Colts Demand Respect as 'Championship Contender'

The Indianapolis Colts have dominated their competition and are quickly emerging as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen walks the sideline during the game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, against the Arizona Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts won their sixth game of the season after a great road victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Many judged the Colts on the 'ease' of their schedule, with victories over lowly teams like the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and the Las Vegas Raiders.

But after such a statement victory like this one over the Chargers, it's hard to deny what the Colts are at this point heading into Week 8: a Super Bowl contender.

The Ringer's Steven Ruiz believes the Colts are a 'Winner' after the big victory over LA at SoFi Stadium. Starting, Ruiz mentions that the Colts aren't just a surprise, but rather, a serious threat to take the entire AFC conference.

"The Colts are no longer just the fun surprise team. Shane Steichen’s squad is playing like a legit championship contender, and it’s time we start treating them as such in what looks like a wide-open AFC."

Oct 19, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Colts offense has taken over the NFL, ranking second in total yards (2,662), fifth in passing yards (1,751), fifth in rushing yards (911), and first in overall points (232). Quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Jonathan Taylor have been playing at another level and are, without question, the biggest reasons for Indy's offensive dominance.

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Ruiz continues by bringing up that Super Bowl-caliber teams should soundly defeat the lower-tier competition. Through seven games, the Colts are number one in the league in team point differential with +92.

"That’s what great offenses and championship-caliber teams do. They impose their will on opponents. While it’s still too early to call this offense great, at least in historical terms, that’s the pace it has set through seven games."

"I feel like he's played well his whole career, to be honest."

Shane Steichen never had any doubt of QB Daniel Jones' abilities - despite a tumultuous time with the New York #Giants

11 months after leaving New York, Jones leads the NFL's best #Colts to a 6-1 record #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/gT2HmqNk3O

— Angela Moryan (@AngelaMoryanTV) October 22, 2025

To rehash it, yes, the Raiders, Titans, and Dolphins are bad teams, but true competitors like the Colts should smash teams like those, and Indianapolis has done just that.

Lastly, Ruiz mentions that this pace isn't necessarily completely sustainable, but that the Colts have played so well that it's difficult to imagine that they'll hit too much of a snag as the playoffs approach.

"It’s unlikely they’ll be able to keep this pace up, but after watching how they’ve done it for the past two months, nobody should be surprised if they don’t slow down much for the remainder of the season."

Oct 19, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) prepares to throw the ball in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Colts have a much tougher schedule ahead after they face the Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Below is Indianapolis' next set of opponents.

• Week 8 | Tennessee Titans (1-6)
• Week 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
• Week 10 | Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
• Week 11 | Bye
• Week 12 | Kansas City Chiefs (4-3)
• Week 13 | Houston Texans (2-4)
• Week 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3)
• Week 15 | Seattle Seahawks (5-2)
• Week 16 | San Francisco 49ers (5-2)
• Week 17 | Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3)
• Week 18 | Houston Texans (2-4)

It should be expected that Indy will hit a roadblock or two. It should also be assumed that the Colts will drop a few of these games, especially from Week 9 and beyond. But, to believe Indianapolis can achieve 12 or 13 wins isn't far-fetched.

Regardless of opinion, the Colts are legit and should be considered a Super Bowl-level team in the 2025 season. Everything on both sides of the football is clicking, and for now, no team has truly stopped the Indy machine.

The Colts can't look ahead to the tougher teams just yet, as they must take care of business when the Titans visit the Circle City looking to play spoiler to the best team in the NFL.

Is Daniel Jones the front-runner for Comeback Player of the Year? pic.twitter.com/NR73q5T2N0

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) October 21, 2025