A team can only play who is on their schedule. When teams that aren’t expected to be good start having success the first hole to shoot is into who they have played. For the Indianapolis Colts, their resume isn’t the strongest having beaten a one and a zero win team four weeks into the season. Whose fault is that? That is just the way things have turned out, but that isn’t on the Colts. They dispatched of their weaker opponents convincingly and had ample opportunity to walk away last week with a signature win. All of that has put them at 3-1 on the season, but as the schedule would have it, there is a lot more winning to do.
The Colts left Los Angeles feeling low. A game they could have won with a few minor adjustments slipped through their fingers. They are looking to get back on track, and a date with the Raiders from Lucas Oil is the exact prescription to get the job done. Coming off a four turnover game and a blocked field goal against the Bears, the Raiders, and especially Geno Smith, are looking a little upside down. A 6:7 touchdown to interception ratio for Smith should have the Colts defenders excited for Sunday. Will the Raiders be an easy win? Probably not. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, but they aren’t the worst matchup coming off a devastating loss like the Colts experienced at the hands of the Rams.
Not only do the Colts play the 1-3 Raiders this week, but they follow that up with the 2-2 Cardinals. Throw in a tough road game back in L.A., this time against the Chargers, and the Colts are back home again against the currently winless Titans. That is a super soft portion of the schedule that the Colts must take advantage of if they are going to remain competitive. The schedule doesn’t turn into a gauntlet after that, but it certainly gets much tougher. Yes, the schedule is kind, but it is the exact type of schedule that is needed to build confidence. Daniel Jones and the offense have been clicking and could have easily had a 34-point performance on the road. That shows this hype train shouldn’t slow just because they experienced their first loss of the year.
Stack wins wherever they can be found. That is the goal of every team. The Colts are doing just that to kick things off in 2025. Not to look ahead because they can’t take the Raiders for granted, but the Colts are still sitting pretty and can improve on their early season success over the next four games. They are 3-1 in the first quarter of the season. Turn in another 3-1 or 4-0 and a 6-2 or 7-1 start will set them up nicely in the second half. They can’t help the schedule they were given to start was soft. They can do something about it though. Just win, baby.
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