Colts Can Clinch A Top-2 Draft Pick With A Loss Thursday Night

For much of the season, football punditry has been working under the assumption that the Indianapolis Colts were going to lose enough games to lock up the

For much of the season, football punditry has been working under the assumption that the Indianapolis Colts were going to lose enough games to lock up the number 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, probably by a comfortable margin.  But late season swoons from several other underachieving teams, combined with the Colts' improbable win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday (driving their record to 1-13), means that foregone conclusion is no longer certain.

The Colts can reverse this trend, though, simply by returning to their losing ways on Thursday night against Houston Texans.  In fact, they can lock up a two-2 draft pick by doing that, reports the NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora.

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LaCanfora also reports that a Colts loss would mean that the St. Louis Rams -- currently sitting at 2-12, within striking distance of the Colts -- would lose the strength of schedule tiebreaker to Indianapolis even if they do manage to lose out.