In the midst of a three-game winning streak, the Indianapolis Colts (3-1) are beginning to look like a team on a mission coming off of a 19-11 road win against the Chicago Bears (3-1).
After soaring to the No. 10 spot before the Week 4 win, the Colts continue their ascension. Now on a three-game winning streak, the Colts sit at the No. 8 spot in Touchdown Wire’s power rankings entering Week 5.
Here’s what they had to say about the Colts:
Is it time to start talking a lot more about Indianapolis’ defense? Yes, indeed. After the first three weeks of the season, the Colts ranked first overall in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted defensive efficiency metrics, and they parlayed that into a 19-11 Week 4 win over the Bears in which Matt Eberflus’ group turned Nick Foles back into a pumpkin.
As Dan Pizzuta of Sharp Football Analysis points out, the Colts aren’t doing a lot differently than they were in 2019 when they ranked 19th in Defensive DVOA; they simply have better personnel working together. The trade for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner has played great dividends. But it’s also how a guy like cornerback Xavier Rhodes can come in and resuscitate his career after a disastrous 2019 with the Vikings in this zone-heavy, nickel-based scheme. This defensive turnaround looks entirely sustainable, and it’s the team’s biggest story this season so far.
While the opponents on offense haven’t been the strongest for the Colts, there is no denying the fact that Indy has dominated on defense. That’s what good defenses are supposed to do against bad offenses.
They will get a much stiffer test against the Cleveland Browns (3-1) in Week 5. The Browns are currently leading the NFL in rushing while it appears wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is doing his best to bounce back from a brutal 2019 campaign.
The Colts open as slight road favorites against the Browns but with some injuries to key starters on both sides of the ball, that line is subject to change.
As both the Colts and the Browns look to extend their winning streaks, the former will be doing so as a top-10 team in the power rankings.
