Where the Indianapolis Colts Land in Week 4 NFL Power Rankings

Seven major outlets ranked the Colts an average of 20th entering Week 4, but an easier stretch could change that soon.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) leaves the field Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, after defeating the Houston Texans 19-17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Indianapolis Colts finally got into the win column in Week 3, but national outlets still appear split on exactly what to make of this team.

Across seven major publications that released power rankings ahead of Week 4, Indianapolis received an average ranking of 20th out of 32 teams.

Considering the Colts opened the season against Baltimore and Kansas City and allowed more than 500 yards in each game, I really can't blame most of these rankers.

But after holding Houston to just 223 total yards in Week 3, Indianapolis finally showed what this team could look like if the defense simply holds up its end of the bargain.

That performance was enough to get Indianapolis moving back up most national power rankings, but apparently not enough to convince everyone just yet.

Here’s where Indianapolis landed across the seven major rankings:

Sep 27, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader (3) reacts after making the game winning field goal against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sports Illustrated: No. 15 (+1)

This feels much more realistic to me.

The Colts offense still has enough firepower with Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor to keep them competitive, and Sports Illustrated is clearly giving Indianapolis more credit for surviving that brutal opening stretch.

ESPN: No. 23 (+1)

ESPN focused heavily on Jones' return from his Achilles injury and his slower statistical start, but having teams like the Patriots, Steelers and Giants ahead of Indianapolis is debatable.  

CBS Sports: No. 20 (+5)

Right around the overall consensus.

CBS gave the Colts credit for the defensive improvement against Houston.

FOX Sports: No. 19 (+4)

FOX seems to be buying into what we saw defensively in Week 3.

After allowing more than 500 yards in each of their first two games, the Colts held Houston to 223. If that improvement sticks, Indianapolis has enough offensively to become a much more dangerous team.

NFL.com: No. 20 (-1)

Another ranking right around the consensus, although seeing the Jets and Browns ahead of Indianapolis definitely caught my attention.

NFL.com highlighted the Colts' much-improved defensive showing against Houston while also giving Spencer Shrader credit for his perfect start to the season.

Yahoo Sports: No. 19 (+2)

Yahoo seems more optimistic about Jones than most outlets.

Their biggest takeaway was his continued progress coming back from the Achilles injury, especially after completing 24 of 36 passes for 235 yards against a strong Houston defense.

Pro Football Talk: No. 24 (+3)

This is easily the ranking I disagree with most.

Having the Commanders, Falcons, Browns and Texans all ahead of Indianapolis feels extremely aggressive, even considering how ugly the first two weeks were.

The good news is the Colts should have an opportunity to move up quickly.

Indianapolis has the sixth-easiest remaining strength of schedule according to ESPN's FPI, with its next four games coming against Washington, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Minnesota.

After surviving Baltimore and Kansas City to open the season, the next few weeks should tell us a lot more about where this Colts team actually belongs.

Recommended Articles