Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Giants: Everything you need to know for Week 17

The Indianapolis Colts have made numerous moves this year, some intended to create a spark with hopes of turning things around.

None of the changes worked.

Coaching changes have resulted in worse, not better.

No roster changes have improved the product on the field.

No quarterback in Indianapolis has inspired any confidence.

At this point, the Colts are objectively packing things in for the season. Injured players are getting shut down, younger players and backups are getting chances to play, and Nick Foles could be playing his final games in the NFL.

The Giants have been one of the bigger surprises of the 2022 NFL season. Saquon Barkley appears to have returned to his pre-injury form (or at least close to it). Daniel Jones hasn’t been consistent but has done enough to win football games. His athleticism boosts his passing production, with more than 600 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

One of the more interesting things for the Giants is that none of their receiving targets are elite. No pass catcher has more than three touchdowns. Darius Slayton leads the team with 710 receiving yards - 100 more than Jones has rushed.

It’s also worth noting that the Giants aren’t particularly special on defense. They’re susceptible on the ground and average against the pass.

So, how have they gotten here? The answer, in part, is that they’ve been well-coached this season. The other answer is that they’ve had some fortune from a scheduling perspective.

The AFC South has netted three and will likely net four of their eight — soon to be nine wins. They have also beaten a bad Panthers team at home, the Chicago Bears at home, and a recently imploding Washington Commanders squad in Washington. Their best wins this year came in Weeks 5 and 6, in Green Bay against a Packers team that was awful early this year and at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Their worst games include a tie at home with the Commanders and a loss at home to the Detroit Lions. Their best loss was last Saturday against the Vikings, who needed a last-minute field goal to escape.

None of this is to make light of the Giants or their wins. The Eagles have many wins against bad teams, but they’re still a really strong team. Similarly, just because the Giants have won various games in ideal circumstances, no wins are guaranteed in the NFL. They’re about to clinch a playoff berth, and as the Vikings game showed last week, they can compete with the best teams on any given Sunday.