Expert Brutally Honest on Colts' Playoff Chances

Heading into the final quarter of the 2024 NFL year, the Indianapolis Colts are set to embark on their late-season playoff push in an effort that could ultimately come down to the last game of the season.

At a 6-7 record and tied for eighth place in the AFC, they're right in the hunt to make a postseason appearance happen. Yet, some are still skeptical of their true chances of making it to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

The latest to comment on the Colts' postseason chances comes from CBS Sports and Tyler Sullivan, as he predicted how the AFC playoff picture will shake out during the final weeks of the NFL season.

When evaluating how things could pan out for Indianapolis, Sullivan placed them fifth of five eligible teams with a shot to make the Wild Card round behind other contenders such as the 6-7 Miami Dolphins and 8-5 Denver Broncos.

"There's more that I trust with the Dolphins than I do the Colts, largely due to the inconsistency of quarterback Anthony Richardson," Sullivan said describing the Colts' ranking. "The former first-round pick has been better since returning from his mid-season benching and is 2-1 over this current stretch, but is also still incredibly inaccurate throwing the football. Over the last three games, Richardson has completed 52.4% of his throws. The Colts have the second-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL, which should inflate their win total, but a home matchup against the Denver Broncos in Week 15 could make or break their season."

Anthony Richardson and the Colts have taken care of business in two of their last three outings, but as mentioned by Sullivan, we've still seen a fair share of inconsistencies under center. It's difficult to build a sustainable, consistent winning formula when the passing attack is only successful half of the time, and with Richardsons's 52.4% completion rate, that's exactly the situation Indianapolis is in.

Indianapolis has four games left in the regular season with the 31st-ranked strength of schedule in the league, presenting a favorable set of games down the stretch. But, for the wins to come their way, Richardson and the offense need to hone in their consistency on a down-to-down basis while maintaining their explosive ability to keep opposing defenses on their toes. So far in three showings, that concept has remained a work in progress.

Thankfully, Richardson and the Colts' offense will have some extended time over the bye week to get on the same page. However, the improvements need to come quickly if this group wants to make a serious bid for the postseason.

Indianapolis will get the 2024 campaign back underway next Sunday at Mile High to take on the red-hot Broncos -- a must-win matchup for the Colts' playoff aspirations.