The Indianapolis Colts are looking to build upon the promising things they showed in the first season under Shane Steichen.

The franchise hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2020 and the last time they won the AFC South was in 2014. 

If that is going to change in 2024, they will need certain X-factors to go their way and take them to the next stage of the Steichen era.

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Whether it’s one player, a position group, or a coach, let’s take a look at the biggest X-factors for the Colts for the upcoming season: 

Colts’ biggest X-factors in 2024

Anthony Richardson’s health and development 

2024 for the Colts will be defined by Richardson’s health. Sure, they could be competitive with Joe Flacco as we saw what Shane Steichen did with Gardner Minshew in 2023. But having a healthy AR over a 39-year-old Flacco can be the difference that leads to Indianapolis ending their drought of winning the division.   

The slight scare from Richardson resting during the minicamp last week is all the Colts hope they deal with his shoulder this year. Outside of health concerns, his development as a quarterback is just as important to this season’s success. 

With more consistency in certain areas of his game, he can help elevate the passing attack as a threat to take the top off the defense with his arm while they have to respect what he can do with his legs. Richardson’s development as a passer can lead to a more explosive offense for the Colts. 

Growth from young pieces in Colts secondary

If the Indy defense is going to take the next step in the third season under Gus Bradley, they will need the youth in the secondary to show some growth in 2024. It starts with the boundary cornerbacks, which is going to be a position battle between JuJu Brents, Dallis Flowers, and Jaylon Jones during the preseason. 

The trio has faith from their defensive coordinator. Following the NFL draft, Bradley spoke about the competition between them. 

“I think it’s really wide open,” Bradley said. “You have (Dallis Flowers) coming back and JuJu and JJ (Jaylon Jones). We really like that part of it. I think for us it’s the skillset, the length, the speed. Now it’s just the consistency. Who is going to step up and be that guy that takes the next step there as a corner?

Getting consistency from that part of the defense is what the Colts need and they are betting on a group of cornerbacks that don’t have a lot of experience to be the starting-caliber players they view them as. 

Growth from their boundary corners isn’t the only part of the secondary that Indianapolis is leaning on in 2024, whether it is Nick Cross or Rodney Thomas II, they need whoever wins the free safety role to make an impact. 

Cross showed some flashes towards the end of 2023. He has the skill set to develop into a starting-caliber player. The team has shown patience with him and hasn’t been pressed to sign a veteran despite losing Daniel Scott in OTAs. 

Even if Chris Ballard elects to bring a veteran in at some point this summer, having Cross take the next step in his development will be vital because he still would work in the rotation and might be needed if said veteran had to miss any time. 

The dynamic of an Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor backfield

Two snaps. That is all the Colts got to see Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor sharing the backfield at the same time in 2023. The electric playmaking ability the ground game can see from both players keeps your imagination running on what Shane Steichen’s offense will look like in 2024. 

Not only do both help open rushing lanes for each other but the RPO game will be enhanced because of their presence as well as the play-action attack will lead to more explosive pass plays if teams start to load the box to slow down the rushing attack. 

As long as AR and JT remain healthy, the offense has the potential to be a top-five offense in the NFL this season. 

Charlie Partridge’s impact as defensive line coach

The Indy defensive front is deep and offers a lot of potential for the 2024 season. Despite the Colts finishing with 51 sacks in 2023, the fifth-most in the NFL and a franchise record, they elected to move on from Nate Ollie and hired Charlie Partridge as their new defensive line coach. 

The long-time college coach was an assistant head coach and defensive line coach for the University of Pittsburgh. The lure of Partridge is his ability to develop players. He’s worked with players like J.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson. 

“Look at his history of developing players,’’ Chris Ballard said. “This guy has coached some really good players and they all tell you he’s one of the best ones they’ve ever had.”

Outside of DeForest Buckner, you can point out certain areas each player on the defensive front could improve upon, and if Partridge can get that out of each of them then he can turn a good defensive front into an elite one. 

In 2023 we saw Tony Sparano Jr. fix the offensive line in his first year with the Colts. While the defensive line doesn’t need to be fixed, Partridge can help elevate the defense by getting his defensive line to dominate every snap to help take the pressure off the young players in the secondary. 

Anthony Gould and NFL’s new kickoff rule

Could a fifth-round pick already be an X-factor as a rookie? The NFL is looking to bring back kick returns with the new rule for kickoffs in 2024. Which is why Gould can end up making more of an impact than some of his draft classmates. 

His 4.39 40-yard speed and experience as a returner (averaged 16.3 punt return yards) made him an ideal candidate for the new kickoff the league will see. This is something that Gould believes he can provide value to start his pro career. 

“I think I can add a ton of value that way,” Gould said. “The way I look at it, it’s almost like a glorified punt. A lot of guys are going to be a lot closer in space, guys aren’t getting 20-, 25-yard head starts running towards you, so blocks are going to get picked up cleaner. It’s going to be interesting.”

Because of his electric playmaking ability with the ball in his hands, Gould’s returns could end up being a difference-maker in winning games for the Colts throughout the season.

For more Colts coverage, check out Cody Manning’s work on Sporting News.