The Indianapolis Colts are going to have their hands full trying to navigate the improving AFC South in the 2024 season. All of their rivals in the division look to be improved for the upcoming season, which has some analysts mixed about how the Colts will do.
Last season, the first under head coach Shane Steichen, they were competitive. With the division title on the line in Week 18 against the Houston Texans, Indianapolis came up short, losing 23-19.
That resulted in a 9-8 finish to the regular season. Solid given the fact that rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson only played in four games before suffering a season-ending injury.
With Richardson healthy and some improvements made to the roster around him, it is easy to see why some people believe that the Colts will be in the playoff mix again in the AFC. But, not everyone is that high on their outlook.
One person who is skeptical about Indianapolis heading into the 2024 campaign is Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report. Moton released some division-standing predictions last week and Colts fans will not be thrilled about what he thinks of their team.
Moton has pegged the Colts as third place in the AFC South with a 7-10 record. Only the Tennessee Titans, with a prediction of 5-12, is worse. The Texans are predicted to win the division again with a 12-5 record and the Jacksonville Jaguars are second with an 8-9 record.
Health will be a theme for Indianapolis all season. They need their key players to remain healthy if they are going to compete.
“Anthony Richardson has generated offseason buzz, though he has a small four-game sample size and perhaps some growing pains ahead of him. Running back Jonathan Taylor has missed 13 games over the last two years. Richardson and Taylor need to stay healthy for the offense to reach its full potential, and that’s questionable with both of them coming off an injury-riddled campaign,” Moton wrote.
Unfortunately, the injury bug has already hit the team. Near the start of training camp, pass rusher Samson Ebukam tore his Achilles tendon, ending his season before it even began.
Ebukam is a huge loss for the team. He led the Colts with 9.5 sacks last season and was third with 10 tackles for loss. Ebukam added 17 quarterback hits, as he started all 17 games for Steichen’s defense.
“Rookie first-round pass-rusher Laiatu Latu could make an immediate impact, but the Colts defense hasn’t proven it can carry this team to victories,” Moton added.
For Indianapolis to replicate and improve on its success from 2023, they are going to need some breaks to go their way. It certainly won’t be an easy task given how improved the AFC South is, but Steichen’s crew showed last year they respond well to adversity.
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