In a season highlighted by quarterback controversy, the Colts are still very much in the AFC playoff race. The coaching staff has opted to let Anthony Richardson lead their playoff push, and the second-year signal-caller has led the team to a 2-2 record since reclaiming his job.
As of now, Indianapolis is on the outside looking in, but there are still three games remaining for the Colts to make their move. With a handful of wins down the stretch, we could see the Colts playing football in January.
With just three games remaining, let's take a look at an updated playoff picture for the Colts following their Week 15 defeat to the Broncos.
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Colts playoff picture
| AFC Rank | Team | Record |
| 1. | Chiefs | 12-1 |
| 2. | Bills | 11-3 |
| 3. | Steelers | 10-4 |
| 4. | Texans | 9-5 |
| 5. | Ravens | 9-5 |
| 6. | Broncos | 9-5 |
| 7. | Chargers | 8-6 |
| 8. | Colts | 6-8 |
| 9. | Dolphins | 6-8 |
The Colts' 6-8 record places them in the No. 8 spot in the AFC standings, one spot outside of the playoff picture. Two of the AFC's three current wild-card teams have nine wins, while one — the Chargers — is sitting at eight victories on the year. With just three games remaining in its schedule, Indianapolis doesn't have all that many losses to spare.
The Texans secured yet another AFC South title, meaning the Colts' only path to postseason play revolves around qualifying for the wild card.
MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 15
Colts remaining schedule
| Week | Opponent |
| 16 | vs. Titans |
| 17 | at Giants |
| 18 | vs. Jaguars |
The Colts' Week 15 matchup with the Broncos had enormous playoff implications.
Coming into the game, Denver held the No. 7 seed in the AFC. The Broncos' 31-13 victory put them three games above Indianapolis with three games remaining. It also ensured they'd receive the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Colts, effectively confirming that Denver would finish the season with better seeing than Indianapolis.
The final three games for the Colts are about as favorable as it gets. The Titans, Giants, and Jaguars have just eight combined wins this season and are among the league's worst teams. Nevertheless, they'll need plenty of help to secure a playoff berth, namely from Los Angeles, which could fall out of postseason contention with losses in at least two, if not all three, of its final regular season contests.
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Colts updated playoff chances
Following their Week 15 loss to Denver, ESPN's NFL Football Power Index has the Colts' chances of making the playoffs at 8.5%. Indianapolis still has the highest odds of any AFC team that isn't currently in the playoff picture.
A win over the Titans next week could very well increase that figure, although that's largely dependent on the results of the current sides that reside in the AFC wild-card places — the Ravens, Broncos, and Chargers.
