Do the Indianapolis Colts have the bona fides to be a true AFC contender? Their Week 12 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs is raising questions.
The Colts (8-3) still lead the AFC South, but the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4) and Houston Texans (6-5) are lurking — and the Colts play them both twice each in the closing six weeks of the season.
NFL power rankings: Colts fall after overtime loss to Chiefs
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 6th, down 2 places from last week
“They blew a fourth-quarter lead at Kansas City, which is not a good look. The schedule gets tougher down the stretch too, as their division lead has shrunk to one game.”
Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report: 6th, down 3
“Shane Steichen’s squad still controls its own fate, but the team has come up small during two of its last three games. Indianapolis’ vaunted offense was slowed by the Pittsburgh Steelers and then the Chiefs.”
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 4th, down 2
“A slide could be coming, based on the upcoming schedule.”
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: 4th, down 2
“A dream season has just turned a bit dark. Since the 7-1 start, Indianapolis has cooled off considerably — albeit against some tougher competition — and the division lead is shrinking rapidly. The Jaguars are a game back, while the Texans are two back — and the Colts have two games against each of them down the stretch, starting with a big one against the stifling Texans defense (with Houston coming off a mini-bye) at Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday. That has to be a little frightening for a Colts offense that has hit the proverbial wall lately, outside of some Jonathan Taylor heroics. Even the league’s leading rusher couldn’t bail Indy out Sunday, facing stacked boxes now that Daniel Jones’ play has flatlined. The Colts got a first down with about three minutes left in the third quarter, and then went the rest of the game — OT included — without moving the sticks. This offense suddenly has some worries it must address.”
Frank Schwab, Yahoo: 6th, down 3
“There’s nothing wrong with losing at Kansas City in overtime. Still, if the Colts want to be taken seriously as contenders, they need to close out a 20-9 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining. The Jaguars are now just a game behind Indianapolis in the AFC South.”
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 8th, down 3
“The Colts’ defense deserves plenty of credit for keeping them in the game in Kansas City but their offense can have major limitation if an opponent can render Jonathan Taylor a non-factor in the running game. Indy now needs to focus on locking up the division with the Texans and Jaguars next.”
The Athletic: 6th, down 3
“Daniel Jones is not the only reason they lost to the Chiefs on Sunday (Kansas City limited Indy’s talented running game), but this is the fear with the Colts. If their running game has even a so-so game, can Jones carry the offense?”
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated: 11th, down 4
“Too big of a knock-down for the Colts? Perhaps. But the Power Rankings are self-adjusting and attempting to protect themselves against further letdowns. In this case, that means the rest of Indianapolis’s schedule, which only increases in difficulty.”
Diante Lee, The Ringer: 5th, no change
“Nothing lasts long in this NFL, though. Recently the Colts have regressed with ball security, efficiency in the red zone and converting on third downs. This current stretch of two losses and an overtime win over the Falcons doesn’t negate the Colts’ surprising start to the year, but it makes the playoff race in the AFC even tighter as we approach the home stretch.”
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AFC through Week 12
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Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NFL power rankings after Week 12: Indianapolis Colts slide a little as concern grows over schedule
Reporting by Scott Horner, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
