Colts Make Surprising Move in ESPN NFL Power Rankings After Bills Loss

The Indianapolis Colts may have lost their third straight, but things are looking up in the power rankings.

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) tackles Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts (4-6) suffered their third straight loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills (8-2) on Sunday, falling by a score of 30-20.

The Colts could not overcome four turnovers by quarterback Joe Flacco, who continually put the offense in tough spots all afternoon. While the defense forced two turnovers from Josh Allen, Indy only scored three points off those interceptions. Losing the turnover battle and not capitalizing on forced turnovers is almost always a recipe for failure.

Despite the Colts losing their third game in a row, their slide in the ESPN NFL Power Rankings seems to have stopped. The Colts have climbed one spot in the power rankings for Week 11, going from 21st to 20th.

As things sit, the Colts are the lowest of the 4-6 teams in the power rankings. However, the Colts are ahead of the Chicago Bears, who rank 22nd and have a 4-5 record on the season. Indy took down the Bears 21-16 in their Week 3 matchup at the beginning of the season.

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!

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is sacked by Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The NFL Nation staff was asked to identify each team's non-QB MVP in this week's rankings. Stephen Holder of ESPN chose defensive tackle Grover Stewart for the Colts. Stewart has been a monster for Indy in the middle of the defensive line, having an impact against the run and getting after the quarterback.

"Early-season injuries to top Colts players such as DeForest Buckner and Jonathan Taylor have limited their impact," Holder wrote. "But Stewart has been a consistent presence throughout, leading the team with eight tackles for loss and creating more pass rush than any year in his career. Stewart is tied for the team lead with 3.5 sacks -- rare for a nose tackle -- and is 10th in the NFL in run stop win rate (43%)."

Stewart and the Colts will try to get back in the win column as they travel east to take on the New York Jets. With head coach Shane Steichen naming Anthony Richardson the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, the Colts offense will be more dynamic moving forward as they make a push for the playoffs.

---

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.