Colts May Have a Window of Opportunity as AFC Foes Deal with Question Marks!

[philba101]

I know we say it every year, but the Colts inability to start a season fast may be more crucial than ever. The Colts are 1-11 in season openers in the last 12 years. They haven't won an opening day game since 2013. At home, on the road, it hasn't mattered. To say the Colts have underachieved to start each season would be a gross understatement. That being said, the Colts seem to have some very winnable games early in their schedule this season. At least it seems that way. On top of that there are early question marks for many of the AFC contenders and playoff participants of last year. The Colts must seize the opportunity and start the season on a strong note. Here is a look at some of the issues AFC teams are facing along with the latest NFL.com ranking for each team. Notice there are seven teams ranked ahead of the Colts.

 

1. Buffalo-Ranked #1 in NFL.com Power Ranking: The idea coming out of the 2022 NFL Draft was that first-round pick Kaiir Elam would line up opposite Tre’Davious White on opening night against the Rams. That might ultimately still prove to be true, but for now, the rookie is learning on the job and the veteran is still rehabbing the torn ACL he suffered in November. The Athletic reported over the weekend that Elam has been picked on in camp, opening the door for another rookie, sixth-rounder Christian Benford, to earn reps against the team's starters. Meanwhile, there remains no set timetable for White's return. With uncertainty at both corner spots, and All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer on the shelf with a hyperextended elbow, the secondary stands out as a concern in an otherwise-serene landscape in Western New York.

2. Bengals-Ranked #5: The Bengals are smart to give Joe Burrow plenty of recovery time following his appendectomy -- the continued absence of La'el Collins is a different matter. The veteran right tackle -- one of three new starting offensive linemen in Cincy -- remains without a timetable to return as he deals with a back injury. Collins felt like a steal in free agency, but a lengthy absence could torpedo the team's efforts to better protect their young star quarterback, who was under siege in each of his first two seasons as a pro.

3. Chiefs-Ranked #7: Remember how the Chiefs offense struggled early last year? Now they must adjust to life without dynamic WR Tyreek Hill.

4. Broncos-Ranked #8-Yes they won the Russell Wilson bidding war which will no doubt make them better, but this ranking seems a little high for a team that has not made the playoffs since 2015. Additionally the Broncos suffered a terrible break last week with the news that WR Tim Patrick tore his ACL after coming down awkwardly on his leg in practice. 

5. Chargers-Ranked #9: Many analysts are predicting a big year for the Chargers who have failed to reach the playoffs in rising star Justin Herbert's first two seasons.

6. Ravens-Ranked #10: Starting QB remains without a new contract going into the final year of his existing deal. Starting center Tyler Linderbaum went down with a foot injury making his status uncertain for week one. If anyone deserves a break from the football injury gods it is the Ravens who dealt with the issue nonstop last season.

7. Raiders-Ranked #11: Hopes are high for the Raiders with Davante Adams now in the fold. The Raiders starting running back Josh Jacobs enters the final season of his contract without a renewal on the horizon.

8. Colts-Ranked #12: The week-1 status of star linebacker Shaquille Leonard is still in doubt; a young receiving corps will need to mesh quickly with the new veteran QB.

9. Titans-Ranked #16: Talk about disrespect. When was the last time you saw a #1 seed from the year before get ranked as #16. The Titans used a first-round pick on wide receiver Treylon Burks, but don't pencil him in for a huge role in the offense to start the season. Burks had conditioning issues this spring, and reports out of training camp have not been kind -- the Arkansas product has made mental and physical mistakes playing mostly with the second- and third-team offenses. Burks isn't the first rookie to be swimming in it during his first training camp, but you get the feeling Tennessee expected an instant impact on draft day.

10. Patriots-Ranked #18: The reports coming out of Patriots training camp ... they're not great. The offense is being described as hopelessly behind the defense in practice, as New England and de facto offensive coordinator Matt Patricia -- yes, that Matt Patricia -- install a new offense in the wake of Josh McDaniels' departure to Vegas. We expected the Pats attack to be a work in progress early on -- this was often the case even in the best of times with Tom Brady -- but there is more cause for alarm this time around with both McDaniels and Brady out of the picture. Bill Belichick deserves the benefit of the doubt -- always -- but New England's offense has much work to do and not a lot of time to do it.

11. Dolphins-Ranked #19: New head coach Mike McDaniel is a man with many responsibilities -- one of which is shutting down outside noise in the wake of the NFL's decision to suspend owner Stephen Ross and strip Miami of multiple draft picks for tampering violations. The bombshell discipline will hamstring the Dolphins in the future, but the team remains well set up to contend in the here and now. Camp reports on the connection between Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill are positive, and Hill continues to pump up his new QB in the media. 

12. Steelers-Ranked #21: The idea of Kenny Pickett: Day 1 Starter continues to lose steam in Pittsburgh. Mitch Trubisky has gotten the majority of first-team reps in camp, while Mason Rudolph apparently has yet to throw an interception through two-plus weeks of practice. As for Pickett, some very rocky struggles to begin camp led to a No. 3 designation on the official depth chart released by the team. Given the underwhelming NFL career pedigree of the players ahead of Pickett, it would be shortsighted to say the former Pitt star won't make an impact in his first season. Still, it's clear he has a lot of work to do to earn Mike Tomlin's trust.

13. Browns-Ranked #23: Kareem Hunt wants out of Cleveland, but that doesn’t mean Kareem Hunt gets out of Cleveland. The Browns denied the running back’s trade request and reportedly will fine him for sitting out of team drills during a brief hold-in that began on Friday and apparently ended on Sunday. Barring something unforeseen, that means Browns fans will get one more year of Hunt and Nick Chubb -- the best 1-2 punch at running back in the NFL. With Deshaun Watson suspended for the first six games of the season -- and perhaps many more depending on the outcome of the NFL’s appeal -- it’s hard not to imagine Cleveland as one of football’s most run-heavy teams with certified game manager Jacoby Brissett under center.

 

Most evaluations courtesy of Dan Hanzus-NFL.com

 

 

[Rhodelesstraveled]

Some of those takes have already turned out wrong since he made them.  

[philba101]

Do you mean the question marks or the rankings? I don't think we know that any of those are incorrect yet?