The Indianapolis Colts will be entering a new era in 2023. The age of bringing in veteran quarterbacks each year is over, and No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson is the signal-caller of the future now. This season may be rough, but the Colts' main priority is just continuing to build for the future.
Week 1 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville looks to be the class of the AFC South in 2023 with the other three teams all in some form of a rebuild. The home team has won the last 11 matchups between these teams, which would signal an Indy upset if the trend holds. However, the talent gap is far in favor of the Jaguars, and they should buck the trend. LOSS
Week 2 vs. Houston Texans
The matchups between the Colts and Texans have much more intrigue this season as they feature two rookie quarterbacks in Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud. Indianapolis has the edge in terms of overall talent, though, and that combined with the home-field advantage is enough to give them the win. WIN
Week 3 at Baltimore Ravens
This one doesn't look good for Indy. Not only do the Ravens have the much better roster, but they also haven't lost to the Colts since 2014. It's easy to see that trend continuing with the Colts visiting the city they used to play in this season. LOSS
Week 4 vs. Los Angeles Rams
This is a tricky one to gauge. L.A. has fallen since its Super Bowl win 15 months ago, and the roster looks like a shell of its former self. However, the Rams still have Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald, so they can still do a bit of damage. This game could go either way, but we give the slight edge to L.A. LOSS
Week 5 vs. Tennessee Titans
The Colts have struggled against the Titans as of late, losing the last five matchups. They've also particularly struggled at home, losing five of the last six matchups at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tennessee may be worse than in the past, but so is Indy. LOSS
Week 6 at Jacksonville Jaguars
For whatever reason, the Colts cannot seem to win in Jacksonville. They've lost eight straight games on the Jaguars' home field, including the infamous loss at the end of the 2021 season to knock them out of the playoffs. With the Jaguars looking like the class of the AFC South, that streak will likely continue in 2023. LOSS
Week 7 vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland has some question marks entering this season, namely surrounding whether or not Deshaun Watson can return to elite form. However, the Browns' overall roster is still very strong, and they could contend for a playoff spot. For that reason, they should win this game. LOSS
Week 8 vs. New Orleans Saints
The Colts have the fortune of playing the entire NFC South in 2023, a division that produced no teams above .500 last season. However, the Saints look like the favorites in the division after signing Derek Carr this offseason and still have some great players. New Orleans has also won the last four games in the series dating back to Super Bowl XLIV. While those games all happened several years ago, expect the trend to continue here. LOSS
Week 9 at Carolina Panthers
This is another matchup up rookie quarterbacks, this time featuring Anthony Richardson and Carolina's Bryce Young. Both of these teams are building for the future, so this should be a chance for the young guns to show what they've got. In the end, call this a narrow win for Indy. WIN
Week 10 “at” New England Patriots
This game isn't technically a road game, as it is instead taking place in Frankfurt, Germany. New England has had Indy's number as of late, winning nine of the last ten meetings. That includes a 26-3 blowout last season that wound up being Frank Reich's final game with the Colts. The Patriots aren't world-beaters anymore, but they should be able to win this game. LOSS
Week 11 – BYE
Week 12 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are also entering a new era after Tom Brady retired this offseason. The difference is that the Colts already have their quarterback of the future, while the Buccaneers do not. Both teams have talent and this could go either way, but Indy has a solid chance in this one. WIN
Week 13 at Tennessee Titans
The matchups between the Colts and Titans truly feel like a toss-up. Neither team has high expectations this season, even though Tennessee's are slightly higher. However, this could easily be another split, and this time the road team wins each game. WIN
Week 14 at Cincinnati Bengals
This looks like another tough one for Indy. The Bengals look like one of the AFC's elite again, so a game against the rebuilding Colts should be pretty easy. LOSS
Week 15 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh is another team competing for a playoff spot in a year where Indy isn't. Additionally, the Steelers haven't lost to the Colts since 2008 and have a 27-6 all-time record against them. That trend doesn't seem very likely to change this season. LOSS
Week 16 at Atlanta Falcons
Indy hasn't lost to Atlanta since 2011, but with these teams meeting each other so infrequently that doesn't matter too much. The Falcons aren't an amazing team on paper, but they have some solid players and could compete for the playoffs in their awful division. For that reason, the Falcons squeak out the win here. LOSS
Week 17 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas was the only team to lose to the Jeff Saturday-led Colts in the latter half of last season. That alone is enough to pick the Colts to win this game, even if the Raiders probably have the better overall roster. WIN
Week 18 at Houston Texans
While we previously mentioned Indy has the edge over Houston in overall roster, it's not that large of a gap. The dynamic between the rookie quarterbacks should be interesting to watch, and should result in these teams splitting their season series. LOSS
Follow Us
Subscribe