NFL Power Rankings Week 1: Colts Ranked Middle of the Pack

The Colts started their 2022 season on the road against a divisional rival, the Houston Texans, who have entered the year with low expectations from the national media. However, despite a new quarterback and a reasonably healthy team, outside of Shaquille Leonard, the Colts tied a close game in overtime.

The Colts sit at 0-0-1, and are currently tied for first in the AFC South. The Colts not only continued their bad Week 1 outings of the past they also missed an opportunity to be a win clear of their closest rivals the Tennessee Titans, after they lost to the New York Giants.

The national media have the Colts in the middle of the pack in the power rankings board after their tie to the Texans. Even though they are an winless team, the Colts are still atop of the AFC South after the Titans lost to the Giants. Here is how the Colts stack up in the week 2 power rankings.

ESPN has the Colts at 14.

Now entering his fifth season, Reich does not seem in jeopardy of being fired. But the stakes are still high. The Colts have what they believe is the best team of his tenure, and owner Jim Irsay is growing increasingly impatient, as the franchise has just one playoff victory since 2014. It’s also notable that Reich was a driving force behind last season’s failed Carson Wentz experiment. If the Colts fall short again, Reich will find himself on thin ice

NFL.com has the Colts at 12.

The honeymoon continues for Matt Ryan and the Colts, who are talking like a team that sincerely believes the 2016 NFL MVP is primed for a turn-back-the-clock season. (Getting out of the Carson Wentz business has surely played a role in the positive vibes in Indianapolis, as well.) Of course, Ryan will need some teammates to step up to help lift his game. Michael Pittman Jr., who eclipsed 1,000 yards last season, profiles as a candidate to make an even bigger leap in 2022. Parris Campbell is another intriguing piece of the attack who has earned rave reviews from beat reporters during camp. If Campbell can stay on the field (durability has been an issue), he profiles as a compelling piece of the Indy attack.

CBS Sports has the Colts at 14.

They looked awful for much of their opener against the Texans, but rallied for a tie. They have to be better than that, but now face another road game at Jacksonville, where they don’t play well.

USA Today has the Colts at 14.

No way to sugarcoat the disappointment of a tie in Houston – though it’s good enough for a share of first place in the AFC South – but Indianapolis’ 517 yards were a league high for Week 1.

Bleacher Report has the Colts at 15.

Someone really should tell the Indianapolis Colts that Week 1 means the regular season has started. In 2020, the Colts kicked off the season with a seven-point loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Last year, they began with a 12-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks. And on Sunday, Indy opened the Matt Ryan era by spotting the Houston Texans a 20-3 lead before roaring back for a tie. At least they didn’t lose. That’s progress, right? The Colts piled up over 500 yards of offense and limited Houston to less than 300 yards. They piled up 177 rushing yards and possessed the ball for almost 40 minutes. But thanks to turnovers, special teams gaffes (including a missed 42-yard field-goal attempt in overtime) and a less-than stellar debut from Ryan, all Indy got from that statistical domination was a tie.

“The fact Indianapolis even managed a tie against Houston after playing horribly through three quarters is amazing unto itself,” Sobleski said. “The Colts’ performance had all the major mistakes: drops, turnovers, penalties at key moments and special teams gaffes. But Matt Ryan and Co. rallied in the fourth quarter to score 17 unanswered points, mainly by riding tailback Jonathan Taylor. “Maybe Indy will build on the final portion of the game. If not, it won’t be tied atop the AFC South for long.”

Pro Football Network has the Colts at 18.

The Indianapolis Colts ran 90 offensive plays, tallied over 500 yards of offense, and could only manage 20 points. And one of their two touchdown drives was from 20 yards out as they received the ball off a Texans fumble. They finished 2/5 in the red zone and 1/3 in goal-to-go situations.

In a division that saw Tennessee lose to the New York Giants, the Colts had an opportunity to go one game up on their perceived divisional competition and notch a divisional win – they squandered both opportunities. Frank Reich and Marcus Brady must find ways to help the Colts finish drives.