INDIANAPOLIS – Just like in the other two playoff chances under Frank Reich, the Colts will have to wait until the final week of the regular season to hopefully clinch their postseason berth.
In losing Sunday to the Raiders, the 9-7 Colts will have to beat the 2-14 Jaguars in next Sunday’s season finale to make the playoffs.
If they lose to the Jaguars, then they are unlikely to make the postseason.
Currently, the Colts have an 89 percent chance at making the playoffs (per FiveThirtyEight). That number falls to 15 percent with a stunning loss to the Jaguars.
Sunday’s results did confirm that the Colts will not win the AFC South for a 7th straight season. Winning the division was always a long shot—ever since the Titans swept the Colts back on Halloween—but Indy’s loss on Sunday sealed up the division for the Titans (10-6).
We will get a full look at the standings following the completion of the Week 17 games, but here’s a look at current playoff matchups:
No. 1 Titans (11-5): Bye
No. 2 Chiefs (11-5) vs. No. 7 Chargers (9-7)
No. 3 Bengals (10-6) vs. No. 6 Colts (9-7)
No. 4 Bills (10-6) vs. No. 5 Patriots (10-6)
Teams still in the mix: Raiders (9-7), Steelers (8-7-1), Ravens (8-8)
Those first 5 teams have each clinched a playoff berth. So it’s 5 teams—Colts, Chargers, Raiders, Steelers and Ravens—for the final 2 playoff spots.
A massive result in the Colts favor on Sunday came from the Ravens not being able to hold onto a final-minute lead over the Rams.
With the Baltimore loss, that has the Colts still in a ‘win and in’ situation going into the final week of the season, playing a Jaguars (2-14) team that just lost 50-10 to the Patriots.
Of course, it should be noted, the Colts have not won in Jacksonville since the 2014 season.
