Shane Steichen’s Indianapolis Colts haven’t looked like a team trying to make the playoffs in over a month. They resumed their season after the bye week with an 8-2 record and looked like they were going to make the cut comfortably.
Everything has gone downhill since. They have lost five consecutive games, their strategies and execution in each outing have been all over the place, and now the fate of their season doesn’t even rely on them winning the remaining two games.
Their next two games are against the Jaguars and the Texans. Both teams from the AFC South have a better record. More importantly, they have momentum on their side with the Jaguars on a six-game winning streak and the Texans on a seven-game winning streak.
But we can’t write the Colts off just yet. The season isn’t over for them until they’re officially eliminated. As of now, heading into Week 17, they still have a chance to make their first playoff appearance since 2020.
To say that getting there isn’t going to be easy would be an understatement. There are a lot of factors that need to fall in place for Indianapolis to get over the hurdle. Let’s break down everything that needs to happen for the Colts to be in the playoffs this season.
What Needs To Happen for the Colts To Make the Playoffs?
It goes without saying that they will have to win their remaining two games. Winning against the Jaguars on Sunday will put them at 9-7, just one win behind the Texans. Then they will have to win against the Texans in January.
That alone isn’t going to make their playoff chances better. While winning the next two games is very important, the Texans must lose to the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday for the Colts to even have an opportunity this weekend.
If the Texans win on Saturday, the Colts will be eliminated as their overall win tally will reach 11, while the Colts can only accumulate 10, even if they win the next two games.
Here are a few scenarios posted by Deniz Selman on X.
“If the #Colts lose to San Francisco but then win out and catch the #Texans at 10-7, the AFC # 7 seed will come down to the beloved strength of victory tiebreaker.”
“If both teams fall exactly 1 point short of winning, then SOV will end in a tie and it goes to SOS (stength of schedule), which the #Texans are very likely to win.”
If both teams fall exactly 1 point short of winning, then SOV will end in a tie and it goes to SOS (stength of schedule), which the #Texans are very likely to win.
— Deniz Selman (@denizselman33) December 22, 2025
“If Colts beat SF, then in any tied scenario the tiebreaker would go to Texans (winning extra NFC games is “bad” given you’re tied, since that’s 1 less AFC win), so this SOV stuff will be irrelevant–only applies to the exact situation of a tie at 10-7 after the Colts lose to SF.”
There’ll be a lot of board watching from the Colts team and their fanbase in the coming weeks. As weak as their chances are, they’re still in the run.
Read More:
Caleb Williams’ College Highlights: The Heisman Winner Was A Menace to Opposing Defenses
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
