Colts Flying High in Week 16 NFL Power Rankings
The Indianapolis Colts have won five of their last six games including last week's demolition of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NFL.com's Eric Edholm had high praise for the Colts' depth after suffering a rash of injuries leading up to and during the game against Pittsburgh. The Colts moved up two spots to a season-high No. 13 on NFL.com's Week 16 Power Rankings.
"With the playoffs potentially hanging in the balance, the Colts received notable contributions from D.J. Montgomery, Tyler Goodson and Trey Sermon -- none of whom were on the roster a few months ago," wrote Edholm on NFL.com.
"Most of it happened after the Steelers built a 13-0 lead, too, but the Colts weren’t at all spooked. It was a terrific answer after the second-half performance in the loss to the Bengals. Now we wait to hear about the Michael Pittman Jr. (concussion) and Zack Moss (arm) injuries they suffered in the win, plus any updates on Jonathan Taylor’s status.
"But this was low key a massive game for Gardner Minshew. He has battled all season and kept the team competitive, with Indianapolis going 6-4 in his starts and 2-0 when replacing Anthony Richardson midgame."
Minshew signed a one year, $3.5-million contract with the Colts before the season. It proved to be a wise investment by general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.
Minshew has played his way into a bigger-pay day after the season, but that's a problem for another day.
The Colts find themselves in the same position on ESPN's Week 16 NFL Power Rankings. They made the jump from No. 16 to No. 13 this week.
This week's theme for ESPN was finding a stat that each team led the NFL... good or bad.
Indianapolis leads the NFL in defensive snaps.
"With the Indianapolis defense spending 943 snaps (tied with Seattle for the league's most), you'd expect more negative results," wrote Stephen Holder on ESPN. "But the Colts have bent without breaking. They rank 13th in defensive efficiency and defensive expected points added (EPA), and they are 18th in opponent red zone efficiency (56.8%). Another big variable in the defense making it work is that it is tied for third in takeaways with 24."
The Colts are also close on several vital defensive statistics. Holder mentioned the takeaways; Indianapolis is tied with the Bengals for the most interceptions in the AFC with 15.
On of the more surprising statistics in the NFL is the Colts' amount of sacks. They're third in the league with 46 sacks, just four behind the No. 1 Ravens. They've bested their 44 sacks from a year ago with three games to go.
The Atlanta Falcons, the Colts' opponent this week, have given up the 13th-most sacks with 36 on the season. This week's contest could be a good opportunity to stat pad against quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
We've maintained all year that power rankings don't win football games; they are a reflection of winning football games. Heading into Week 16, the Colts have gone from as low as No. 30 to No. 13 over the course of the season. They have a legit shot at the AFC South crown and a playoff spot.
With those accomplishments in the face of the multiple personnel changes the Colts have had to make throughout the season, Steichen is on the short list of candidates for NFL Coach of the Year.
