This Indianapolis Colts season has not gone as most have expected but so far it has been a pleasant surprise considering all that has gone on to this point.
by Kurt Breidenstein
We are just past the midway point of the Indianapolis Colts season and Indy sits at 5-5, which is good enough for eighth in the AFC. The Colts are still on the outside looking in for a playoff spot, but they are firmly in the hunt. Let’s make some bold predictions for the final seven weeks of the 2023 Colts season.
5) Gardner Minshew will play at a Pro Bowl level
We have seen a roller coaster of a season for Gardner Minshew from fill-in to now full-time starter after the season-ending shoulder injury to Anthony Richardson. After a strong start to the season, we saw some adversity with him when the turnovers piled up and now, he isn’t putting up strong numbers, but the turnovers have decreased, and he has led us to two consecutive wins heading into the bye week.
The bye week might be just what is needed for Minshew. Look for Shane Steichen and the offensive staff to really dig into his strengths to help the Colts make a playoff run as Minshew realizes he has an opportunity to audition for a starting job next season. Whether that be full time or as a bridge quarterback for another team.
4) Shaquille Leonard will not play up to his contract
Listen, I’m rooting for Shaq Leonard. I really am but when you publicly call out the coaching staff for the reduced role and then not deliver those next two weeks, it’s hard to fight for you anymore. Leonard was once a superstar in this league, and still could be, but no one will know when. Whether it’s something off the field affecting Shaq, or, as we sometimes see with high level athletes, they play and compete at such a high level for an extended period and their bodies begin to break down and they are never the same.
In my opinion, that’s what we are seeing here with Leonard. He just has not been the same since his injury plagued 2022 season. He signed a five-year contract worth nearly $100 Million dollars in August of 2021. With the decreased production and injuries, the Colts have an option to cut him next season and only incur an $8 Million-dollar dead cap hit. Can you warrant paying a player that much money with his decreased production with his counterpart Zaire Franklin making far less money and producing better results? Would that extra money be better spent on the extensions of Michael Pittman Jr., Kenny Moore II and Grover Stewart? I think that answer is simple.
3) Julian Blackmon will earn an extension
I was wrong about Julian Blackmon. I said we should trade him and allow Nick Cross to take over and get some draft capital. I am now Team Blackmon and I think he is going to continue his strong play into the second half of the season. Through 10 games this season he already has a career high in tackles (66) and interceptions (3). He has also been healthy this season and has been the veteran presence with Kenny Moore II that the Colts have so desperately needed so far in the secondary.
Blackmon is giving us zero indication that he has any thoughts of slowing down and is on pace for Pro Bowl-caliber season. He is in a contract year and with many other key players in the same boat as him, he knows that his play must stand out above the rest. With the absence of a Nick Cross breakout so far, this will be Blackmon’s moment to shine and prove he can be a leader in this currently young secondary.
2) Colts will make the playoffs
There are some fans that are not happy with the Colts going 5-5 and there are some that are happy with the Colts being 5-5. I think if you told a majority of the fans in 2023 that Indy will be 5-5 going into their bye week with an outside chance of making the playoffs, they would be surprised but happy. There are some people that wanted the Colts to tank after Anthony Richardson went down with this shoulder injury but with teams like Carolina (Chicago owns their 2024 First), Arizona, and New England are really separating themselves as first pick contenders, so that thought process was quickly thrown out the window.
At 5-5, Indianapolis is now only a half game back from the seventh and final playoff spot. The remaining schedule is not terribly difficult and while this team has not played like a playoff team all season long (consistently) it does not mean they are not capable of getting a back door spot into the playoffs. Suddenly that final game against Houston at home might be a play in game for the final playoff spot if the Colts can handle their business against some of the lesser teams on their schedule.
1) Shane Steichen will get votes for coach of the year
Do I think Steichen will win Coach of the Year if they make the playoffs? No. But I could see him get some votes and recognition for the job he has done. Absolutely. The early COY candidates are without questions Detroit’s Dan Campbell, Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell, and Philadelphia’s Nick Sirriani.
What Steichen has done to this team and this culture is remarkable. This team was expected to win 3-4 games by most analysts and be in the running for a top five pick in this April’s Draft. While they got robbed in the Cleveland game, this team is in the thick of it for a playoff spot. Steichen and his staff have had to adjust and handle a multitude of issues.
Jonathan Taylor sat out training camp and the first quarter of the season. Rookie Anthony Richardson was lost to a season-ending shoulder injury. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Grover Stewart is lost for six games due to a PEDs suspension. Steichen also inherited one of the youngest rosters in the NFL this season. The list goes on but what he has done is change the mindset and demeanor of this football team and made them believe that they can compete with anyone on any given Sunday. It has become infectious with not only his players but with the fan base as well this season.
Originally posted on horseshoeheroes.com