Colts See Positive Trend in Latest ESPN NFL Power Rankings

The Indianapolis Colts are heading up the power rankings for the second straight week.

Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) tackles New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts (5-6) snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday as they took down the New York Jets (3-8) 28-27 in a come-from-behind victory.

The comeback was led by Anthony Richardson, who was starting for the first time since his two-week benching. Richardson turned in the best game of his career, going for over 300 total yards and three touchdowns. Richardson looked like a franchise quarterback against the Jets, and the Colts hope Sunday's game can be the turning point in his career.

ESPN took note of Richardson and the Colts' performance by giving the team a boost in the power rankings. Indy moved up one spot for the second week in a row, going from 20th in Week 11 to 19th in Week 12's iteration of the rankings. The Colts are the second-highest-ranked team with a losing record, trailing only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) in the 18th spot.

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New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) stopped by Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The NFL Nation reporters were asked to look at who they identified as on the hot seat in the preseason rankings and assess how hot their seat is currently after 11 weeks. ESPN's Stephen Holder chose safety Nick Cross as the hot-seat player for the Colts before the season.

But Cross has received the "cold" label for his hot seat, as the third-year player out of Maryland has had a great season and become a playmaker for the Colts' defense.

"Cross is a third-year player who had lost his job as a rookie and performed poorly in limited action last season," Holder wrote. "But he has rewarded the Colts' faith in leaning on him as a key starter in the secondary this season, recording 2 interceptions, 102 tackles (second most on the team), 3 pass deflections and a forced fumble. He has been all over the field, making plays in run support and against the pass."

The Colts will need Cross and the rest of the defense to step up as they welcome the red-hot Detroit Lions (9-1) to Lucas Oil Stadium this week. If the Colts pull off the upset, Indy could see their biggest boost in the power rankings all season.

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