Colts See Boost in ESPN Power Rankings After Win vs. Bears

The Indianapolis Colts received a bump in the ESPN NFL Power Rankings after their Week 3 victory.

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II (23) celebrates after sacking Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, during a game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts (1-2) notched their first win of the season in a 21-16 victory over the Chicago Bears (1-2).

The ground attack on both sides of the ball led the Colts in Week 3. A run defense that had struggled mightily held the Bears to 63 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Jonathan Taylor and the offensive line dominated the Bears' defense and helped secure the win for the Colts.

After capturing the win at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, the Colts have been rewarded with a bump in the latest ESPN NFL Power Rankings for Week 4. The Colts went from 28th after a Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers up to 24th in this week's rankings.

While a bump in the power rankings is nice, the NFL Nation reporters believe the Colts must prove more to be taken seriously. The Colts rank 10th out of 15 teams with a 1-2 record and continue to rank in the bottom third of the league.

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The power rankings also identified the biggest issue on offense for every team. For the Colts, it was quarterback inaccuracy. ESPN''s Stephen Holder went into more detail.

"QB Anthony Richardson has had some of the most explosive plays this season, leading the NFL with 12.6 air yards per attempt," Holder wrote. "But his play-to-play consistency has been problematic, costing the Colts some easy first downs. Richardson is completing 49.1% of his attempts, down from 59.5% in the four games he played as a rookie last season. His injury layoff could have negatively impacted his mechanics."

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks over the field Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, during a game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first three games of the season have been a rollercoaster for Richardson. While the explosive plays have been there, Richardson is failing to make the easy, open throws in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. Richardson was 10-of-20 (50%) for 167 yards and two interceptions against the Bears, and the quarterback addressed his accuracy issues after the win.

"Man, I’ve just got to settle down and just let the ball spin," Richardson said. "I’ve just got to give myself time and give myself some grace. I'm so hard on myself when I’m missing passes out there because it's like, ‘Man, I don't want to miss any passes.’ Like, I say, stuff like that's going to happen, but I don't want them to happen. So, I’ve just got to play better.”

Richardson will have another chance to work on his game and improve his accuracy on Sunday when the Colts take on the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Colts can pull off the win, another boost in the power rankings will follow.

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