:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69278147/1228915733.0.jpg)
The NFL announced the 2021 regular season schedule, which means we now know when and on what stage the Indianapolis Colts will be playing their opponents this year:
This is literally our biggest season ever. #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/R8iuaNDiXU
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 12, 2021
This season, in addition to the usual divisional rivals of the AFC South, the Colts will face the AFC East and NFC West—in addition to the Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Baltimore Ravens.
The Colts’ primetime games are as follows: Week 5 at Baltimore Ravens (MNF), Week 7 at San Francisco 49ers (SNF), Week 9 New York Jets (TNF), and Week 16 at Arizona Cardinals (Saturday night, Christmas).
The issue this season isn’t the Colts’ lack of primetime games, it’s that only one of the four games is at home—and it’s a Thursday Night Football game against the Jets at that (which is less of a big deal than say a Monday or Sunday Night football outing):
Including this season's schedule, the Colts will have had 15 primetime games over six years — and just THREE have been at home.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) May 12, 2021
Jim Irsay's *not* happy about it, and has told the commissioner as much. "I’ve addressed it with Roger ... I've made my voice known. We deserve more."
That being said, despite the lack of national exposure at home, the Colts still have to go out and consistently win football games.
This year’s schedule shouldn’t be the toughest, but it’s definitely a step up from last season’s which was initially projected among the softest in the league.