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INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts are back in the AFC South for the first time since Week Six.
It’ll be the Colts (6-5) and Titans (4-7) this Sunday in Nashville, meeting for a 1:00 PM kickoff.
Here is what we learned from the Colts on Wednesday:
- Shane Steichen confirmed Jonathan Taylor suffered a right thumb injury during Sunday’s win over the Bucs, and the running back will miss time. Steichen said the timetable for Taylor’s absence is unknown right now, with surgery occurring this week for No. 28. Steichen said the Colts discovered the injury on Monday evening and he isn’t sure when the injury occurred, although it’s believed to have happened in the first quarter against the Bucs. Steichen said, as of now, a mandated 4-game absence on injured reserve is not something being considered. Questions with Taylor’s ability to hold onto the football along with handling pass protection responsibilities is why they decided surgery was needed, instead of trying to wrap up the thumb and play through it.
- Will the Colts add a running back with Taylor missing time? That doesn’t sound like something in the works right now. Steichen said the Colts currently “feel good” about what they have at running back. While the running back position is one of the most “replaceable” in the NFL, saying that without context would be discrediting what Taylor means to a Colts offense lacking individual playmaking. If you need an overview of the 3 other running backs currently on the Colts roster, head here. Obviously, Zack Moss is expected to be back in a full bellcow role come Sunday.
- The absence for rookie CB-JuJu Brents has been 4 games (5 weeks, if you include the bye). Shane Steichen said this on Wednesday when asked about Brents returning from his quad injury. “He’s getting better. He’s getting closer and we’ll see how the week goes.” Brents did not participate in Wednesday’s walk-through.
- With the Colts about to hit December, Shane Steichen elected to go with a walk-through on Wednesday. Steichen said Ryan Kelly remains in concussion protocol, but the plan would have been for him to practice, had the Colts had one on Wednesday.
- We had an Anthony Richardson sighting in the locker room on Wednesday. Richardson remains in a sling as he continues rehab for his surgically repaired right shoulder.
- According to the New York Times NFL Playoff Predictor, the Colts’ playoff chances will fluctuate by 29 percent with a win or loss on Sunday against the Titans. We will do this each week the rest of the year as the Colts are in playoff position. Head here for more on the current playoff chances for the Colts.
- With the month of December here, it’s amazing to see the Titans contrast at home vs. the road this season. Tennessee is 4-0 at home this season and 0-7 away from home. Of course, this matchup falls in Nashville after the Colts finally out bullied the Titans in their Week 5 matchup (ending a 5-game losing streak to Mike Vrabel’s Titans). Now, much has changed for both teams since that early October meeting. Instead of Anthony Richardson vs. Ryan Tannehill again (like it was in Week 5), it’ll be Gardner Minshew vs. Will Levis. Colts players who did play in that Week 5 matchup, and who won’t play on Sunday include Grover Stewart and Jonathan Taylor. Bernhard Raimann didn’t play back in early October but is now back in the lineup. The Colts dominated the Titans on the ground earlier this year. Will that be replicated without Richardson, Taylor and Stewart?
- The Colts have won 3 straight games for the first time since December 2021. A 4-game win streak would be the first for the franchise since the end of the 2018 season.
