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Indianapolis Colts: Takeaways from Their 2016 Schedule

By Kyle Nishida

Feb 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Indianapolis Colts got the full details of their 2016 regular season schedule Thursday. It will be interesting to see how they navigate this challenging schedule.

This season, the Colts will have many things to look forward to. They will play overseas in London, play on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since 2007, and be featured in three prime-time games in 2016.

The unfortunate part about their schedule is they will face six teams that made the playoffs in 2015, including the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. Also, they will have a few grueling road games they will need to contend with properly.

Here is the full layout of the Colts’ 2016 schedule from the Indianapolis Star’s Zak Keefer:

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At first glance, it is nice to see the Indianapolis Colts starting the season at home. The past two seasons they have started on the road in some tough environments (Denver in 2014 and Buffalo in 2015). A home game against the Detroit Lions should get them off to a good start this season and help them avoid another 0-2 start.

They will also take a long trip to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4. While the game itself will be challenging, adjusting to the London time zone before, during and after the game will also be difficult. To make matters worse, the Colts have to play the following week against the Chicago Bears. Normally, the NFL gives teams who travel to London a bye the week after, but the league did not do that for the Colts. As a result, there is a huge possibility of a letdown game for the Colts in Week 5.

Aside from the taxing trip to London, the early portion of the Colts’ schedule sets up nice for them. It is the back end of their schedule that could derail their entire season. From Week 8 to Week 15, the Colts will five teams that made the playoffs last season. Three of those games will also be on the road in the cold weather cities of Green Bay, Minnesota and New York City.

Obviously, the Colts’ non-divisional slate will be tough, but they cannot simply overlook the AFC South either. The Jaguars and Houston Texans made big moves in free agency, and the Tennessee Titans are an up-and-coming team too. All three teams will be more competitive in 2016. The Colts will have their hands full inside and outside of their own division.

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The Indianapolis Colts’ 2016 schedule will pose a lot of challenges for them. There are only a few easy wins on their schedule, but also keep in mind, wins are never guaranteed in the NFL. Hopefully, the Colts can navigate through this schedule better than they did in 2015. A 10-win season is a real possibility for the Colts this season, but if they struggle like they did in 2015, they could end up with a 10-loss season. Their margin for error is very small in 2016.

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