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With a last-second win over the New England Patriots in Week 13, the Indianapolis Colts improved to 6-7 in 2024, including 5-4 with Anthony Richardson starting. The win keeps the Colts in the playoff hunt with just four games remaining in the regular season.
While the win was impressive, Richardson and the Colts still showed their many vulnerabilities, particularly on offense. Of the AFC teams on the bubble, Indianapolis has the best record at 6-7 but remains significantly less polished than the Miami Dolphins or Cincinnati Bengals — both of whom are right behind them.
To make the situation better, the Colts have an appetizing rest-of-season schedule with three of their four remaining games highly winnable on paper. After a Week 15 matchup with the Denver Broncos, their three remaining opponents all own losing records. Two of them, the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, are tied with the worst record in the NFL at 2-10.
Regardless, the Colts are still far from a locked-in playoff team. Richardson has not sold anyone that he is a bonafide starting quarterback yet and head coach Shane Steichen is still a handful of games away from finding himself on the hot seat. A win over the 3-10 Patriots did not change that.
Anthony Richardson is still struggling to throw the ball
He might have tossed the eventual game-winning score with 12 seconds remaining but, make no mistake, Richardson is still struggling in the pocket. In his nine games of 2024, Richardson is completing just 47.4 percent of his passes; a historically low mark. That trend continued in Week 13 when he completed just 12 of his 24 attempts for 109 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Overall, Richardson has topped 200 passing yards in just five of his 11 career games. He is a dynamic athlete, but not much of a pocket passer who excels at progressing through his reads and analyzing a defense.
This roster has the potential to be one of the best passing teams in the league. Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs are both capable of being the leading receiver of any team, while Alec Pierce has quietly become one of the best deep threats in the league. Richardson's arm is just not there yet.
On his limited track record, Steichen has excelled with mobile quarterbacks before. He led Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles to a runner-up season in 2022. But regardless of who is under center, Steichen's offenses have always excelled through the air. That has not been the case so far in 2024.
Colts' defense is still leaking yards on the ground
Over the course of 2024, the Colts defense has slowly improved each week. There are still a host of issues on that side of the ball, primarily on the ground.
Through 13 weeks, the Colts are allowing the second-most rushing yards in the league. Needless to say, that is not a typical sign of a playoff team. They are not exactly stellar through the air either — allowing the fourth most passing yards — but it is hard to feel confident in a team as a championship contender who cannot stop a run game.
Week 13 was their chance to build confidence up front. The Patriots boast one of the most inefficient running games led by Rhamondre Stevenson and were without three of their traditional starting linemen. Yet, they still ceded 73 rushing yards to Stevenson, giving him his fifth-highest single-game tally of the year.
It was not all bad for the Colts' front seven. Removing Stevenson's 32-yard carry in the first quarter, he averaged just over two yards per attempt on his 17 other totes. That has just been the issue for Gus Bradley's defense, who routinely allow chunk plays to opposing running backs, particularly on the edges.
Colts' injury issues damper playoff outlook
It seems as if injuries are always limiting the Colts, and 2024 is no exception. In their win over the Patriots, the Colts played without five of their traditional starters, simultaneously making their win more impressive and muddying their outlook on the playoffs.
The team's Week 14 bye will help, but most of their hobbled assets have not received many positive updates. Downs led the injury list in Week 13 and does not have a clear timeline, a factor that certainly played a part in Richardson's poor passing day. If he misses extended time, the Colts' offensive outlook is bleak at best.
Indianapolis is also still without key offensive linemen, led by the oft-injured Ryan Kelly. The void left by Kelly at center has been filled by Tanner Bortolini, who picked up an injury of his own and sat out Week 13, along with right tackle Braden Smith. That left just two traditional starters blocking in the game with Will Fries and Wesley French already on injured reserve.
It can be frustrating, but injured teams rarely succeed. They are simply a part of the game, and one that the Colts are struggling with down the stretch of the season.
