Colts 2023 Opponents Revealed

With the conclusion of the NFL regular season, we now know which teams the Indianapolis Colts will face in 2023.

With the regular season officially finished, the Indianapolis Colts end at 4-12-1, as bad as they’ve been in recent memory.

This year is now going in the rearview mirror, and it’s time to take a brief look at the opponents that the Colts will face in 2023 and how they faired through 2022. We'll start with the six games that will be played against the AFC South.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2 games): 2022 (9-8; AFC South Champions)

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The emergence of franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence finally happened alongside new head coach Doug Pederson and many wise signings in free agency. With the Jaguars being the lone AFC South representative in the playoffs, it will likely be tough for the Colts, whether home or away.

Houston Texans (2 games): 2022 (3-13-1)

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Houston had another rough season under new (and now fired) head coach Lovie Smith. With a young corps forming for the defensive secondary and rookie running back Dameon Pierce it shows that Houston might be a franchise quarterback away from being back in the AFC South championship conversation.

Tennessee Titans (2 games): 2022 (7-10)

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Tennessee started about as hot as you can in the NFL. Unfortunately, the Mike Vrabel-led crew fizzled out badly in the second half of the season. This was partly due to the miraculous quantity of injuries the team withstood. In full strength, and with the powerhouse attack of Derrick Henry, the Titans can pose a tough matchup for anyone and usually do against Indianapolis.

Cincinnati Bengals (Away): 2022 (12-4)

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Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Mixon, and Tee Higgins have the Bengals passing attack and offense on red-hot levels of efficiency. Simply put, with all of these players returning fully in 2023, the Bengals show no signs of stopping their offensive reign of terror anytime in the years to come.

Cleveland Browns (Home): 2022 (7-10)

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With Jacoby Brissett playing most of the games, Deshaun Watson finished the season after serving a suspension. The Browns still have a very strong defense and running attack with the duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but with the latter hitting a contract year in 2023, it will need to be seen if the Browns continue to help Watson adjust to his return with a strong running game on two fronts. If Watson can get the rust shaken off and return to his Texans form, this team would erupt offensively with Amari Cooper at his disposal.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Home): 2022 (8-9)

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The Buccaneers haven’t enjoyed the success of the previous years with Tom Brady, but they’re still winning their division in the NFC South and are going into the postseason with arguably the greatest player in NFL history. Like many teams, 2023 has a plethora of questions for Tampa to answer.

Atlanta Falcons (Away): 2022 (7-10)

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The Falcons started the year with quarterback Marcus Mariota but finished with rookie Desmond Ridder. With rookie wide receiver Drake London claiming Atlanta’s number-one receiver for the future, the youth movement seems to be starting for Arthur Smith. The Falcons are as close as pretty much the rest of the NFC South to winning the division in 2023.

Carolina Panthers (Away): 2022 (7-10)

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Carolina saw their former head coach Matt Rhule fired after a 1-4 beginning to the season. Now under interim coach Steve Wilks, Carolina has rallied to finish 7-10. The draft and potential offseason moves could shape the trajectory of this franchise for years to come.

New England Patriots (Away): 2022 (8-9)

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The Patriots' offense had its struggles this year with second-year quarterback Mac Jones. However, this is still a Bill Belichick-led team that plays strong defense and runs the ball well. With a healthy Rhamondre Stevenson and potentially new free-agent adds in 2023 they could be a tough late-season opponent.

Las Vegas Raiders (Home): 2022 (6-11)

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The Raiders had a season they didn’t see coming. Expecting the combination of Derek Carr and Davante Adams to lead to serious playoff contention, the opposite occurred, leading to the benching and hiatus of Carr to finish the year. Will head coach Josh McDaniels be able to rally the franchise back into relevance? Vegas must answer many offseason questions.

Los Angeles Rams (Home): 2022 (5-12)

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With a multitude of injuries occurring, primarily to top players (Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Allen Robinson), the Rams had their season derailed after starting the year struggling. If current coach Sean McVay returns, the Rams are always a competitor.

Baltimore Ravens (Away): 2022 (10-7)

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The Ravens had injuries to superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, yet still won enough to sneak into the playoffs. With the assumption that Jackson gets retained with a new shiny contract, the Ravens need weapons to help him be more effective in the passing game to truly take this team to a championship level.

New Orleans Saints (Home): 2022 (7-10)

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The Saints struggled worse than expected under Dennis Allen. However, with a fresh quarterback, this team would be a contender again. Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton did what they could, but the offense just couldn’t move outside of Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave. The Saints are always tough year after year, so look for some offseason moves to bring them back.

Pittsburgh Steelers (Home): 2022 (9-8)

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Yet again, head coach Mike Tomlin finishes with a winning record. All of this with a rookie quarterback in Kenny Pickett (originally the starter was Mitch Trubisky), a rookie wide receiver in George Pickens, and a below-average defense against the pass. The Steelers will continue building around Pickett and will likely finish with another winning record.

With the year now over and the NFL Draft in only three months, the Colts have a lot to think about and consider. With the opponents laid out, the Colts have a schedule full of gritty, tough, and strong teams that all want to win their respective divisions, and hopefully, a Lombardi trophy.

How will Indianapolis handle the 2023 season? Those questions will be answered in the upcoming months.

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