2013 Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are the jokers of the AFC. What I mean by that is, you could make an argument for Indy finishing with a 5-11 record or a 13-3 record, and I wouldn’t be really shocked by either one. Many people have made a case against the Colts this year: Luck will have regression; new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton (who coached Luck at Stanford) will be more conservative; they went an impossible 9-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less; teams won’t underestimate them...all valid points. However, there are more than a few reasons why Indianapolis might even improve off of an already amazing season. Andrew Luck could get even better with a year of experience under his belt and his comfort level with his new/old OC; more weapons were added on offense (Darrius Heyward-Bey, Ahmad Bradshaw); a full year for Chuck Pagano; they might find more ways to win where they won’t even have to get lucky in close games. I, personally, am an Andrew Luck fan, and I like him more than any of the other second year quarterbacks (including, if you want, Kaepernick, which is obvious if you’ve ever read anything I’ve written). Therefore, I’m inclined to say that while the Colts might not build on or even match their 2012 record of 11-5, they will be a better overall team and once again push for a playoff spot. For example, I think Luck will do a better job of finding different targets, rather than rely on Reggie Wayne every time a play breaks down. I really love TY Hilton this year, and many people are excited about tight end Dwayne Allen. Bradshaw and Ballard will share the running workload, and DHB can take the top off a defense. Speaking of defense, the Colts’ D will be improved, as Chuck Pagano will be on the sideline from the start. Robert Mathis is still there to lead the pass rush, and they will have two stud middle linebackers in Pat Angerer and Jerrel Freeman. Vontae Davis is their top corner, in a division where no one has more than one star receiver. The Colts may not be at the level of the top 4 teams in the AFC yet, but Andrew Luck will have them there soon.
Schedule
While each game on a team’s schedule carries the same weight, there is one game on the Indianapolis slate which stands out a little more than the rest: Week 7, which is Peyton Manning’s return to Indy with the Broncos. Peyton Manning is my favorite player ever in the NFL, and even though I was born and raised in New York, I grew up a Colts fan because of him. It will be a very emotional return, and I expect an absolute standing ovation for arguably the greatest quarterback of all time (statistically). The world will be watching on Sunday Night Football (Oct 20) for this game, and I expect it to be a thriller. It’s probably the game I’m looking forward to the most this year, outside of the annual Peyton-Brady showdown. And there’s only way that it can turn out.
Week 1: W vs OAK
Week 2: W vs MIA
Week 3: L at SF
Week 4: W at JAC
Week 5: L vs SEA
Week 6: W at SD
Week 7: L vs DEN (Peyton Manning will not lose this game. He’s still the King of Indy.)
Week 8: Bye
Week 9: L at HOU
Week 10: W vs STL
Week 11: L at TEN
Week 12: W at ARI
Week 13: W vs TEN
Week 14: W at CIN
Week 15: W vs HOU
Week 16: L at KC
Week 17: W vs JAC
My official prediction for the Indianapolis Colts is a 10-6 record and a playoff spot. If you remember, I think the Houston Texans will finish 10-6 as well,which means that this division will come right down to the very wire. By way of tiebreakers, though, the Texans will still take control of the South, via divisional record (that loss to Tennessee will sting the Colts in the end). Of course, this is all theory, so I do not actually think that this division race comes down to one game against the Titans, but the point is that Houston will beat out Indianapolis by a hair. I still do think that the Colts will be back in the playoffs when all is said and done.
Bold Prediction: Stat lines for the breakout offensive duo...
Luck: 4,209 yds, 29 TD, 13 INT
Hilton: 67 rec, 1,142 yds, 8 TD
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