Takeaways from Colts' 2025 Schedule

The Indianapolis Colts announced their 2025 regular-season schedule on Wednesday night, and there were some immediate glaring things that stood out.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from the Colts' 2025 schedule.

Tough Tests Right Off the Bat

The Colts have their first two games at home inside Lucas Oil Stadium, but they're against the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos. The Broncos made the playoffs last year, and the Dolphins may have as well if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hadn't missed six games. These are truly toss-up games. The Colts beat a Tua-less Dolphins team at home last year, 16-10, and they were in strong control against the Broncos into the second half before an unspeakable gaffe by Jonathan Taylor deflated the team and led to a lopsided loss. The Colts could very well be 0-2 in the first two games, but being at home certainly helps.

Curse Breakers?

The Colts haven't won a Week 1 game since 2013, and they haven't beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road since 2014. Will either of these streaks -- or what Colts fans dub "curses" -- be snapped in 2025? We've mentioned that the Dolphins are a tough opening-week matchup. The Colts will be on the road in Jacksonville at EverBank Field in Week 14.

Colts Will Spend More Than a Month Away from Lucas Oil Stadium

The Colts will "host" the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10 in Berlin, Germany. One downside to the Colts being the host team is that it takes away a home game at LOS. How the schedule-makers built the Colts' slate, they go a stretch from October 26 (Tennessee Titans) to November 30 (Houston Texans) between games at LOS; that's 35 days -- from before Halloween to after Thanksgiving.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

One Primetime Game, but Numerous Significant Audiences

Missing the playoffs for four straight years, the Colts haven't done much to earn many primetime games (Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football), but they are on the schedule in Week 16 to host the San Francisco 49ers for MNF. However, they will still have plenty of big-time slots to play in. The Berlin matchup will be nationally televised, albeit at 9:30 a.m. E.T., but the ratings for those games still do well. The Colts will also play in the late-Sunday time slot five times, and two of those are at home in the eastern time zone, so it's not to accommodate playing on the west coast (those instances are in Weeks 4, 7, and 15 against the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, and Seattle Seahawks).

Strength of Schedule Only Thing 'Easy' About Schedule

The Colts have the eighth "easiest" strength of schedule based on their opponents' win percentage in 2024 (.434), but that's about the end of what makes it "easy." The back-to-back matchups with the Dolphins and Broncos to start the season are tough, and three trips to the west coast, and another to Europe, is a lot of travel to deal with. There's also the month-plus away from LOS. Last, the Colts have a lot of good quarterback competition. Out of their entire schedule, there's just one game against a team with an unsettled quarterback situation, and that's on the road in Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who made the playoffs last season.

Week 18 is Perfect

The Colts are on the road in Week 18 against the Texans. Just as this matchup was two years ago in Indianapolis, the winner of this game could very well be playing for a spot in the playoffs. The Colts and Texans both have favorable odds for the AFC South crown, and this game could have everything on the line. If the Colts can make the postseason, they will be a battle-tested group, including this meaningful matchup on the road in the regular-season finale.