PITTSBURGH — For more than 40 minutes, things came easily for the Indianapolis Colts. Lost to Jacksonville 20-38, lottery seed up 2.7 to 20. It’s a spot that seemed unimaginable after two-plus quarters of near-flawless play against a team that hadn’t won in nearly a month. If not as the division champion, Tennessee still gets a wild card spot because the Dolphins lost to the Bills. Indianapolis hopes its playoff chances didn’t disappear right along with it. A win would keep them alive for another week. With a win over Tennessee, the Colts’ chances of reaching the postseason was 91% and to win the division 83%, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. The Colts are now tied atop the AFC South with the … • Football Power Index rankings » The Colts must beat the Jaguars in Week 17 and have either the Ravens, Browns or Dolphins lose to have a chance to make the playoffs for just the second time since 2014. That ties the longest streak by a Colts rookie in the past 40 seasons. Colts’ playoff chances stay alive with thrilling 28-27 win over Giants. Philip Rivers found receivers running free all over Heinz Field. The AFC throws out surprise playoff teams each year, and the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos lead 2020’s list of potential newcomers. • Transactions » | Injuries » But if the Colts miss the playoffs, they’ll look at two giant missed opportunities: The Jaguars have one win this season, and it came against the Colts in Week 1. Entering the locker room at … Even still, the Colts aren’t likely to blow their playoff chances in Week 17 by losing to the one-win Jags. AP/Copyright The Associated Press. Colts Super Bowl Odds AFC playoff seeding: Five things to know about the Colts playoff chaseThe Colts can still finish anywhere from the No. Easier said than done. Its stunning 28-24 loss to Pittsburgh left just about everything on the table for the Colts (10-5) heading into Week 17. The Colts will officially be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss against the Saints at the Mercedez-Benz Superdome. Cynthia Frelund breaks down what it would take for the Indianapolis Colts to make the playoffs in the 2021 season, including free agents that they should target. “When we had everything to play for, we just didn’t have all the answers in the second half of a game we had to have,” Indianapolis coach Frank Reich said. 7-9-0 .438. The Colts second-round draft picks will play a big role in their playoff chances A victory was in sight. Indianapolis hopes its playoff chances didn't disappear right along with it. Two AFC teams fighting for playoff positioning face off this Sunday, as the Indianapolis Colts (10-4) travel to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3). They were forced to use J'Marcus Webb, who was just brought up off the practice squad, at left tackle. Indianapolis likely needs to beat Jacksonville (1-14) in the regular-season finale and hope for a little bit of luck elsewhere. “All we can do is take care of our business,” Reich said. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these TERMS OF USE and PRIVACY POLICY. A weird season that’s seen the Colts careen from contenders to also-rans and back again now comes down to one game. However, it’s fair to think they are still only the third-best team in the AFC … And when the defense turned the Steelers aside on four shots from inside the Indy 5, it appeared the Colts had things well in hand. 11 for Wentz, To keep or let go? On tonight's Colts Daily Update, Matt Taylor gives you all the details regarding the Colts' playoff odds and their injury situation heading into week 17. But, as the first set of games played out, everything appeared to be breaking their way. Against the Steelers, they managed to cram both looks into the same game. We are out of the playoffs. They wouldn’t have required much, if … The Colts’ last two drives ended with Pittsburgh’s Mike Hilton picking off Rivers’ heave deep down the sideline, and Rivers throwing high and wide on fourth down with 1:14 to play. I think the Titans will win the Division actually. Their stunning 28-24 loss to Pittsburgh left just about everything on the table for the Colts (10-5) heading into Week 17. And when it was over, the Colts dropped another game to the Steelers, losing 28-24, and now their playoff future is out of their hands. The defense overwhelmed Pittsburgh’s lifeless offense. The defense couldn't stop Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “We no longer control our own destiny,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. Colts' T.Y. As usual, the conference is led by a pair of powerhouses (the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in the spots traditionally held by the New England Patriots and Peyton Manning’s teams), with a few sub-contenders (Houston Texans, … Taylor keeps scoring: Colts rookie running back Jonathan Taylor's late-season surge continued when he scored two touchdowns to bring his total to nine. Taylor became a non-actor, making just two of his game-high 18 carries over the Colts’ final five drives. Follow the NFL all season longEverything you need this week: They improve to 7-6 on the year and are now tied with the current 6th seed in terms of record. The Colts took another hit along the line when Holden left the game early in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis Colts. We had a bad game, a bad half, and we weren’t able to finish it off. Heading into Sunday, the Colts’ playoff chances weren’t all that high. • Full schedule » | Standings » Lottery. Hilton, other key free agents, Wentz to Philly: Farewell after 'amazing journey', Previously worked at Indianapolis Star, covering the Indiana Pacers for nine seasons, Also covered Vikings for St. Paul Pioneer Press. The offensive line couldn't protect Philip Rivers. The Indianapolis Colts had their shot. Even potentially going into Week 17 with a chance to win the AFC South. The Indianapolis Colts no longer control their own destiny in the AFC playoffs. It's hard enough to stop Roethlisberger when he's rolling -- he had 342 yards passing -- and it's almost impossible when the defense is called for four penalties in the second half when Pittsburgh was making its comeback. “This will sting for a little while and (we) have to come back and get a redemption game against Jacksonville.”. The Steelers brought pressure on the edge and up the middle against Rivers. And Rivers failed to generate much of anything during Pittsburgh’s rally. We’ve been on the other side of those. Assuming the Colts are fighting for a playoff spot—a fairly big assumption right now—there’s a chance the presence of Tom Brady would lead to a night game to round out the campaign. Pick a winner and see what happens to the Colts ’ playoff chances: They were the aggressor as it got to be a 10-point game, a 3-point game, and I don’t mean that from a play-calling standpoint. Michael Marot AP Dec 23, 2018 at 8:28p ET . On today's daily update, Matt Taylor discusses the Colts' playoff chances with only four games left in the regular season. While victories elsewhere by Miami and Baltimore would have prevented the Colts from locking up the franchise’s second playoff berth since 2014 even with a win, the path now gets considerably more perilous. Jacksonville locked up the first pick in the 2021 draft by losing to Chicago on Sunday, meaning the Jags have no reason to pull punches against the Colts. The longest streak (seven games) was set by Curtis Dickey in 1980 when the team was still in Baltimore. Not so much. At times they’ve looked like playoff imposters. More NFL coverage ». He shook off four defenders to do the same on a 1-yard plunge in the second. Pittsburgh’s safeties crept closer to the line to help out and Rivers made them pay by delivering a beautiful 42-yard touchdown to Zach Pascal that put Indianapolis up 21-7 late in the first half. What has been even more impressive is that Taylor has scored a touchdown in four straight games. The Colts are riding a … Very proud of the team today but our Playoff chances went out the window when we lost to Brock who got benched today for Tom Savage. Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor twice violently churned his way into the end zone. Indianapolis gained just one first down during a four-possession stretch while the Steelers ripped off three straight touchdowns to surge in front. “I’m not pointing fingers at our defense because I think they’d say the same thing. Their stunning 28-24 loss to Pittsburgh left just about everything on the table for the Colts (10-5) heading into Week 17. Combining Rivers’ offensive impact with better offensive line play should lead to a significant improvement from both parties, and hopefully, give the Colts the chance to compete for a playoff spot in 2020. That turned into giving up a season-high five sacks against the Steelers. First off, the Colts themselves won. Not all the problems were because of right tackle Chaz Green and left tackle Will Holden. • Transactions » | Injuries » • Depth charts for every team » “I’m not doubting the coaches or the players. “And that means learning from this film … and then finishing up the regular season with a great performance.”, Help | Press | Advertise With Us | Jobs | FOX Cincy | RSS | Site Map But things fell apart like nothing they had experienced this season. As New Year’s nears it’s still the Jaguars’ lone win of the season. Indianapolis Colts Playoff Chances 2019. More NFL coverage », Everything you need this week: — Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) December 9, 2019. Rivers attempted to get his 37th come-from-behind victory when the Colts got the ball with 2:25 remaining and down 28-24. The result — the Colts’ seventh straight loss to Pittsburgh — seemed improbable for long stretches. And just like that, the momentum vanished. Daily Update: Colts' Playoff Chances In Week 14. FOX and FOX SPORTS are trademarks of FOX Media LLC. Head coach Frank Reich says the Colts 'just didn’t have all the answers in the second half of a game we had to have' as they fell to the Steelers on Sunday. But that sixth seed did lose on Sunday. All rights reserved. Sunday was a perfect opportunity for the Colts to get their first victory over the Steelers since 2008 because a playoff spot would have almost been a guarantee. The Ravens aren’t going to lose to the Bengals either. Despite missing both starting tackles, Indianapolis spent the better part of the afternoon pushing the AFC North champions around. According to BetMGM, the Colts are -150 favorites to make the playoffs. 2 seed to out of the playoffs. Everything was looking perfect for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Steelers pass-rusher T.J. Watt even stripped the ball from Rivers in the first quarter to give Pittsburgh the ball in the Colts' red zone. The secondary started getting sloppy. Its stunning 28-24 loss to Pittsburgh left just about everything on the table for the Colts (10-5) heading into Week 17. Colts must decide on T.Y. Indianapolis hopes its playoff chances didn’t disappear right along with it. We’ve got to learn from it, get better next week and get some help.”. Add your own league! Winning the game on Sunday is a great thing for the team’s chances. Jacksonville’s only victory of the season came in Week 1 against the Colts. And just like that, the momentum vanished. The Colts have been eliminated from playoff contention. Here are the big games and what ifs for draft seeds. “Going into the game, I think we could control our own destiny with a win today, and I think everyone thought in the first half it was a sure thing, and I think we just took our foot off the gas,” center Ryan Kelly said. Then there’s Week 16, when the Colts took a 21-7 lead over the Steelers at half only to lose 28-24. share url email fbmsngr whatsapp sms. The Titans win the division with a win over the Texans or a Colts loss to the Jaguars. FS1 | FOX | FOX News | Fox Corporation | FOX Supports | FOX Deportes. Rodrigo Blankenship‘s 28-yard field goal early in the second half boosted the lead to 17. And the defense wasn't disciplined enough to avoid penalties. The Saints, Colts and Dolphins all boosted their playoff chances by 14 percent with wins in Week 8. The Colts must beat the Jaguars in Week 17 and have either the Ravens, Browns or Dolphins lose to have a chance to make the playoffs for just the second time since 2014. The Colts dinked and dunked to get down to Pittsburgh's 37-yard line before Rivers' pass to Zach Pascal on fourth-and-7 sailed wide on him to officially make the road to the playoffs difficult for Indianapolis. • Depth charts for every team » • Football Power Index rankings » “We lost the football game because we didn’t execute well enough on either side of the ball,” said Rivers, who completed 22 of 35 passes for 270 yards with a touchdown and an interception. A step closer to the playoffs. • Full schedule » | Standings » They couldn’t. Colts' collapse vs. Steelers leaves them needing playoff help, Colts hope revolving door at quarterback stops with Carson Wentz, Indianapolis Colts free-agency overview: Left tackle, pass-rushers sit at top of priority list, Texans' rivals donate to aid Houston recovery, What the recent QB trades can tell us about the state of the NFL: Five takeaways, Daring moves for all 32 NFL teams in the 2021 offseason, Colts WR Pittman won't give up No. Andy Reid and the Chiefs blow it as usual when they have a chance to run the table and get a Bye week. A 24-7 lead. We gave them (the Steelers) life. At times they’ve looked like one of the best teams in the AFC. Taylor ran basically untouched from 6 yards in the first quarter to give the Colts an early lead. Indianapolis hopes its playoff chances didn’t disappear right along with it. They have an 80.4% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. Hurry back, Castonzo and Smith: The Colts knew they were going to have their hands full with a Pittsburgh defense that went into Sunday leading the NFL in sacks (47) without starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo (ankle) and right tackle Braden Smith (COVID-19 list). How are these numbers calculated? Although it might be … It just had that feel like ‘Oh boy,’ and we were trying to hang on.”. No, that’s not a joke. Per @JoeNFL, the #Colts would officially be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss next Monday. That current sixth seed is Baltimore. The table below represents the Colts ’ remaining games. Three penalties — two for pass interference, another for illegal contact — helped the Steelers get downfield quickly.