Proving the doubters wrong.
There was a recent poll put out on the social media platform X by us @JoinTheHuddleUK. It asked a simple question. Who will win the AFC South next year?
The Colts came in last place. That came as a bit of a surprise at first. From the outside looking in, there is not a huge amount of faith in what Indianapolis can achieve next year.
It could be that the uncertainty at the quarterback position is causing this. It is called the most important position in all of sports for a reason. And every other team in the division seems to have found their player for that role.
Quarterback battle
The Colts are in the midst of trying to figure the quarterback role out, with a well-publicised ‘quarterback competition’ underway.
Things took an unfortunate turn for current incumbent Anthony Richardson when he suffered a recurrence of the shoulder injury that derailed his entire rookie season.
Early advantage to challenger Daniel Jones? Maybe. But all the signs point to Richardson being ready to go by the time training camp begins.
Either way, there is still huge uncertainty about who will officially start under center for Indianapolis when they get their season underway against Miami in September.
This appears to have swayed thinking about what the team can achieve next year. However, let us look at some reasons why Indianapolis should not be overlooked.
Solid offence
Stepping aside from this quarterback battle, the Indianapolis Colts have a very solid and well-rounded roster.
If we look at the offence first of all, there is a good group of receivers in terms of Michael Pitman Jr, Alec Pearce and Josh Downs. Each player will offer something very different and can assist whoever wins the quarterback competition.
Added to that, the team has also addressed another glaring hole in the roster by drafting Tyler Warren at tight end. The Colts have missed production from this position massively over the last few seasons.
To have somebody there now who can be a weapon in the passing game, as well as help blocking in the run game, will add an extra dimension to the offence. Coach Steichen has already spoken glowingly about what Warren can do for the team.
People also seem to overlook the fact that Indianapolis have one of the elite running backs in the NFL in Jonathan Taylor. The man put up 1,431 yards last year. The offensive line also has seven-time Pro Bowler Quenton Nelson at guard.
That is a good offence for whoever wins the quarterback battle to pilot going into the new season.
A new defence
As for the defence, everybody in Indy is looking forward to seeing what new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo can bring.
Last year, the Colts defence was not where it needed to be. They finished 29th in total yards allowed.
One of the biggest issues was missed tackles. The Colts led the league in that area with 157, with teams adding another 1,183 yards after the missed tackle. Simply put, it was too easy to play against Indianapolis last year.
General Manager Chris Ballard moved swiftly to bring in Chavarious Ward from San Francisco and Cam Bynum from Minnesota in free agency. Both of these players possess a really important metric: low missed tackle rates.
With big things expected from second-year edge rusher Laiatu Latu, it is hoped that the defence will be much more difficult to play against moving into 2025 and beyond.
Head Coach
Finally, let us look at the Head Coach. Shane Steichen is entering his third year as the man in charge. Currently, his record is 17-17.
A winning year in his first season was followed by a losing one in his second. But through both years, he has had the team in the mix for the postseason. This is despite having to deal with uncertainty at quarterback.
If Indy can get above-average quarterback play moving into the new year, this is a team that can win the AFC South.
So do not underestimate the Colts this year.
