It’s Week 7, and the Indianapolis Colts have the best offense in football. Raise your hand if you saw that coming, then put it down because no you didn’t. It’s been impressive to watch Colts HC Shane Steichen dip into his bag week after week and keep this machine of an offense humming at peak efficiency.
The Colts just earned another statement win over the Chargers, beating them down with a 38-24 road victory that wasn’t even that close. Indianapolis keeps winning in emphatic fashion, with just two of their six victories coming by less than 14 points: their wins over Broncos and the Cardinals.
At 6-1, the Colts are alone atop the AFC and have a two-game lead over the Jaguars in the AFC South. It remains to be seen if they can maintain their hold on the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but regardless, Indianapolis is an undeniable force this year and should be taken seriously as a real playoff threat.
The Indianapolis Colts Get Bad News on the Injury Front
Justin Casterline/GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 16: Samson Ebukam #52 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates after sacking Mason Rudolph #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for the Colts this week, however. Rotational ED Samson Ebukam suffered a knee injury during the Chargers game and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Ebukam suffered an MCL injury that is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks. It’s possible this means he’ll be placed on Injured Reserve (IR) which would mandate at least a four-week absence, but would open up his roster spot for a temporary (and healthy) replacement. Fowler went on to say that Ebukam will seek a second opinion.
It’s more bad news for a Colts defense that’s been decimated by injuries. In training camp, the Colts lost starting LB Jaylon Carlies, starting CB Justin Walley, CB JuJu Brents, CB Sam Womack III, S Hunter Wohler, and LB Jacob Phillips. Since then, this defense has also lost starting CB Charvarius Ward, CB Jaylon Jones, and S Daniel Scott. Now, Ebukam has been added to that list.
The nature of these injuries has been particularly brutal for Indianapolis. The Colts’ cornerback depth chart has suffered extensively, with Ward getting concussed during pregame warmups prior to the Colts’ game against the Cardinals in Week 6 when he collided with a teammate on the sideline.
Ebukam is one of the Colts’ best pass rushers, so if he’s sidelined for an extended time expect the Colts to seek out a replacement before the trade deadline. Internally, this should also mean more opportunities for rookie second-round ED JT Tuimoloau.
The Indianapolis Colts Could Extend Their Win Streak
After losing to the Rams in Week 4, the Colts have won three in a row over the Raiders, Cardinals, and Chargers. Coming up, they face the Titans, Steelers, and Falcons, and will likely be favored in all three games.
Beyond that, the schedule gets much tougher, including games against the Chiefs, Seahawks, and 49ers, as well as their divisional opponents in the Texans and Jaguars. But if the Colts have shown us anything this year, it’s that they can overcome any challenge.
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