Indianapolis Colts 2022-2023 Season Preview

Can new quarterback Matt Ryan lead the Colts to the postseason?

The Indianapolis Colts had a crushing finish to their 2021 season, as a crushing 23-20 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, who kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired, followed by a 26-11 loss to the lowly 3-14 Jacksonville Jaguars, who led wire to wire, kept them out of the playoffs.  Ending their season with back to back losses, the latter of which was against a team that has had the #1 overall pick in the last two drafts, left the Colts looking for an upgrade at the NFL’s most important position.

 

While Carson Wentz had a solid season under center, he disappeared in the final two games, throwing for under 200 yards in both games while leading the offense to just 31 points combined against the league’s 26th and 28th ranked defenses.  The Colts began their offseason by sending Wentz, along with their second-round pick and seventh-round pick to the Washington Commanders for their second-round pick, third-round pick and a conditional 2023 third-round pick, just a year after trading a 2022 first-round pick and 2021 third-round pick to acquire him.

 

The decision to trade Wentz for far worse compensation than they spent to bring him in had to sting initially, but that sting was surely removed when just five days later the Colts were able to trade for long time Atlanta Falcons quarterback, and 2016 NFL MVP, Matt Ryan.

Can Matt Ryan lead the Colts to the postseason?

Since his MVP season, where he led the Falcons to a heartbreaking 34-28 loss to the New England Patriots despite having a 28-3 lead late in the third quarter, Ryan has only been to the postseason once, all the way back in 2017.  Despite not having team success, Ryan has continued to produce, putting up over 4000 yards in ten straight seasons before coming up 32 yards short in 2021.  In 2018, his numbers were almost identical to his MVP season, but the Falcons offense, with a much weaker run game, were unable to overcome a bottom ten defense as they did two years prior.

 

Now with the Colts, Ryan will not have to worry about the lack of a supporting cast.  He will join an organization that had both a top-ten scoring offense and scoring defense last season.  The Colts offense, which was led by superstar running back Jonathan Taylor, who led the league in every rushing category in 2021, figures to take a step forward with Ryan replacing Wentz under center.  The defense, which is led by superstar middle linebacker Darius Leonard, could also take a step forward, after adding pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue in a trade with the Raiders and also adding cornerback Stephon Gilmore in free agency.

 

In Atlanta, Ryan was asked to carry a subpar roster, whereas, in Indianapolis, he will be asked to do a lot less.  It is a similar situation to the one Matthew Stafford found himself in one year ago.  While it remains to be seen if Ryan will have the immediate success that Stafford did, his individual numbers should improve, as should the Colts record.

 

Playing in the AFC South, which should be the weakest division in the AFC for the third consecutive season, will make the Colts path to the postseason much easier.  Unlike the AFC West and AFC North, which both feature four playoff hopefuls that will beat up on each other all season, the AFC South features two playoff hopefuls, the Colts and Tennessee Titans, and two teams, the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars that will likely, once again, be bottom feeders.

 

While the Jaguars did end the Colts 2021 season with a shocking upset, the Colts should still view these divisional games as games that they should win.  In a conference that figures to have 13 teams fighting for 7 playoff spots, the Colts should benefit from sharing a division against two of the three teams that aren’t expected to compete.

 

The Colts, with Ryan now under center, currently are tied with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th best Super Bowl odds, as they sit at +2200.  That trails the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Dallas Cowboys.  As for reaching the Super Bowl, the Colts currently have the 7th best odds, +1200, in the AFC, trailing only the Bills, Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Ravens, and Bengals.

 

The Colts are currently the favorite in the AFC South, despite sharing a division with the Titans, who finished with the #1 seed in the AFC, despite superstar running back Derrick Henry missing more than half the season.  They are currently -125 to win the division.  Their odds of making the playoffs, -175, are even higher, while their over/under win total sits at 10.

 

New quarterback Matt Ryan has the 14th best odds, +3500, of winning his second MVP, while superstar running back Jonathan Taylor is tied for the 16th best odds, +5000.  While it is unlikely that either player will take home the award in 2022, it is encouraging for Colts fans to be the only team with two players in the top twenty.

 

With the Titans likely to take a step back after trading star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles, the door could be open for the Colts to win the division for the first time since 2014.  Adding an experienced quarterback like Ryan will certainly help an offense that struggled to score points late in the season.

 

The Colts seem destined to be a balanced unit that is strong both offensively and defensively, something that is necessary to win in today’s NFL, particularly in the postseason.  Their fans are hopeful that adding Ryan to the roster will have a similar result as the Rams acquisition of Stafford in 2021.  While this may be unlikely, their roster is certainly talented enough at all three phases to make a postseason run.  Look for the Colts to bounce back and make the postseason in 2022.