Will The Colts Go Over or Under 6 Wins?
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The Indianapolis Colts have gone through an offseason of change following a season that saw them go 4-12-1.
Gone is veteran QB Matt Ryan. In his place are Gardner Minshew, and 4th-overall selection Anthony Richardson. Frank Reich and interim head coach Jeff Saturday aren’t here anymore either; instead, former Eagles OC Shane Steichen is the head man in Indy.
With all of this turnover, both on the roster and on the coaching staff, will the Colts see an improvement in their win total next year?
During Wednesday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, John made his case that the Colts would increase their win total, but not by much, with him setting the over/under at 6 games. DraftKings, for their part, agree. They have the Colts over/under win total for the 2023 NFL season at 6.5. This ties them with the Houston Texans and 4 other teams; the only team with a lower over/under is the Arizona Cardinals, at 4.5.
Here is the Colts 2023 schedule:
Week 1: vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 2: @ Houston Texans
Week 3: @ Baltimore Ravens
Week 4: vs Los Angeles Rams
Week 5: vs Tennessee Titans
Week 6: @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 7: vs Cleveland Browns
Week 8: vs New Orleans Saints
Week 9: @ Carolina Panthers
Week 10: @ New England Patriots (in Frankfurt, Germany)
Week 11: BYE WEEK
Week 12: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 13: @ Tennessee Titans
Week 14: @ Cincinnati Bengals
Week 15: vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 16: @ Atlanta Falcons
Week 17: vs Las Vegas Raiders
Week 18: vs Houston Texans
So, is 6 wins a reasonable win total for the Colts in 2023?
Obviously, it’s still too early to know. The NFL is always one of the hardest leagues to predict; every year, there are teams that overachieve, and teams that fall flat on their face. Colts fans are all-too familiar with the latter scenario. That being said, 6 wins does seem like a realistic outcome for the Colts this upcoming season.
On paper, there aren’t any games that one could circle as a guaranteed win. That’s just life as an NFL team that will presumably be starting a rookie QB with only 13 college starts under his belt. Still, games against the Texans, Falcons, Buccaneers, Saints, and Raiders appear winnable. The Rams are another team the Colts could beat, especially if Los Angeles’ struggles from last season carry over, as are the Titans, who like the Colts suffered through a slog of a 2022 season. Even the Patriots, who under Bill Belichick have made life miserable for rookie QB’s, and who have had a lot of success playing overseas, look as vulnerable as they ever have.
As stated earlier, however, there are no guarantees. The Colts have, in recent years, displayed a troubling habit of playing down to inferior opponents. Take last year’s opening week tie against the Texans, or their infamous faceplant in Jacksonville the season before that. Inevitably, they will win a game that they shouldn’t, and lose a game that they should’ve won. For Colts fans, it will be business as usual.
Listen to JMV discuss the over/under for the Colts 2023 win total below, check out the podcast, and tune into The Ride With JMV from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
Will The Colts Go Over or Under 6 Wins? was originally published on 1075thefan.com
