Head coach Shane Steichen on Wednesday was asked if he shows his team their conference standings – in which, right now, the Colts are the AFC No. 8 seed, two games behind the No. 7 seeded Denver Broncos – to drive home what's at stake in a given week.
"Sometimes," Steichen smiled. "Sometimes."
This week might've been one of those times.
The Colts' Week 15 matchup with the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High carries remarkably significant playoff implications for a game in the middle of December. Win, and the Colts' playoff odds jump from about 30 percent to 66 percent, per the New York Times. Lose, and those postseason odds drop to 9 percent.
| Team | Record | Playoff odds (via New York Times) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kansas City Chiefs | 12-1 | 100% |
| 2. Buffalo Bills | 10-3 | 100% |
| 3. Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-3 | >99% |
| 4. Houston Texans | 8-5 | 96% |
| 5. Baltimore Ravens | 8-5 | 98% |
| 6. Los Angeles Rams | 8-5 | 86% |
| 7. Denver Broncos | 8-5 | 72% |
| 8. Indianapolis Colts | 6-7 | 30% |
| 9. Miami Dolphins | 6-7 | 16% |
| 10. Cincinnati Bengals | 5-8 | 2% |
But while the Colts are certainly aware of the implications for Sunday's game, acknowledgement does not come with a different approach to the 14th game of the season. The Colts went to New England in Week 13 operating in a do-or-die mode, understanding an eighth loss would be nearly impossible to overcome. And whether they're playing a team with double-digit losses or a team in control of a wild card spot, the mindset of this team remains the same.
"Every single game from here on out is a must-win game," wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said, "so we're treating it as such."
The Colts, by the way, would have a 99 percent chance to make the playoffs if they finish the season with four wins in their final four games, per the New York Times.
"I mean, I guess it is a big game in this season, obviously everything (is) in front of us," linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "But man, to climb a mountain, you've just got to take one step at a time. I know what's at stake. I know everything that comes with it. When I say not make it big of a deal, I'm not saying I don't understand the importance, I don't understand everything that comes with it. But for myself, it's just a game.
"My preparation and how I approach playing the game every week is always at the highest level as I possibly can. Now with a week off and a little bit more on the line, I am trying to give a little bit more of myself to it. But that being said, it's my job to go out there and lead the troops and go get a victory. So at the end of the day, you can't look at everything that's coming behind, you've got to focus on the task at hand."
How Anthony Richardson is approaching Week 15
Guys like Pittman and Franklin have been part of playoff teams; Franklin's worldview was shaped by his rookie season of 2018, when the Colts ripped off nine wins in their final 10 games to reach the playoffs. Quarterback Anthony Richardson, though, had since high school attempted one pass in a game played in December prior to Week 13 – a 27-yard touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners as in the 2020 Cotton Bowl.
Richardson as a freshman at Florida was part of an SEC Championship against Alabama and then a New Year's Six bowl against Oklahoma, so he certainly has played in big games on big stages. And while the stakes of Week 15 may be higher than any game he's ever started, he's not viewing it through that sort of pressure-packed lens.
"I wouldn't necessarily say the biggest one of my career," Richardson said. "I feel like every game is a big game. The last one we just played was a big game. Every game I approach is a big game to me. So, I'm just trying to get a 'W.'"
More pertinent to Richardson than the playoff implications of Sunday's game is how he'll go about attacking a cohesive Broncos defense that frequently blitzes and plays plenty of sticky man coverage.
"They have a great defense, we know that," Richardson said. "But it's our game we have to play. Go out there and execute each and every play, and just play our game."
Richardson's teammates never lost faith in him this season, even when he was benched after Week 8, but the last-minute game-winning drives he's put together in wins over the New York Jets and Patriots have swelled the Colts' collective confidence in their 22-year-old quarterback. That's no small development heading into a challenging environment in Denver this weekend.
"I think you guys have seen the poise – especially in certain moments, especially late in the game," running back Jonathan Taylor said. "That usually comes from some of those veteran quarterbacks that have been in those situations a ton of times. So to see him have that poise no matter what the situation is – I mean we're literally on a 19-play drive to go in and win the game. To see him have that composure, have that poise, I just think that it won't be any different going forward at all. I just think it's something special, like I said, for him being that young to be able to have those moments, it's awesome to see."
So as the Colts head to Colorado this weekend, they'll do so with plenty of belief in Richardson and the same steeled mentality they've had for weeks now.
"The mindset is every game's big, right? They are," Steichen said. "They're big, but now they're getting bigger in December. I think the guys know the magnitude of this football game. I mean like you said, it's like, do we look at standings? They see it. Everyone knows what's at stake. So, we've got to go handle our business."
