Colts’ team success in their prior meetings has secured them a spot in the NFL Power Rankings, and they’re eager to achieve more.

Colts get Surprising Bump in Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

The Indianapolis Colts had lost four out of five games heading into their clash with Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers. For the most part, it felt as if the Colts were close to a breakthrough in each of their games. That breakthrough came against the struggling Carolina Panthers who dropped to 1-7 after the Colts beat them 27-13 on Sunday. We weren’t sure how much credit the Colts would get for beating the struggling Panthers, but NFL.com bumped them four spots to No. 19 in their Week 10 NFL Power Rankings.

What happens next for the Colts? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily! Sunday’s win over the Panthers was a big performance for the defense, regardless of the opponent. A week after the Saints — the Saints! — shredded the Colts for 511 yards and 38 points, the defense cranked up the pass rush and turned in its first three-pick game of the season. Kenny Moore II’s twohouse calls gave one of the league’s more underrated players some shine, and they provided the difference in the victory. I didn’t realize how much Indianapolis’ offense struggled offensively until I rewatched the game. The line looked shaky, and the Colts finished with four straight punts, not crossing midfield in the second half until the final kneeldowns. Indy has winnable games on the slate, but that kind of offensive execution isn’t going to cut it.

The sign of an improving Indianapolis Colts team is getting a win when they didn’t play their best, but the opposition must be taken into account as well. The Colts travel to Germany this week to take on the New England Patriots (2-7), return home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5), before going on the road to take on the Tennessee Titans (3-5).

The Colts absolutely have three winnable games on the docket. If they can win those and come out of the first weekend in December at 7-5 with a four-game winning streak, this team can start thinking playoffs.