Source: Dylan Buell / Getty
INDIANAPOLIS – Win and in. Lose and season is over.
That’s pretty darn simple for the Colts in Week 18, as they host the Houston Texans next Saturday at 8:15 PM (will air on ABC/ESPN), with the NFL putting this game in the stand alone Saturday primetime window.
If the Colts win over the Texans on Saturday, they clinch a playoff berth. That spot will be a Wild Card spot, if the Jaguars beat the Titans on Sunday. If the Jaguars loss to the Titans, then the winner of Colts/Texans will also win the AFC South.
Winning the division, and thus hosting a home playoff game, would be a first for the Colts since the 2014 season. Winning the AFC South would give the Colts the 4th seed in the playoffs, meaning they’d host Cleveland in the Wild Card Round of the Playoffs.
If the Colts make the playoffs as a Wild Card team, they’d most likely be on the road taking on Kansas City or Buffalo.
With the 8:15 Saturday start time, and the Jaguars not playing until Sunday, the AFC South winner will not be known until Sunday afternoon. That’s because the Jaguars capture the South with a win, and they play Sunday at 1:00. No matter who wins Colts/Texans, they’ll also have to have the Jaguars lose on Sunday afternoon in order to win the division.
At 9-7, the Colts still have the 7th and final Wild Card spot with 1 week remaining this season. If the playoffs started today, the Colts would travel to Miami to take on the No. 2 seed Dolphins.
The AFC has 4 teams that have clinched playoff spots: Ravens (AFC North) Dolphins, Chiefs (AFC West), Browns (wild card). The other 3 playoff spots will come down to 5 teams: Jaguars, Bills, Colts, Texans and Steelers
Colts Playoff Scenarios:
-Win vs. Texans + Jaguars beat Titans = Colts capture Wild Card spot
-Win vs. Texans + Jaguars loss to Titans = Colts win AFC South
-Loss vs. Texans = Colts miss playoffs.
Here’s a look at the AFC standings with 1 week remaining:
Division Leaders (overall record, *clinched playoff berth)
1. *Ravens (13-3): Steelers
2. *Dolphins (11-5): Bills
3. *Chiefs (10-6): at Chargers
4. Jaguars (9-7): at Titans
Wild Card Teams
5. *Browns (11-5): at Bengals
6. Bills (10-6): at Dolphins
7. Colts (9-7): Texans
Outside Looking In
8. Texans (9-7): at Colts
9. Steelers (9-7): at Ravens