Colts’ Ease of Schedule Presents Even More Pressure

The Indianapolis Colts start their 2026 regular season in just six days, when they defend home turf against Jesse Minter’s Baltimore Ravens.

This is one of the most important seasons in recent memory for the Colts, and the 2026 mantra for Indy is simple: “Find a way.”

Indy hasn’t won the AFC South since 2014 or made the playoffs since 2020, and both of those droughts likely need to be dashed this year for Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard to remain as the head coach and general manager.

The strength of schedule can matter in the long run for an NFL team to win its division and reach the postseason. The Colts have one of the smoothest schedules in the NFL heading into 2026.

The NFL released a ranking detailing each team’s strength of schedule, and Indianapolis has the fourth-easiest in the league.

Below is a brief breakdown of Indy’s opponents this year and their 2025 records.

• Baltimore Ravens | 8-9
• @ Kansas City Chiefs | 6-11
• Houston Texans | 12-5 (Playoffs)
• Washington Commanders | 5-12
• @ Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-7 (Playoffs)
• Tennessee Titans | 3-14
• @ Minnesota Vikings | 9-8
• Jacksonville Jaguars | 13-4 (Playoffs, AFC South champions)
• Dallas Cowboys | 7-9-1
• Miami Dolphins | 7-10
• New York Giants | 4-13
• @ Philadelphia Eagles | 11-6 (Playoffs)
• Cincinnati Bengals | 6-11
• @Cleveland Browns| 5-12

All in all, Indy’s 2026 opponents compiled an overall record of 106-131-1, which equals out to a win percentage of .465.

Indy’s excuses to succeed this year have run out, regardless of their strength of schedule. However, when we examine how low the difficulty is based on their 2026 opponents, the pressure is even heavier.

When we examine the schedule here, it features four teams that made the playoffs (Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Philadelphia Eagles).

Diving deeper and looking into the AFC South, two of the four previously mentioned playoff teams include the Jaguars and Texans, with Jacksonville ready to defend their 2025 AFC South title.

Yes, Indy’s schedule looks easy on paper, but when considering that four of their games will be against stiff competition in their division, it raises the difficulty level more than the eye indicates.

Last year, it was all about Indy’s offense led by Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor. Steichen’s side of the ball was humming until the squad was plagued with injuries to their most important positions.

As for the defense, Lou Anarumo lost key names like Kwity Paye, Nick Cross, and Zaire Franklin. The Colts added talents like CJ Allen, A.J. Haulcy, Arden Key, and Akeem Davis-Gaither to try and fill those voids.

The Colts are a team that, at one point last year, looked like a frontrunner to win the Super Bowl until the wheels fell off.

Now, walking into the 2026 season, not many are talking about the AFC contender, given that they finished last year on a seven-game losing streak.

Regardless, the Colts have to find a way to take full advantage of their ease of schedule, and if they can get through the grinder, that is their first five weeks, there’s a good shot they can push for a division crown and make the playoffs.

This also means the pressure is greater than ever for Indianapolis to win. If they can’t handle their lesser schedule, the narrative that this team was a fluke last year will inflate to epic proportions.

Keep a close eye on the Colts this year. They can’t afford more mediocre, sub-.500 records. They also can’t afford to lose the AFC South or miss the postseason anymore.

Everything is riding on 2026, and Indianapolis has been presented with a schedule that gives them a clear path to success.

We’ll see if they can navigate the NFL’s gift and stave off tough competition within their division to ‘find a way’ to achieve greatness.

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