Week 12 tore through the NFL over the weekend, and did a number on half the league’s playoff chances. Some teams, like the Seattle Seahawks, were brought back from the dead, while other, like the Cincinnati Bengals, watched their season get completely flushed away. The Indianapolis Colts continued their meteoric rise through the ranks after being left in the dust back in September.
The Colts 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins extended their win streak to five. For a team sitting at 6-5, the math isn’t hard to decipher. This Colts team was a non-factor for the first six weeks of the season. Now they may be one of the most dangerous teams in the AFC.
While the Colts are outside the playoff picture if they started today, they’re in prime shape to make a run over the last five weeks of the season.
Will the Indianapolis Colts qualify for the 2018-19 NFL Playoffs?
Yes +300
No -450
Related: NFL Betting Guide | Week 13 Odds
That’s a solid payoff for “Yes” and by the time this article wraps up, I might convince us all to take it.
As of today, the only team ahead of the Colts for the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs is the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams are 6-5.
The Ravens and Colts don’t play each other this season, so there’s no head-to-head tie breaker. On their heels, they have the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos, all at 5-6. Realistically, every other team is out of it.
Here’s who Indianapolis has left on their schedule: at Jacksonville Jaguars, at Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, at Tennessee Titans.
343 passing yards. And his 8th straight 3+ passing TD game.
Andrew Luck was in the ZONE in Week 12. #Colts https://t.co/qLNE7k9xpS
— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2018
Here’s who the Ravens have left on their schedule: at Atlanta Falcons, at Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns.
If I’m picking through the Ravens schedule today, I don’t see any way they beat the Chiefs or the Chargers. So that’s two losses right there. As maligned as Joe Flacco has been in recent years, if he doesn’t come back healthy, then all these games are up for grabs. Lamar Jackson is an exciting player, but he won’t be facing Marvin Lewis/Hue Jackson and Jon Gruden down the stretch. Yes, it’ll be Dirk Koetter and Gregg Williams, but still.
LAMAR FOX SIX! @Lj_era8
📺: CBS #RavensFlock https://t.co/xDT6Setxn3
— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2018
The Colts slate is definitely more winnable, and, looking around the rest of the AFC, they’ll need to go 4-1 at worst to secure a wild card spot because Baltimore isn’t their only problem.
The Broncos are in danger of knocking both the Colts and Ravens out. While the Dolphins, Bengals and Titans share the same record, it’s Denver that not only has an outside shot of getting that last Wild Card spot, they’re the team that could spoil it for everybody.
Denver is at Cincinnati, at San Francisco, hosts Cleveland, at Oakland, then finishes up in Week 17 hosting the Chargers. There’s no reason to believe that the Broncos won’t win those next four games, setting up a win and you’re in scenario hosting Los Angeles in the cold at Mile High on Dec. 30. The Broncos have already beaten the Chargers once. If Denver runs the table, and they absolutely can, they’ll take the fifth seed in the AFC, L.A. will be the six and Indy and Baltimore will be watching it home.
#BroncosCountry do not overlook or underestimate the fact Case Keenum just beat two future HOF quarterbacks in back to back weeks. pic.twitter.com/xlBiCHyIXF
— Denver Broncos 365 (@DailyBroncos) November 27, 2018
