The Colts ripped through the first eight games of the season, winning seven times. A 1-3 slide since then has raised a troubling question.
Could they miss the playoffs?
Indeed they could. Now 8-4 and tied with the Jaguars atop the AFC South, the Colts could easily lose both the division title and one of the three-wild card spots.
And the stretch run is a gauntlet. After Sunday’s visit to Jacksonville, where Indy hasn’t won since 2014, the Colts finish with the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans.
Via NBC Sports research, the Colts could be the sixth team since the AFL-NFL merger to start 7-1 or better and miss the playoffs. The others were the 2012 Bears, Washington in 1996, the 1988 Saints, the 1987 Chargers, and the 1975 Dolphins.
The Colts would be the first team to start 7-1 or better and fall out of playoff contention with seven spots available in each conference.
One issue has been the performance of quarterback Daniel Jones away from Indianapolis. At home, he’s 5-1 with 15 total touchdowns and one turnover. One the road, the Colts are 3-3 — and Jones has nine total touchdowns and nine turnovers.
Then there’s the fracture in Jones’s leg. It made him one-dimensional against the Texans in Indianapolis last week, in a game that the Colts nevertheless could have won.
On Sunday, weather will be an issue. But that will be true for both teams. Whatever the elements, the Colts need to find a way to win in a place where they haven’t in 11 years.
If they don’t, a season of apparent resurgence could end like every other season since 2021 — without a playoff appearance.