Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts' 2024 Schedule REVEALED!
Episode Date: May 16, 2024The Indianapolis Colts' 2024 season schedule has been revealed! What are their key games and stretches, and how many primetime games do they have?Week 1 vs. TexansWeek 2 @ PackersWeek 3 vs. BearsWeek ...4 vs. SteelersWeek 5 @ JaguarsWeek 6 @ TitansWeek 7 vs. DolphinsWeek 8 @ TexansWeek 9 @ VikingsWeek 10 vs. BillsWeek 11 @ Jets (SNF)Week 12 vs. LionsWeek 13 @ PatriotsWeek 14 BYEWeek 15 @ BroncosWeek 16 vs. TitansWeek 17 @ GiantsWeek 18 vs. Jaguars Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOColts?sid=YouTube📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQ Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL Follow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOnFN! Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotors.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply.FanDuelFanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARANTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
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Colts 2024 schedule has been released and we've got some takes. Let's get to it.
You are locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast,
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All right, thanks for tuning in and making us your first listen since the schedule has been released.
This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network,
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What's up, everybody?
This is Jake Arthur and Zach Hicks of HorseshoeHuddle.com,
and we are fresh off the NFL releasing its season-long schedule.
We now know in what order and when the Colts will be facing their 17 opponents.
So today we're kind of breaking down key games.
We've got the key
stretches of the season for you as well. And then what primetime games the Colts have. And then
rather than just, you know, go through each and every week for you, we've got a nice little ticker
here that Zach has prepared you at the bottom of the screen. If you're watching on YouTube,
telling you what all is going on in order on audio, we'll
go ahead and include the schedule in the show notes for you so you're not left out.
So Zach, let's talk about some key games first.
And it doesn't really get any hotter than week one at home against Houston.
You get beat to lose your playoff spot last year in week 18 at home against Houston.
You've got, you know, Zaire Franklin's comments
getting amplified probably a little too much towards CJ Stroud. So this feels like a really
good game to start the season. Yeah, really fun game to quarterbacks who were rookies this past
year. Obviously, Anthony Richardson is a little more green than CJ Str Stroud is Stroud coming off of what 19 games played last year and
Richardson coming off of like four up to maybe four if you want to count four there but no I
think it'll be a great start for this Colts team and it'll really set the tone for you know what
this Colts team and what this Colts season is going to be obviously the Texans are their biggest
rival right now in the division now the Titans and the Jaguars are still good teams and they'll be tough opponents as well. But the Texans, you have
that bitter taste in your mouth from that week 18 game where the Colts let it slip away at the very
end. But when you're really looking back on that game with a clean view on things and a fresh look
at it, like away from it all, the Colts were in that game with one of the best young quarterbacks
in football against them with their backup quarterback starting. And they got to that
game with their backup quarterback starting. So getting into week one, hopefully healthy.
You know, we never know with this team if they'll actually be healthy going into week one, but
hopefully healthy going in there. A lot of their veterans back and their quarterback back who
scored 14 points on the same defense early last season in what three drives,
four drives, three and a half drives, whatever it was. So yeah, I think it'll be an exciting
game to start off the year and, and hopefully Richardson can continue what he was doing early
in that Texans game back in week two from last season. Yeah, that'll be a huge one. Cause we
did just get robbed of so much Anthony Richardson versus CJ Stroud action last year and all fingers
crossed from both sides, both teams,
that we get that again this time.
Fast forward one week on this one, week two at Green Bay.
Luckily, it's not going to be a snowy Lambeau game for the Colts unless some freak nature event happens.
But I like this one too.
Very, I mean, it's got very little,
it's not gonna be a problem if they lose this one
because it's an intra-conference game.
NFC doesn't really matter, but it's kind of two similar teams in each conference on the
rise, you know, expected to compete for playoff spots.
Jordan Love is a great young quarterback.
I think this will be an exciting one as well, kind of of the same theme as week one.
Yeah, you know, it's very different situations, Jordan Love and Anthony Richardson, but I used a lot of what Jordan Love looked like
late last season to kind of rationalize in my mind what Richardson could have been late last
season if he actually played. Not that, I mean, again, they're different caliber players,
different ages and stuff like that. Love's obviously spent more time in NFL systems, but you saw what Jordan Love last year as the games went along and as he got more
starts under his belt, those flashes turned into consistency and he became a really good quarterback
late last season. I think Richardson was starting to turn that corner as well before his injury.
And I think what we saw from Love late last season is kind of what we could have seen from
Anthony Richardson if he continued his entire rookie campaign so seeing these two young
quarterbacks go at it in this early season game and and luckily for the Colts they get Green Bay
after they after Green Bay is coming back from a trip to Brazil in week one so maybe they'll be a
little bit jet lagged and Indy can get them in a favorable spot but love seeing two young upcoming
flashy quarterbacks and Richardson and
love.
And that should be a blast of a game.
I think it should be a high scoring affair between these two teams.
Yeah.
Pretty hopefully reminiscent of a game back in like Oh five Colts Packers
at the home paint man,
Chris Brett Favre.
That was a really high scoring one.
Next one.
We got to get this on the road at Everbank against Jacksonville one
other way.
So week five at Jacksonville one other way so week five
at jacksonville and i'll include week 18 at home against jacksonville as well because again could
be a win in your end of the playoff uh type of game jacksonville again they won the afc south
just two years ago before houston did they just randomly had happened to have kind of a hiccup of
a year but still a good team nonetheless.
And those two games against Jacksonville are in pretty crucial spots.
Yeah.
You know,
obviously we can,
we could just include every single divisional game in this first stretch
here about the most important games.
Like if you're a Colts team,
you've got to go at least three and three,
hopefully four and two or five and one,
or in the dream world,
six and O against your division next year.
But you got to take care of some of these games and at least split some series against some
tough teams and uh you know since my time covering the Colts and my time following this Colts team
uh you guys know I joined this Colts uh you know this Colts like beat right I don't want to say
beat writing but you know media coverage in 2018 and I've been following this team since like 2012
or something like that. I
don't think I've ever seen them win at Jacksonville. I really don't think I've ever seen it happen.
So for me personally, I know how you guys all feel, but for me personally,
I don't even know if this is possible. I don't know if this is something this Colts team can do.
I think, you know, I kind of count it as one loss every single season, just in my mind. So I'm
really, really hoping that they can come out and finally break that Jacksonville curse. Like I, I don't really care. Like for me personally,
if we're talking about personal vendetta wise, that's the most important game of the year,
every single year for me, because I've just never seen it happen. Like it's like seeing like the
Titans beat Andrew Luck. Like I just, I've never seen it happen. So I just don't know if it's even
possible here. So I really got to see them win in Jacksonville at least one time, you know,
at least one time with my time covering this team or following this team. Because if they don't,
then I'm going to think I'm the curse here or something. And, and you guys know, I'm not the
curse, right? Like I can't be the curse. Absolutely not. And Titans fans, you know,
if you're watching, go ahead and include your favorite Andrew Luck memory in here for us.
We'd love to hear that.
But no, one of my last ones here without diving into stuff we're going to talk about in other
segments, week seven, Miami at home.
That could be a track me game.
I could see that one being, that could be just almost like the Colts Browns game was.
That was almost what, like 70, 80 points,
whatever it was like, this could be a super high scoring game. You're going to get Moster,
Tyreek Hill, Waddle from the Dolphins, and then all of these athletic freaks from the Colts,
all on one of the fastest tracks in the NFL. That could be a big one.
Yeah. I'm just hoping that there's somebody in the Colts secondary that emerges with some kind
of speed that can keep up with that Dolphins offense.
Because as we're looking at it right now, what Jalen Jones is like a 4-6 or 4-5 or whatever.
Juju Brents is like 4-5.
Kenny's a little bit faster.
Dallas Flowers a little bit faster.
But it doesn't bode super well for going against Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, Devon Achain.
Like this is a fast, fast team coming to the Colts turf or whatever.
It's going to be a pretty insane matchup there.
And hopefully the Colts pass rush can get home against a somewhat weakened Miami offensive line.
But yeah, that does have the potential for some crazy, crazy high scoring game.
Yeah, last little kind of fun thing I want to throw in here real quick.
There's potentially
four rookies on the schedule on this one so you got caleb williams week three we know that's
going to be caleb williams as far as being the starter goes uh let's see who else minnesota
vikings uh you got that one with mccarthy week nine uh the patriots week 13 Drake May and then there was one more Broncos Bo Nix week 15 so you got four
of those those highly drafted quarterbacks I think that one's pretty interesting as well
especially since we're so fresh off of draft season you know we have to have something to
do with all the knowledge of what we just watched now so like
i'm going to pour that into watching those rookie quarterbacks when those games come up
yeah the most fun part of that is anthony richardson will be the younger starter in all
of those games so that'll be really that'll be really funny see especially against uh beau nix
i mean beau nix is closer to my age than he is Anthony's age.
Yes.
Yeah.
So on that note, we're going to go ahead and talk about some of the key stretches of the
schedule coming up here in a second.
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All right, diving into some key stretches here. So one of the first things that really jumped out
to me is three of the first four games for the Colts are at home. And then immediately after four of the next five are on
the road. So you've really got to take care of business at home, which the Colts has historically
have not done well early in the season. Home games really don't matter to them early in the season.
Lots of bumps. Cause then again, four of the next five
on the road, it's not like a murderer's row on the road, Jacksonville, you know, that one's tough.
Tennessee, they won their last year, Houston, not great. Minnesota, you know, they, they had a
nice big lead there at one point a couple of years ago, if you guys remember so i mean it's not terrible those those next five but
you got to take care of business and you got to be i mean be at least 400 in those first four games
500 whatever i said i was like 400 okay i never was good at i never was good at math okay
i think the big thing for me with that opening stretch is like you said we haven't seen this Colts team start hot in a long time even last year when things changed a little
bit under Shane Steichen compared to the Frank Reich era they still started slow and part of
that was the injuries at quarterback and the tougher schedule early last season but this year
you know for as winnable as you can get really in the NFL there's no really winnable stretches
when it comes to the NFL there's no like gimmies in the NFL you There's no really winnable stretches when it comes to the NFL. There's no
like gimmies in the NFL. You're not playing FCS opponents to start, but getting Houston at home
to start the season, I think is pretty favorable considering that you're probably going to get
a divisional opponent getting that game at home and the Colts being a little extra fired up
because of the way the last year ended. I think that's a positive start for them.
Going to Green Bay is not ideal in week
two, but getting them after that Brazil game, I think is the most favorable. You could have got
that Green Bay team and then getting two fairly manageable games with the Bears and the Steelers
right after that. I think the Colts really got to come out strong out of that first four stretch.
I'm saying more than 400 here, Jake. I'm saying you want to go three and one here,
at least in this stretch. Ideally four and oh, it'd be amazing. But if you can go three and one in this opening stretch,
it can really set the tone for your season and it can carry you into that really difficult stretch
in the middle of the year. You know, last year with this Colts team, they started off the season
on a really tough stretch, a lot of playoff teams to start the year. And then it eased up after that.
And they kind of were able to coast, you know, for the majority of the late season push until they ran into some hiccups late in the year.
But this year, it's really like you have some winnable games to start.
You get that really, really tough stretch in the middle of the year.
And then you get that late season push that you can, again, not coast, but very winnable late season push.
But I think you really got to take care of business in those first four, come out of that three and one or four and O and then ride that into
obviously that,
that tough stretch that starts with Houston,
Miami,
Minnesota is not really what I'm considering in there,
but Miami,
Houston,
Minnesota,
you got Buffalo,
you got the jets in there.
You got the lions in there.
That's a pretty tough stretch of games that the Colts just got to come
around 500 there,
but you got to set the tone early by three and one, four and O out the gate. And we haven't
really seen the Colts do that in a long time. So I'm really curious to see how this team responds
coming out early this upcoming season. Yeah. So let's talk about that middle of the schedule
you mentioned, because that one, that seems like the most brutal part. So you got Miami and Houston
back to back in week seven and eight.
That's two crazy offenses, especially passing offenses. We know from seeing both, you could
take the top off there. Weeks 10 through 12 is Buffalo, the Jets, and the Lions. So that's
really tough. I mean, things ease up quite a bit in the last stretch of the season, but you know,
you mentioned you have got to take care of some sort of business early in the last stretch of the season. But, you know, you mentioned you have got to take
care of some sort of business early in the season because it gets pretty brutal in the middle
portion. This is a big season for the Colts defense. It is a massive, I mean, you're looking
at the schedule and like, or again, early in the season out the gate, you're getting CJ Stroud and
Jordan Love to really, really promising young quarterbacks. Then you get Caleb Williams in week
three who might still be acclimating to the NFL,
but still Caleb Williams,
a really good quarterback prospect
who might come out the gates just ripping it.
And then that tough stretch you mentioned there,
you get Tua in that Miami offense
that can really sling it.
You get CJ Stroud again.
Then you get Josh Allen,
the top two or three quarterback in football.
You get whatever Aaron Rodgers is
at this point in his career.
And then you get that Lions offense,
which has been one of the best in football for a majority of the last couple years.
So, yeah, it gets easier down the stretch with New England and Denver and Tennessee and all those teams.
But up until that Detroit game, the Colts defense is going to be make or break for this team.
This Colts defense needs to be better than what they were last year, especially in their pass defense.
A lot of good, high-quality passing attacks attacks are going to be facing this next season.
And like you said, not just that beginning stretch, but that middle stretch right there is going to be vital for this defense.
So, yeah, I think that's going to be kind of the murderer's row for this season for the Colts.
And if they can at least go like 500 there after a strong start and strong finish, then there'll be a playoff team, but that's kind of the route they got to go this year compared to last year
where it was go 500 to start the year and then coast down the stretch.
Yeah.
And you had mentioned it earlier,
kind of worrisome about the past defense with some of these offenses.
They haven't really added anybody of consequence,
but you've got to hope having Liatu Latu in there now with
with Quidipe and Dayo and Samson Ebicom on the outside that that should really help.
Of course, Buckner on the inside as well.
So you really got to hang your hat on getting home with the pass rush because these other
these other teams can freaking gash you deep.
So final six weeks I had mentioned gets a little easier.
So again, final six weeks, you're looking at the Patriots,
which of course ugly team last year, they earned Drake may in this one.
Then you get your buy, you get a very late season by week 14.
I think it is. And then the Broncos who've been struggling,
they just earned themselves a rookie quarterback as well. The Titans again,
the Colts swept them last year.
The Giants, who have been a mess for the most part of the last decade or so,
and the Jaguars, who were probably better than what they were last year.
And they've made some decent moves this offseason,
but I'm still never going to take the Jaguars lightly. I love getting them at home week 18 instead of in Jacksonville
week 18 because you could chalk that down as an L, but no, that's at least if the Colts have some
sort of really unfavorable slide or just a spot that really dug themselves a hole at some point
in the season, they at least have this, I don't want to say relief because every team is capable of
beating any other, but the final six weeks look pretty good for them. Yeah. I think these final
six weeks are going to show how tough this team is because on paper, it's not the hardest stretch.
And, and no matter what happens this next year, I don't think it's going to be one of the harder
stretches. Like even if Tennessee has a better year than expected and they're like a more 500
ish team, it's still going to be, you know of again not like an easy game but like a winnable
game regardless and and same with some of these other teams here but I think when you're really
looking at this team you know at New England that's a cold weather game uh going up to to
Boston that's a tough game and just in general for that weather at Denver another game that can
that has potential to be like that and then at New York with the Giants.
These are going to be games that could be really low-scoring games,
and they could be kind of slop fest for the team,
and it's going to show just how tough this team is.
I remember when I first started covering this team in 2018,
I remember going into that second-round game against the Kansas City Chiefs
and everyone being like, oh, this is a tough Colts team.
They run the ball well.
They got Quinton Nelson and all these guys up front.
So they'll be able to punch the, the, you know,
the chiefs in the mouth who are this like kind of finesse-y like speed team.
And then the Colts were the ones who got punched in the mouth.
It was despite being the tougher team on paper, you know,
like we were all saying.
So the Colts got to really just show their,
their grit at the very end of the season to,
for a lack of a better like football, you know, cliche here.
But those games, even if they're a better like football you know cliche here but those games even if
they're not playing like you know playoff caliber teams they're going to these cold weather games
against tough defenses I mean New England's got a tough defense regardless Denver's defense is
never like truly awful the Giants have had good defense the last couple years like these are
going to be tough cold weather games with with potentially tough defenses so the Colts got to
be on their
a game just to grit out some of those games late in the year I think they can because Shane Steichen
showed that he could do that and get this team to do that last year but I think that's going to be
the big part for that final stretch like these are winnable games on paper it's a nice little
relief at the end of the season but they still got to bring their a game and bring their grit
to win those games there yeah I feel like if the Colts are going
to have to rely on the Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor combo at any point in the season,
it's probably late because again, it's just going to be physical. You're going to be worn down.
It's cold. Passing is just more difficult in that scenario and running the ball on paper,
the Colts should be one of the better teams. So that's, that's really where they're going to need
to hang their hat.
Yep.
And then coming up, guys, we're going to talk about the primetime games,
or sorry, game that the Colts have and the potential for maybe some flexes late in the season.
We're going to talk about the primetimes coming up in just a second.
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All right, Jake.
So we're back talking about the hundreds of primetime games
that our Indianapolis Colts have.
You guys know the Colts are notorious for getting home primetime games
throughout the season.
We're just like the Jets, baby.
We get like seven in the first seven weeks.
But no, the Colts only have one prime time game this year. They're going at New
York Jets in week 11. That's going to be Sunday night football. But besides that, as of right now,
no prime time games. And I know you guys are a little bit different than me and Jake, where
we like having no prime time games because it doesn't mean we have to do a live show at like
two in the morning. But for all of you guys who love primetime games and love seeing your Colts team on the big screen in
front of all your friends and family at Buffalo Wild Wings wherever you're going yeah you only
get the one chance to do that this year so far with the Jets game on Sunday Night Football.
Yeah I'm fairly confident week 17 at the Giants is not going to get flexed into, into prime time. Now,
mind you,
the Colts did have two late season games flexed into a national window
last year.
The Steelers was like a four 30 Saturday game.
And then week 18 with the Texans,
I think got flexed into moved to,
it got moved to Saturday.
Yeah.
It got moved to Saturday.
So it may not be like the eight 20 prime time, but these could get flexed into it got moved to saturday yeah it got moved to saturday so it may not be like
the 820 primetime but these could get flexed to national television regardless that jacksonville
game week 18 already i've got that circle this one that has high likelihood uh it's gonna have
some it's gonna have some sort of prominence with either of those teams i think uh but yeah the the
jets being the only one we absolutely know will be primetime.
That's cool.
I mean, Aaron Rodgers, hopefully he's still out there and healthy by week 12 or week 11.
Should be a tough game.
That defense is bonkers.
So I don't know.
It's going to be a tough one.
I think it's a tough matchup for the Colts for their stars to shine in that
element necessarily.
Cause again,
the giant,
the jets defense is just really,
really good.
But yeah,
basically I think the fallout of what you're seeing very little primetime
games for the Colts,
Jim or say,
and the Colts beat that drum hoard before 2022,
they got rewarded with it.
And then 2022 happened. That's's fair and so the NFL is
like hey never again until you're actually good again and you've sustained it for a while so I
don't blame the NFL for taking away the culture rights to have primetime games once again I I
think that's fair I feel like the NFL loves giving primetime
games to teams that have like very old quarterbacks like I'm not even just saying that because of Aaron
Rogers this year and the Jets getting like 12 uh this season but like the one year that we got it
here in India is when we had Matt Ryan you know a potential hall of famer one day who was like in
his last season I feel like we got a little bit with Philip Rivers in here too and and obviously like Tom Brady and all those guys got a ton in their final seasons but
yeah I thought that was I can't believe the Jets have so many prime times like I know they're New
York and I know they have Aaron Rodgers but like I think what was it Warren Sharp tweeted out that
it's like six prime time games like at home in the first 11 games or first 11 weeks I haven't
looked at it yet but i mean
that's pretty bold because like rogers hasn't even really played for them yet so but before i look
i'm gonna go ahead and take a wild guess that the cowboys have at least five yeah the giants probably
have a few like those huge market teams are always gonna have what seems like way too many prime time
games early in the year, particularly.
But no,
I don't hate it.
I won't be leaving a stadium at like one or two in the morning.
You and I won't be going off air at like two in the morning. So I'm,
I'm cool with it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Some other scheduling notes though,
that I want to leave with you guys are our guide.
DS,
DSG,
a good bar here,
put in the comment section,
something really cool.
The Colts only have the third or have
the third fewest miles to travel this season which is obviously an advantage only 11,000 miles in
total and now this does help the Colts because so many teams are traveling overseas now for games
and the Colts don't have an overseas so that's probably a good chunk of it right there but yeah
that is an advantage there on the Colts schedule but one one disadvantage and I think I have to
pull up let me see if I have to pull up.
Let me see if I have it here from somebody sent me a message on this one.
So bear with me here a second, guys.
But somebody told me, yeah, the Colts get multiple teams after bye weeks this upcoming
season.
They always get this at Tennessee.
So after Tennessee has their bye week, the Colts get them.
After Miami has their bye week, the Colts get them. And after Denver has their bye week, the Colts get them. After Miami has their bye week, the Colts get them.
And after Denver has their bye week, the Colts get them.
So multiple teams coming off of their bye weeks this year.
They also get Minnesota after Minnesota comes off their Thursday night football game.
So the Vikings will get 10 days of rest before they play the Colts.
So, you know, when you're looking at this schedule, you get multiple advantages,
multiple disadvantages, and some crazy things. And all you can really do is just play the teams in front of you i guess
you know this is where analyzing the schedule comes into kind of disarray here where it's like
there's so many good things coming your way but also so many bad things coming your way so
we'll see we'll see what happens here let me put you on the spot real quick. Which game are you most looking forward to?
Because mine, I'm tossing over some options here.
I'll give you mine first so you can think about it.
But it's not Houston week one because I'm going to feel really pessimistic about it for a while.
I think the one I'm looking forward to most is week five at Jacksonville.
Because especially the last year or so I've really talked myself
into the fact that I think they're going to finally do it um I do think this is the year
they go into Jacksonville and get the win like I think Jacksonville is a fine team they somehow
play superhuman when it's against the Colts at home but like they're it's just there's so much
newness for the Colts than when that losing
streak started, you know, like I have way more confidence in Shane Steichen and a healthy Anthony
Richardson and, you know, the Colts should have a really nice defensive line. Their linebackers
are physical. It's a game where I don't think the Colts youth in the secondary is going to be a huge problem
because Trevor Lawrence isn't necessarily a big push it down the field type of quarterback.
So I feel good about the Jacksonville game this week, this year.
I wish I could share that optimism.
You may feel that you may, you may switch that up with me about Houston I
don't know but I don't feel great about that yeah I think those first two games are going to be
obviously you know the Houston game we have months now to sit on it and get excited about it so I
mean I'm going to be sitting here for a long time breaking down Houston film from last year because
that's what we can look at you know because that's who we're playing in week one and that's what we
have to go off of when it comes to that Houston team.
So obviously the week one game against Houston,
but I'm always interested in looking at measuring stick games, you know,
where this team is going to be, where they could be.
Can they compete with the elites of the NFL?
And we've seen it in times like even in their bad seasons,
beating the Kansas city chiefs with Matt Ryan as their quarterback,
like we've seen them somehow pull off these upsets.
So I'm looking at that Detroit game in week 12,
especially if the Colts are hovering around 500
or maybe a little bit above
or a little bit below at that point.
That week 12 home game against Detroit.
Detroit, one of the NFL's elite teams right now
or close to elite teams.
I mean, they were, what,
half away from being in the Super Bowl last year.
They have a lot of dudes coming back.
They added another good draft class.
Detroit is a really good, well-coached football team.
And I'm curious to see how this Colts team can stack up against a team like that.
A really built, well-teamed, just all-around, really solid football team.
Do the Colts compete with a team like Detroit by week 12 of next season?
Because if they're not even competitive in that game,
then we've got to restart some expectations for where this team is going.
But if they can come out there and punch a team in Detroit in the mouth like that and maybe win that game at home,
then we're feeling pretty good about where this thing is going with Steichen and Richardson.
So outside of Week 1, obviously Week 1 is the most anticipated game.
I think that Week 12 game against Detroit at home is going to be a big one for this Colts team.
Yeah, I especially am interested in that one being right after the Jets game.
Because it's like whether the Colts lose or win that Jets game, if they win against the Jets and win or are highly competitive against the Lions, like, OK, they might be for real. But if they, you know, if they lose against the Jets and come back and beat the Lions,
depending on how it looks in that Jets game, it, you know, it's, it's one of those things where it
doesn't look as bad and you can still have confidence in where they're going long-term.
Yeah. Yeah. That's all we have for today, guys. So I know we didn't do a whole game by game
prediction, but don't worry. There's still plenty of off season left. We could still do that here
in the next couple of days. So make sure you're tuning in to Locked on Colts every single day.
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And before we get out of here, make sure you drop your record prediction
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Most accurate one gets a hug or something from Jake,
because Jake's nearby, you guys.
Big hugger. I'm a big hugger, big hugger, big hugger there. But we will see you guys back here tomorrow afternoon.