INDIANAPOLIS — While we wait on the "when" (and the channel), the "who" and the "where" are already taken care of when it comes to the Indianapolis Colts' 2019 regular season schedule.
And entering the season, we already know, the Colts will be facing quite the challenge in their effort to improve upon last season's memorable run, which featured the team's first playoff appearance in four seasons.
But just how big of a challenge will it really be?
According to CBS Sports’ John Breech, the Colts are tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the seventh-toughest strength of schedule entering the 2019 season.
How this is figured: the Colts' 16 opponents last year combined for 132-123-1 record, or a .518 winning percentage. Only the opponents' combined win percentage of the Oakland Raiders (.539), Denver Broncos (.537), Jacksonville Jaguars (.531), Houston Texans (.527) and the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs (.520) are better.
This could mean very little in the grand scheme of things, as situations can change drastically from season to season. Just look at Indy, which had a 4-12 record in 2017 and turned it around with a 10-6 performance in 2018. But, as for now, this is perhaps the best way to determine just what the team is up against as the early-offseason wheels continue to turn.
The bittersweet part about the Colts' 2019 schedule is that while the team undoubtedly will face a stern challenge each and every week, their counterparts across the AFC South Division will be encountering the exact same challenges; the Jaguars have the third-toughest strength of schedule entering 2019, the Texans are right behind at No. 4, and the Tennessee Titans, at .514, at next in line after the Colts at ninth.
While we await the Colts' 2019 schedule release, which typically drops the second or third week in April, here, once again, are Indy's opponents (click here for a little more information on each matchup):
2019 Colts home slate (season tickets are **on sale now**):
• Houston Texans
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Tennessee Titans
• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers
• Denver Broncos
• Miami Dolphins
• Oakland Raiders
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2019 Colts away slate
• Houston Texans
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Tennessee Titans
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Los Angeles Chargers
• New Orleans Saints
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
