Colts' True Playoff Chances Revealed Ahead of Titans Tilt

The Indianapolis Colts have a big game ahead of them on Sunday with plenty still on the line.

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) scores a touchdown past Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The results of last Sunday's road duel against the Denver Broncos ended in an uninspiring 13-31 loss for the Indianapolis Colts effectively tanking their budding playoff aspirations compared to what a potential win would've done for the cause. Now 6-8 and on the outside looking in the postseason bubble, it doesn't look pretty for where this team will be come Wild Card Weekend.

However, with three games left in the season, the Colts' hopes of going dancing in the playoffs aren't completely dead. They're two games back of the seventh-place Los Angeles Chargers, placing them in arm's reach to catch them in the year's final leg. It would take some extra help for such an accomplishment, but mathematically, Indianapolis is still in it.

Yet, any chances of a postseason appearance need to begin with a win for the Colts on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, which was made clear by Landon Oliver of The Blue Stable.

The Colts need a lot to go their way, but a postseason appearance is still in the cards. They'll need to win out for their next three games and receive extensive help from other postseason contenders clawing for the Wild Card.

Colts *technically* still not out of it. For the Colts to make the playoffs these things need to happen:

Colts go 3-0

Chargers go 0-2 (Patriots and Raiders)

or Ravens go 0-3 (Steelers, Texans, Browns)

or Denver go 0-2 (Bengals and Chiefs) + Bengals/Miami win out

— Landon Oliver (@Landon3MR) December 20, 2024

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It's not very favorable for the Colts to defy the odds and sneak in as the AFC's seventh seed in the playoffs, but with a few pieces falling in place around the league, somehow, Indianapolis could do it.

Regardless, the journey all starts with the Titans -- and it's a game the Colts should be able to handle.

They took care of business against Tennessee earlier this season in Week 6, yet it was a totally different scene for both rosters. That game was a duel between veteran Joe Flacco and second-year signal-caller Will Levis, ending in favor of Indianapolis 20-17.

In this meeting, the Colts will look to nab their second-straight season series sweep, but instead with Anthony Richardson leading the offensive unit, while Mason Rudolph will man the opposition. It's a drastic appearance change for both air attacks, but one where Indianapolis still seems to have the upper hand.

As the Titans rank in the bottom six in scoring offense and defense, this projects as a simple win for the Colts, but division games can be tricky to predict. The Houston Texans have a more complete roster than Tennessee, but they fell to this team earlier in the season in Week 12, 27-32.

That said, the Colts are in a favorable position looking ahead to Sunday, though the game is far from a shoo-in.

Thankfully, the electric home crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium to play in front of will make the task a bit easier, and the improvement seen last week on the defensive end adds to the optimism about what the outcome could be in this divisional tilt.

It's do or die for this Colts team, and it's up to this roster to prove on Sunday they have what it takes to stay alive in a contested AFC playoff push. If they do, they'll have to keep things up for the next two weeks to win out 3-0 and get lucky on a few outcomes around the league.

Kickoff for Colts-Titans lands at 1 PM ET on Sunday.

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