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The weekend is almost here, which means it is time for some Indianapolis Colts Week 8 bold predictions. The Colts will return home to host the Washington Commanders on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
After winning two games in a row, Indianapolis was then met with a loss in Week 7. Last week, the Colts lost 19-10 to the Tennessee Titans on the road. Now, the Colts find themselves with a 3-3-1 record and in second place in the AFC South. They also have a new quarterback at the helm, with Sam Ehlinger taking over for Matt Ryan.
Washington is also having a rough season. At 3-4, the Commanders are at the bottom of the NFC East. Most notably, they are without starting quarterback Carson Wentz for the next couple of weeks after he suffered an injury on his finger.
With both teams hoping to finally break out, Sunday's contest should be an interesting one to keep an eye on. With that being said, here are three bold predictions for the Colts as they face the Commanders for a Week 8 clash.
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3. Jonathan Taylor runs for 100+ yards, at least one touchdown
The 2022 season has been rough for the Colts so far. Many players have been underperforming, and the team is far from what some expected it would be with Matt Ryan as the new quarterback.
One of the reasons the Colts' offense is not as effective as before is due to Jonathan Taylor's impact this year. Dealing with injuries, he has already missed two games. In five games, he has totaled 91 carries for 386 yards and just one touchdown plus one 100-yard performance.
For comparison, in the 2021 season, Taylor led the league with 332 rush attempts for 1,811 yards and 18 scores. He also had 10 games with at least 100 rushing yards. He earned First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
With Indianapolis having a new starting quarterback on Sunday, perhaps head coach Frank Reich will utilize more of the run game, especially early in the contest. That would benefit Taylor as he would get more touches and maybe score again.
Fans can expect Taylor to be the most active player in Indianapolis' offense against Washington. Because of that, he could break the 100-yard mark for the second time this year and score at least one touchdown.
2. Sam Ehlinger struggles early in the game but eventually catches up
In a move that some expected while surprised others, Indianapolis decided to bench Matt Ryan for the remainder of the season. The veteran had nine passing touchdowns but nine interceptions as well, plus 24 sacks and 11 fumbles.
Starting Sunday and moving forward, Sam Ehlinger will be the new QB1 in Indianapolis. A sixth-round selection last year, he has appeared in three games in the NFL but failed to throw a pass. Because of that, there are a lot of questions surrounding how he will perform this season.
During his time in college, Ehlinger carved his name in Texas' history. He became the quarterback with the most rushing touchdowns in a single season with 16. He also is the Big 12 quarterback with the most consecutive pass attempts without an interception with 308.
It is likely that Ehlinger will be a bit nervous and might not be fully in sync with his receivers as he has not practiced much with first-stringers. But based on his time as a Longhorn, he could eventually become a solid quarterback in the league.
The bold prediction is that Ehlinger will struggle early in the contest, forcing more rush attempts and punts. However, he will find his way throughout the game and have a strong debut as a starter in the NFL.
1. Colts win a low-scoring game
Since both teams will be with new starting quarterbacks on Sunday with Ehlinger and Taylor Heinicke in just his second game this season, it would not be a surprise to see struggling offenses. The teams will still be adapting to their new quarterbacks' styles, which could play a role in the final result of the matchup.
All things considered, this should be a low-scoring outing. Both teams will not hit the 20-point mark, making the kicking game an X-factor on Sunday.
According to FanDuel, the Colts are the favorites to win the contest as of Thursday morning. However, the spread is only -3. That means it should be a close game with every possession making a huge difference. This could go either way, but Indianapolis should still come out with a victory.
The home factor will certainly help the team. Taylor's rushing performance and Ehlinger's dual-threat ability should make a difference as both offenses suffered many changes in the past few weeks.
Fans should expect a one-possession game with few touchdowns. In the end, the Colts will start the Sam Ehlinger era with an important win that might not change their season immediately but will affect them in the long run.
