Colts looking to avoid a collapse like the one they suffered two years ago
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — If the NFL regular season ended today, the Indianapolis Colts would be in the playoffs.
The Colts (8-7) are tied with the Bengals, Steelers, and Texans for the seventh and final AFC wildcard spot. If they win the final two games of the season, they would be guaranteed at least that No. 7 seed.
They could even claim the AFC South Division title if they win one more game than Jacksonville and Houston over the final two weeks.
The Colts will play the Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) on Sunday and then Houston (8-7) the week after, both games at home.
The situation is similar to the position the Colts found themselves in just two years ago at the end of the 2021 season when Carson Wentz was the team’s starting quarterback and Frank Reich was the head coach.
The Colts had won three straight games heading into Week 17 that year, needing to win just one of the final two games to clinch a playoff berth.
The first game is a home showdown against the 8-7 Raiders. The next is a trip to Jacksonville to play the 2-14 Jaguars.
Unfortunately, the team narrowly lost to the Raiders 23-20 and were shocked by the Jaguars a week later, falling 26-11.
Those two losses eliminated the Colts from the playoffs, and the current players who were a part of that 2021 team are using the disaster as a learning experience.
Fast forward two years, the Colts have a situation where they control their own destiny, starting again with a home matchup against the Raiders.
While Head Coach Shane Steichen and starting quarterback Gardner Minshew were not on the team in 2021, the majority of the team’s core players experienced that heartbreak.
All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing that year, believes there is a lot to learn from the late-season collapse two years ago.
“Nothing is guaranteed,” Taylor said. “[In 2021] we failed in a sense, now you have the opportunity to learn. We are able to at least teach the younger guys or give them a little bit of knowledge that you have from your experience … we need to be all gas on the pedal this week.”
Star linebacker Zaire Franklin also experienced the 2021 collapse but says the Colts can’t have that on their mind.
“You can’t be thinking about what happened in the past,” Franklin said. “Obviously we’ve been there, we’ve learned from it, we experienced it, and we had a whole offseason of hurt to deal with it, but we’ve moved on.”
The team captain offered his advice to the rest of the team when looking at the final two weeks of the season.
“Take it one week at a time,” Franklin said. “Focus on what is in front of you and focus on the moment. Don’t get so caught up in what should be or what is going to be. Focus on what you have in front of you.”
In front of the Colts is a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
RELATED COVERAGE
- How Reggie Wayne says we’ll know if he’s elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Colts to highlight Kicking the Stigma during Sunday’s game against Raiders
- 3 former Colts players again among finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Shane Steichen’s message to the Colts with 2 games remaining
- Colts place key defensive player on injured reserve list
- Chuck Pagano reveals which Colts player will receive the most gifts from ‘Santa Pagano’
For more updates on the Colts throughout the season, follow us on X and Facebook.