There may still be four games left in the NFL regular season, but the playoffs will essentially begin in Week 15 for the NFL. Indianapolis Colts.
“Not just the kids, it’s everyone,” DeForest Buckner said when asked about his message this week to the team’s younger players. “People say we’re fighting to get to the playoffs, but we’re already there. It’s a playoff game. … It’s win or go home.
This week’s game against Denver is basically a must-win game for the Colts. They are currently 6-7 this season, two full games behind the 8-5 Broncos for the final AFC wildcard spot.
A victory, and the Colts would then be only one game behind the Broncos. They would also host the head-to-head tiebreaker and have a very favorable schedule to finish the season with matchups against the remaining Titans, Giants and Jaguars.
Focus on professional football calculated that the Colts’ playoff chances would jump to 68 percent with a win in Denver.
But on the other hand, a loss would all but eliminate the Colts. They would then be three games behind Denver, with the Broncos holding the tiebreaker. PFF has just a 10 percent playoff chance of Indianapolis in the event of a loss, with the Colts then requiring a late-season collapse by either the 8-5 Ravens or 8-5 Chargers.
“We can’t hope and pray on someone else for our fortune,” Buckner added. “We have to make our own fortune. So it starts on Sunday.
A potentially key element in determining the outcome of this game will be the performance of the Colts in the trenches. The Broncos’ offensive line has been one of the best at protecting the quarterback this season, while their defensive front ranks in the top five in pressure rate and yards per carry allowed.
Below is Buckner’s full response when asked about this playoff-style game:
This article was originally published on Colts Wire: Playoffs begin in Denver for the Indianapolis Colts
