How about the Indianapolis Colts’ 11-6 record this season? That’s what Nate Davis of USA Today predicted when he released his NFL team 2024 record projections.
Davis projects the Colts to finish 11-6 and win the AFC South but lose to the sixth-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round. Davis also projects the Houston Texans to finish 9-8 and miss the playoffs entirely.
Davis believes the Colts can get to 11 wins for two main reasons: they have head coach “tactician extraordinaire” Shane Steichen and a roster full of talent.
The Colts have a top-tier line on both offense and defense, and as the old saying goes, if you control the line of scrimmage, you control the game.
At the skill positions, the Colts added Adonai Mitchell, who brings a new element to the offense with his speed and explosiveness as a route runner. Mitchell joins the very reliable Michael Pittman and slot receiver Josh Downs, who both appear poised to make a leap in Year 2.
Joining Anthony Richardson in the backfield for Sticken’s RPO-heavy offense will be Jonathan Taylor, who is fully healthy, though the pair only took the field twice together last season.
“When you put Anthony and JT behind him,” offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said, “JT has a long history of having a lot of success and leads the league in rushing. Now we have Anthony. The defense might mesh on a run play, JT might run left and Anthony might run right. How do you prevent that as a defense?”
“You’ve got two explosive guys and maybe a chance to get the ball on a run play. How do you defend all that? It’s exciting.”
Of course, the big question mark surrounding the Colts, and one that has many analysts taking a wait-and-see approach, is what to expect from Richardson, who has only taken 98 dropbacks in his career.
Though the sample size is small, Richardson improved in the four games he played last season and we all know his potential is sky-high, but with the talent around him, he doesn’t need to be Superman every game.
Plus, as Davis alluded to, Steichen’s quarterbacks have had success under him: He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 while working with Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Jalen Hurts was an MVP candidate in Philadelphia with Steichen as his offensive coordinator.
Not to mention the continuity of this team, with relatively little turnover in roster from 2023 to 2024.
“Yeah, I think you can see the communication and the chemistry with the guys,” Steichen said during minicamp. “We signed a lot of guys, so I think that’s a bonus and a plus for us.
“Sometimes, you have a lot of new faces here and you have to re-establish that communications piece. Everybody knows the standards. Everybody knows how to operate. I think that’s going to pay off in September and the fall.”
Davis will also be keeping an eye on the Colts’ schedule. The middle section from Week 7 to Week 12 could be tough, but three of the first round games will be at home, giving the Colts a favorable record to finish the year.