The front part of the 2026 schedule for the Indianapolis Colts is loaded: Ravens, Chiefs, Texans, and Steelers headline the toughest matchups. Going to Minnesota and hosting Dallas could be problematic as well. One would also be remiss to ignore the road game in Jacksonville in Week 8. The first half of this thing is tough, but if the Colts can survive, the homestretch could be what vaults them into the playoffs.
If the Colts are underwater towards the end of November, which they very well could be,
there may be some major changes that will make everything I am about to write moot. GM, coaching, and even player departures would have an impact. If they can hang tough though, you have to feel decently well about the last six weeks. Teams are different every year but looking at home games against the Giants, Bengals, and Jaguars and adding road contests at Eagles, Titans, and Browns is certainly more favorable than the early part of the schedule.
On the road in Philly stands out like a sore thumb, but the rest? While there are no guarantees, the Colts should have more than a fighting chance in those. New York has John Harbaugh now, but are they really any better? The Titans should still be bottom feeders, and the Browns are the Browns. The Bengals have seemed to decline over the years with Joe Burrow struggling to stay on the field, and the game against Jacksonville is at home. They’d give the Colts fits if they played on the moon, so while the location won’t matter a ton, it is better than what seems to be an automatic loss in Florida.
The winning percentage says the schedule will be easier than it appears. The goal for the Colts needs to be holding their own the first 8-9 weeks. If they can stay 1-2 games below .500, things feel solid. If they can be .500 or better, the back half sets them up for major playoff positioning. This is looking way ahead, and things might have gone kaput by the time we reach the back nine, but here’s hoping we get meaningful football in December and the Colts take advantage of a soft underbelly to end the year.
