this team.

USA Today has the Colts at 9.

Out of the playoffs prior to their bye week, they’re now the AFC’s No. 6 seed. This in-season “Hard Knocks” gig really seems to be working well for Indianapolis.

Bleacher Report has the Colts at 9.

if the season ended today, the Indianapolis Colts would be the No. 6 seed in the AFC. It’s quite the achievement for a team that opened the 2021 season with three consecutive losses. Since then, it has been a different story, though. And as we head to Week 15, the Colts are the team no one wants to play.

With the Titans’ Derrick Henry out, Jonathan Taylor has assumed the title of the league’s best running back. Quarterback Carson Wentz has rebounded from a sluggish and injury-marred start to his tenure with the team and is playing well. The Colts sport one of the best offensive lines in the game. And an opportunistic defense led by defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and linebacker Darius Leonard entered Week 14 leading the league with 29 takeaways.

Now it’s time to put up or shut up for the Colts. The first post-bye game is a home date against the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the New England Patriots. Then it’s a trip to Arizona to face the NFC’s top seed in the Cardinals.

It’s a brutal two-game span, and a Week 17 tilt with the Raiders isn’t exactly a breeze. But for the Colts to have a realistic shot at the postseason in the crowded AFC, they probably need to win at least two of those games.