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Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles
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As happy as I am with the Colts' 5-1 start to this season, I am also weary of a potential crash, as this article asserts is a possibility.
That said, the article also asserts that the Colts are only a step away from greatness, as well ...... and that the game against the Chargers could potentially push the team's general direction one way or the other.
The Colts Are One Spark Away From Everything Clicking or Collapsing
(By Richard Rouse)
https://horseshoeheroes.com/indianap...ing-collapsing
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After six weeks of NFL football, who could've predicted the Indianapolis Colts would be leading the AFC South, have the best record in the AFC, and be tied for the best record in the NFL? Perhaps I was on to something when I wrote a preseason article on this being a rebound year for Indy.
Week 7 provides a significant road test as the 5-1 Colts take on the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers are also a division leader and sit one game behind the Colts for the top spot in the AFC with a 4-2 record. Both teams have high expectations and are looking at this matchup as a turning point in the season.
The Los Angeles defense ranks seventh overall, allowing an average of 293.8 yards per game to opposing offenses. The Colts' offense ranks fourth in the league, averaging 376.8 yards per game. Indianapolis also leads the league in points scored (194) and points per game (32.3). Something will have to give in this game. Indianapolis has shown toughness already this season.
A Season-Defining Game Awaits in Week 7 for the Indianapolis Colts
A victory against a strong Chargers team, on the road, could be where everything clicks for Indianapolis. The Colts would then head back home to face a division rival in the Tennessee Titans, who are abysmal and whom the Colts already handled on the road 41-20 in Week 3. A season sweep of the Titans would place Indy at 7-1, nearing the midway point of the season.
Losing to the Chargers would not only drop the team to 5-2 but also make the upcoming four-game stretch appear more daunting.
After facing the Titans at home, Indianapolis would hit the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers, head overseas to take on the Atlanta Falcons in London, and come out of the bye week to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.
This is why the game in Los Angeles could be the spark for a successful season or the catalyst for an implosion. A statement win in Week 7 proves to the league the Colts are for real and a serious playoff contender. Tasting defeat, however, puts more pressure on the four games to follow and could spell disaster if Indianapolis doesn't remain focused.
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(6 WEEKS LATER)
The Colts have gone 3-3 since this thread was started, including losing 3-out-of their last 4 ...... so they are in a somewhat similar position that they were in when they headed into the Chargers game in southern California ...... they were 5-1 at that time, but they still had not convinced all of the critics that they were indeed more than the middling team that they have been for most of the seasons since the retirement of Andrew Luck.
Losing 3-out-of-4 games will cause many fans to panic and/or declare the season dead, but that is not necessarily the reality of the situation ...... the Colts are still 8-4 overall, and 3 of those losses went right down to the wire.
The Colts may or may not fold down the stretch, but I don't think that it's a foregone conclusion ...... especially since this team has only had one really bad game so far this season, against the Steelers. They have had 2 or 3 slightly sub-par games (including the win over the Cardinals), but only one really bad one.
Today's game against the Texans was big ........ and the Colts lost ...... subsequently, next week's game against the Jaguars is even bigger. In June of 1978, Washington Bullets head coach Dick Motta said before Game Three of the NBA Finals against the Seattle Super-Sonics that it was a big game, as the series tied at 1 game apiece. The Bullets lost that game, to go down 2 games to 1. Before Game Four, Mott said
l "Game Three WAS big ...... and now, Game Four is even bigger." l The Bullets won Game Four, evened the series at 2 games apiece, and got themselves right back into the hunt for the title.
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