Where do the Indianapolis Colts rank in strength of schedule compared to the rest of the NFL?
Having missed the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, it really feels like this is the now-or-never moment for GM Chris Ballard.
To get over that playoff hump, Ballard invested heavily into the secondary during free agency, Shane Steichen would bring in a new defensive coordinator in Lou Anarumo, and Danile Jones was signed to compete with Anthony Richardson for the starting job. The Colts also found their answer at tight end as well, landing Tyler Warren in the first round of the NFL draft.
Ultimately, the performance of this Colts’ team week in and week out will be the biggest component in dictating their record. But the schedule can play a factor as well.
As of now, we know who the Colts’ 2025 opponents are, but not the order in which those games will take place. We will learn that on May 14th during the NFL’s schedule release.
Indianapolis Colts’ home opponents
Indianapolis Colts’ road opponents
Going beyond who the Colts play, other elements that can impact the difficulty of a schedule include any extended home or road stretches, multiple games in a row against top-tier opponents, when the bye week is, and how many miles over the course of the season the Colts will be traveling.
With Las Vegas oddsmakers now having projected win totals for each team, Sharp Football was able to calculate the strength of schedule for all 32 teams. Here is where the Colts land, starting with the easiest schedule in 2025:
1. San Francisco 49ers
Non-divisional opponents: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants
2. New England Patriots
Non-divisional opponents: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans
3. New Orleans Saints
Non-divisional opponents: Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears
4. Atlanta Falcons
Non-divisional opponents: Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings
5. Buffalo Bills
Non-divisional opponents: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
Non-divisional opponents: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals
7. Carolina Panthers
Non-divisional opponents: Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers
8. Tennessee Titans
Non-divisional opponents: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns
9. Miami Dolphins
Non-divisional opponents: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Non-divisional opponents: Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions
11. Arizona Cardinals
Non-divisional opponents: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys
12. Indianapolis Colts
Non-divisional opponents: Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers
13. Seattle Seahawks
Non-divisional opponents: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders
14. Denver Broncos
Non-divisional opponents: Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, New York Jets
15. Los Angeles Chargers
Non-divisional opponents: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins
16. New York Jets
Non-divisional opponents: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars
17. Cincinnati Bengals
Non-divisional opponents: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos
18. Las Vegas Raiders
Non-divisional opponents: Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots
19. Washington Commanders
Non-divisional opponents: Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons
20. Los Angeles Rams
Non-divisional opponents: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles
21. Baltimore Ravens
Non-divisional opponents: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs
22. Dallas Cowboys
Non-divisional opponents: Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers
23. Green Bay Packers
Non-divisional opponents: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
Non-divisional opponents: Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers
25. Houston Texans
Non-divisional opponents: Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens
26. Chicago Bears
Non-divisional opponents: Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers
27. Kansas City Chiefs
Non-divisional opponents: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills
28. Minnesota Vikings
Non-divisional opponents: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks
29. Philadelphia Eagles
Non-divisional opponents: Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. Detroit Lions
Non-divisional opponents: Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams
31. Cleveland Browns
Non-divisional opponents: Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders
32. New York Giants
Non-divisional opponents: Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: All 32 NFL teams (including the Colts) ranked by 2025 strength of schedule
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Saints Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
