As the Indianapolis Colts prepare for their Week 9 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, star receiver Michael Pittman Jr. identified three AFC rivals as the league’s top contenders — the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, and Denver Broncos — during the latest episode of The St. Brown Brothers Podcast with Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
“I mean you can never rule out the Chiefs man, I feel like the Patriots are playing on another level. I feel like Drake Maye is really coming into his own and he’s playing some great ball. The Broncos too, their defense is solid. But we’ve got a couple AFC South games that we don’t want to look past because the Jaguars always play us tough. The Texans always play us tough. So we’re not going to really look at their record.”
He added:
“Those are probably the AFC teams that probably I’m looking at the most, those are the powerhouses.”
With Indianapolis sporting a 7-1 record and sitting atop the AFC South, Pittman’s assessment signals respect for the Chiefs (5-3) and the Patriots and Broncos, each at 6-2 and riding five-game win streaks. Meanwhile, notable AFC teams such as the Buffalo Bills (5-2) and the Baltimore Ravens (2-5) were omitted from his remarks.
Pittman, in his sixth NFL season, has provided reliable production for the Colts. He currently has 43 receptions for 446 yards and six touchdowns this year, averaging about 10.4 yards per catch.
Michael Pittman Jr. highlights shifting AFC hierarchy amid Colts’ strong 7-1 start
The Colts’ surge to 7-1 marks their best start in recent years. They have already nearly matched or exceeded last season’s 8-9 finish and the 2024 mark of 9-8.
Kansas City, coming off a 28-7 Monday night win over the Washington Commanders, has still been named by Pittman as among the elite. Denver and New England, both 6-2, are considered rising threats by the Colts’ top receiver.
Pittman’s refusal to include Buffalo or Baltimore in his “powerhouses” list underscores the shifting dynamics in the AFC this season. The Patriots and Broncos’ win streaks and the Colts themselves emerging as a force complicate the traditional pecking order.
Indianapolis now faces a crucial stretch that includes a Week 10 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons (3-4) in Berlin on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network, followed by a bye week. The Colts will then travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs in Week 12 on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. ET. After that, they’ll meet key AFC South rivals — the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) in Week 13 and the Houston Texans (3-4) in Week 14 — matchups that will play a pivotal role in determining whether Indianapolis can maintain its momentum as the playoff race intensifies.
Pittman projects genuine challenge ahead, both within the AFC South and across the conference’s broader field. His remarks reflect the Colts’ belief that the path to postseason success runs through the Chiefs, Patriots, and Broncos.
