We are entering the home stretch. Has this season been what you thought?
The Indianapolis Colts are off this week, so it seems like the perfect time to take a step back and gauge what we have seen so far. Has it met, exceeded, or not even touched your expectations? I think it is important to consider expectations versus desires. We all desire for the Colts to win every game and be in the mix for home field advantage in the playoffs at this point of the season. That is the desire. Expectations are, or at least should be, more realistic regarding the type of team we see entering the season. With that said, has this team surprised, disappointed, or maybe been exactly as you expected? There are a few things that stand out to me.
Anthony Richardson
Expectation: Richardson would take the next step in his development and play the vast majority of games by avoiding injury.
What I have seen: The beginning of the season was rough. Richardson was in more of a sophomore slump than a surge. Ball placement was bad and his completion percentage was proof of that. He couldn’t stay healthy either. He missed too many games due to injuries and then got benched. That was something I didn’t expect to see this year. Since the benching, however, he has looked more like the player I thought, or at least hoped, he could be. Things haven’t gone as I expected, but I am more encouraged about him as the future than I was a few short weeks ago.
The AFC South
Expectation: The Houston Texans would be the cream of the crop again, and the Colts would be chasing them for the division all season long.
What I have seen: Houston is the best team in the AFC South, but I am not sure it is an insurmountable gap. By that, I don’t mean in 2024. Having won both head to head matchups and maintaining a better record, the lead they have built over the Colts appears to be too much. I am looking more long term. C.J. Stroud has come back down to Earth, and I think with some roster tweaks, the Colts could be much better in 2025. I fully expected the Colts to be second in the division, lose the first game against the Texans, and be in chase mode all year long. The drought will continue, but I think the Colts could have a solid chance at the division in the next few seasons.
Overall Record
Expectation: I thought the Colts would be around .500 when the dust settled.
What I have seen: I don’t do preseason breakdowns of each game and decide who the Colts will beat. The NFL is a league of such parody that it is difficult to truly know how a team translates from year to year. With that said, this is about where I figured they could be. They could be two games in either direction, and I wouldn’t have been caught off guard either. This isn’t a bottom of the barrel team, but it also isn’t a contender either. Being in the middle is on par with what I thought.
Overall, I would say this season is slightly below my expectations, but not by much. I figured the Colts would be second in the division but could have a better shot at the playoffs than things currently stand. What really drags this average down in my mind is what occurred with Anthony Richardson. I didn’t like seeing the early inconsistency, injuries, or the benching. If things go as they have since he has been back, I feel confident going forward. If that continues over the last fourth of the year, I will consider this season to have exceeded my expectations.
