Are Andrew Luck’s Colts Charging Toward a Playoff Spot? Ultimate NFL Power Rankings Week 12

Now at .500 after a horrendous start, the Indianapolis Colts have quietly won four in a row in the AFC South.

November 21, 2018 5:00 am
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 18: Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Andrew Luck (12) looks down field to make the pass during the NFL game between the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts on November 18, 2018, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 18: Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Andrew Luck (12) looks down field to make the pass during the NFL game between the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts on November 18, 2018, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

After advancing to the AFC Championship and losing to the Patriots in the game that touched off the “Deflategate” scandal in 2014, things did not go so well for the Indianapolis Colts.

With franchise quarterback Andrew Luck in and out of the lineup with injuries, and playing behind a suspect offensive line when he did suit up, the team went 8-8 for the next two seasons and then bottomed out at 4-12 last year.

With Luck’s health uncertain entering this year, prospects for the 2018 season weren’t all that much rosier for Indianapolis and new head coach Frank Reich.

And, over the first six weeks of the season, it was easy to see why.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 18: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts gives a thumbs up to the crowd after the game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 18, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Getty Images

The Colts went 1-5 to open the year and seemed headed to another forgettable season despite Luck actually starting the year on the field and playing well.

Then, in Week 7, the Colts won at home versus the Bills. The following week, they took care of business on the road in Oakland against the Raiders. After that, they knocked off the Jags at home followed by a win over the Titans.

Which brings us to Week 12 of the NFL season where the Colts are now 5-5, good enough (record-wise) for a tie for the final AFC playoff spot with Baltimore, Miami, Tennessee, and Cincinnati.

It seems crazy to think about it, but the Colts have as good a shot as any of those teams to lock up the last playoff spot as the rest of their schedule is incredibly favorable with only one of their remaining six opponents having a record above .500 (Texans).

If Luck – who is second in the league in touchdown passes with 29, and thrown at least three scores in each of his past seven games – can keep rolling, there’s no reason to think Indianapolis can’t end up at least a game or two over .500 with a solid shot at their first playoff berth since 2014.

But how do the power rankers from ESPNNFL.com, and USA Today see it?

Find out in the latest edition of RealClearLife‘s Ultimate NFL Power Rankings, which combine ratings from those three outlets to get a single rank for all 32 teams in NFL and use segmented tiers to arrange them.

Also, for an even greater perspective on how the season has been progressing, check out how each team’s season average ranking compares with where they finished this week and last.

The Best of the Best (1.00-5.33)

No. 1.00, last 1.00, two weeks ago 1.00, season average 4.14: New Orleans Saints (ESPN, 1), (NFL.com, 1), (USA Today, 1)

No. 2.00, last 3.00, two weeks ago 3.00, season average 1.66: Los Angeles Rams (ESPN, 2), (NFL.com, 2), (USA Today, 2)

No. 3.00, last 2.00, two weeks ago 3.00, season average 3.24: Kansas City Chiefs (ESPN, 3), (NFL.com, 3), (USA Today, 3)

No. 4.00, last 5.00, two weeks ago 6.66, season average 8.90: Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN, 4), (NFL.com, 4), (USA Today, 4)

No. 5.00, last 5.66, two weeks ago 3.00, season average 4.84: New England Patriots (ESPN, 5), (NFL.com, 5), (USA Today, 5)

The Best of the Rest (5.34-10.66)

No. 6.33, last 4.33, two weeks ago 5.00, season average 8.20: Los Angeles Chargers (ESPN, 7), (NFL.com, 6), (USA Today, 6)

No. 6.66, last 8.00, two weeks ago 10.33, season average 12.33: Chicago Bears (ESPN, 6), (NFL.com, 7), (USA Today, 7)

No. 8.00, last 10.66, two weeks ago 11.33, season average 17.66: Houston Texans (ESPN, 8), (NFL.com, 8), (USA Today, 8)

No. 9.33, last 7.66, two weeks ago 8.00, season average 8.39: Minnesota Vikings (ESPN, 9), (NFL.com, 10), (USA Today, 9)

No. 9.66, last 8.66, two weeks ago 6.33, season average 8.75: Carolina Panthers (ESPN, 10), (NFL.com, 9), (USA Today, 10)

So You’re Saying There’s a Chance (10.67-15.99)

No. 12.00, last 15.00, two weeks ago 17.00, season average 19.11: Seattle Seahawks (ESPN, 11), (NFL.com, 12), (USA Today, 13)

No. 12.66, last 16.00, two weeks ago 14.00, season average 11.81: Baltimore Ravens (ESPN, 13), (NFL.com, 11), (USA Today, 14)

No. 13.33, last 19.66, two weeks ago 23.66, season average 23.81: Indianapolis Colts (ESPN, 15), (NFL.com, 14), (USA Today, 11)

No. 14.00, last 11.33, two weeks ago 14.00, season average 14.45: Washington Redskins (ESPN, 14), (NFL.com, 16), (USA Today, 12)

No. 15.00, last 17.33, two weeks ago 20.00, season average 20.23: Dallas Cowboys (ESPN, 16), (NFL.com, 13), (USA Today, 16)

No. 15.66, last 11.66, two weeks ago 14.33, season average 11.51: Green Bay Packers (ESPN, 12), (NFL.com, 15), (USA Today, 20)

Stuck in the Middle with You (16.00-21.32)

No. 17.00, last 13.00, two weeks ago 19.00, season average 18.51: Tennessee Titans (ESPN, 17), (NFL.com, 19), (USA Today, 15)

No. 19.00, last 17.33, two weeks ago 12.66, season average 13.08: Cincinnati Bengals (ESPN, 19), (NFL.com, 21), (USA Today, 17)

No. 20.33, last 17.66, two weeks ago 13.00, season average 15.45: Atlanta Falcons (ESPN, 20), (NFL.com, 17), (USA Today, 24)

No. 20.33, last 23.33, two weeks ago 23.33, season average 21.20: Denver Broncos (ESPN, 22), (NFL.com, 18), (USA Today, 21)

No. 20.66, last 25.33, two weeks ago 22.33, season average 22.81: Detroit Lions (ESPN, 24), (NFL.com, 20), (USA Today, 18)

No. 21.00, last 22.00, two weeks ago 19.33, season average 18.33: Miami Dolphins (ESPN, 21), (NFL.com, 23), (USA Today, 19)

It’s Probably Not Your Year  (21.33-26.65)

No. 21.33, last 16.33, two weeks ago 10.33, season average 10.57: Philadelphia Eagles (ESPN, 18), (NFL.com, 24), (USA Today, 22)

No. 23.33, last 21.66, two weeks ago 25.33, season average 22.87: Cleveland Browns (ESPN, 25), (NFL.com, 22), (USA Today, 23)

No. 24.33, last 23.66, two weeks ago 21.33, season average 13.51: Jacksonville Jaguars (ESPN, 23), (NFL.com, 25), (USA Today, 25)

No. 26.00, last 28.33, two weeks ago 29.66, season average 27.11: New York Giants (ESPN, 26), (NFL.com, 26), (USA Today, 26)

See You in 2019  (26.66-32.00)

No. 27.00, last 25.00, two weeks ago 24.33, season average 20.36: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ESPN, 27), (NFL.com, 27), (USA Today, 27)

No. 28.00, last 26.66, two weeks ago 31.00, season average 29.36: Buffalo Bills (ESPN, 28), (NFL.com, 28), (USA Today, 28)

No. 29.66, last 28.33, two weeks ago 26.33, season average 26.08: New York Jets (ESPN, 29), (NFL.com, 31), (USA Today, 29)

No. 29.66, last 30.33, two weeks ago 28.66, season average 28.29: San Francisco 49ers (ESPN, 30), (NFL.com, 29), (USA Today, 30)

No. 30.66, last 32.00, two weeks ago 32.00, season average 30.42: Oakland Raiders (ESPN, 31), (NFL.com, 30), (USA Today, 31)

No. 32.00, last 30.00, two weeks ago 28.66, season average 30.57: Arizona Cardinals (ESPN, 32), (NFL.com, 32), (USA Today, 32)

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