The Indianapolis Colts (0-1) couldn’t pull off the upset Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0), but there were plenty of encouraging performances.
One that may stand above all others came from linebacker Zaire Franklin, who led the way with 18 tackles (10 solo), one pass defended and a forced fumble that resulted in a touchdown.
[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]
Franklin was all over the field throughout the game, showing off some solid coverage skills and making a major impact against the run. After a career year, it seems Franklin is picking up right where he left off.
Advertisement
The Colts defense will continue to ride the front seven as the strength of the unit, and Franklin remains a major constant impact player.
For theIndianapolis Colts‘ second-to-last regular season game of the 2024 campaign, they’re set to face one of the NFL’s worst teams of the year: the New York Giants.
The Giants have found their way to the league’s worst record through 15 games at 2-13, and with their recent display of 10 straight losses and some abysmal performances on both sides of the ball, it’s difficult to see that status changing in the final motions of the season– even if Sunday’s meeting will be on their home field.
In fact, the Giants have ended up with one of the worst seasons in recent memory when playing at home, with New York’s struggles becoming even more apparent when looking at a stat uncovered by Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports.
For the 2024 regular season, the Colts have found more wins in MetLife Stadium than the Giants, despite the Giants playing seven games compared to one game for Indianapolis, which ended in a 28-27 victory over the New York Jets.
Advertisement
Fun Fact for the holidays. Colts have won more games at MetLife Stadium this season than the Giants. *Colts 1-0 (beat Jets 28-27 in week 11). *Giants 0-7.
What happens next for the Colts? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!
The Colts are coming fresh off a victory last weekend against theTennessee Titans to lift only one game behind .500 and should be able to build onto that for this Sunday against the Giants. With playoff implications in mind, Indianapolis couldn’t afford to drop this game as is, and the urgency becomes even larger considering the opposing team has yet to win a game at home on the season.
Playoff hopes are slim for Indianapolis regardless of the outcome on Sunday. However, if the Colts bow out of the race early thanks to a trap game loss vs. the two-win Giants, it’ll be an ugly look for the entire organization.
Thankfully, the Colts are 6-1 this season when playing teams with a losing record, and 1-7 when up against a winning record. As long as that trend continues, Indianapolis expects to have no trouble traveling to MetLife for the second time this season on Sunday.
Advertisement
Kickoff for Colts-Giants lands at 1 PM ET.
Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!
Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.
The New York Giants host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and will head into their final two games of the season as the lone team in the NFL with just two wins.
With their loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, the Giants’ current losing streak of 10 games is the longest in the NFL and the longest franchise history.
Meanwhile, the Colts are coming off a win against the Tennessee Titans keeping their slim postseason hopes alive.
The Giants opened as 7.5-point home underdogs earlier this week, and they will host their final home game of the season on Sunday.
Advertisement
Here are three causes for concern for the Giants ahead of Week 17.
Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The hot hand
The Giants have struggled against the run all season long (although they’ve been better in recent weeks). They will now have to go up against a running back in Jonathan Taylor who put up 200-plus yards and three touchdowns last week.
The Colts ran 50 times in Week 16 and had just 11 passing attempts on the day. If Indy has their rushing game working again early on, expect them to keep going to it if the Giants can’t stop them.
Photo credit: Phil NY Giants Fan
Advertisement
MetLife Stadium woes
The Giants are in danger of becoming the first team in NFL history to lose nine home games in one season. As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, they are doing it as they celebrate the franchise’s 100th season.
In the last few home games, fans have funded banners to fly over MetLife stadium in protest. It certainly doesn’t help when fans cheered a few short weeks ago as the Giants’ attempt at a game-tying field goal was blocked against the Saints.
The Giants have been really bad at home this year and those struggles are likely to continue in Week 17.
Luke Johnson-Imagn Images
The injury report
One of the few players on the Giants who has something to play for personally is Malik Nabers. He and many other notable names appeared on the injury report on Wednesday. The Giants are so beat up on both sides of the ball that they can not afford more injuries.
The Indianapolis Colts released their first practice report for the New York Giants Week 16 matchup on Christmas Day. However, per the Colts’ post on X: “The Colts did not practice on Wednesday. Wednesday’s practice report is only an estimation of a player’s participation if there was a practice.”
The Colts did not practice on Wednesday. Wednesday’s practice report is only an estimation of a player’s participation if there was a practice. pic.twitter.com/dhW1dbr0qU
Tight end Mo Alie-Cox (toe), linebacker Jaylon Carlies (shoulder), and E.J. Speed all filed as non-participants for the ‘practice.’ However, Anthony Richardson sticks out like a sore thumb with his designation (back, foot).
Richardson has been far better in 2024 at avoiding injuries and is coming off a divisional win against the Tennessee Titans where he completed 7/11 passes for 131 passing yards, one touchdown toss, and an interception. Richardson also tacked on nine carries for 70 rushing yards (7.8 yards per carry), and another score.
Advertisement
What happens next for the Colts? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!
Richardson’s practice report for the rest of the week will be the top name to monitor as Indy looks to defeat a struggling Giants team at MetLife Stadium. Despite the Colts getting a much-needed victory over the Titans at home, they did so in close fashion (38-30) despite a fantastic performance from running back Jonathan Taylor.
Indianapolis must play better defensively late in the game, limit turnovers offensively, and continue to operate well through the ground attack to defeat Brian Daboll’s squad. We’ll see what happens with Shane Steichen’s approach and Richardson’s designation as the week winds down.
Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!
Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25672934/Metaphor_Key_Art_Horizontal.png "There’s a reason Metaphor: ReFantanzio’s battle music sounds as cool as it does")
