NFL Power Rankings Week 6: The Colts Make Another Jump Up

The Colts continued their 2022 season at home on Sunday against an AFC South rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were 2-3 coming off a loss against the Houston Texans. The Colts managed to get some key players back from injury but also were without three key starters in Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines and Shaquille Leonard.

The Colts sit at 3-2-1, and are currently second in the AFC South. The Colts managed to grab their third win of the year and needed to keep up with the Tennessee Titans as they sit first in and above the Colts in the AFC South title.

The national media have moved the Colts up in the power rankings board after their win against the Jaguars. Here is how the Colts stack up in the week 6 power rankings.

ESPN has the Colts at 20:

The notion that the Indianapolis Colts’ young group of wide receivers and tight ends were the biggest concern hasn’t proven to be true. Surprisingly, that title belongs to an offensive line that has struggled in epic fashion and has undermined the entire offense. The Colts have used different offensive line combinations in each of the past three games, with none of the changes prompted by injury. They finally seem to have found a workable unit in Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars — the line’s best showing of the season. As for the receivers and tight ends, the youngsters are really starting to flash, particularly rookie receiver Alec Pierce. Now, consistency is the next goal.

NFL.com has the Colts at 21:

Matty Ice lives! Forced to play another game without star running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle), Colts coach Frank Reich rolled out a pass-drunk attack that thrived in a 34-27 win over the Jaguars. Playing behind a revamped offensive line, Matt Ryan threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns on 42-of-58 passing. Ryan didn’t commit a turnover and, remarkably, never took a single sack despite all those dropbacks. Ryan certainly played his role in Indianapolis’ uninspired start to its season, but Sunday served as a welcome reminder he can still sling it when given time to read defenses and make plays.

CBS Sports has the Colts at 15:

They’ve won two straight as Matt Ryan rallied them against Jacksonville. They’ve also dealt with a lot of injuries, but some of those guys will be back soon.

USA Today has the Colts at 20:

Carson Wentz still haunts them, his finger injury meaning Indianapolis probably won’t get a second-round pick in return from Washington prior to next year’s draft.

Yahoo Sports has the Colts at 16:

Matt Ryan has come up with big plays in three dramatic, comeback wins. Say what you want about how Ryan has played, but that wouldn’t have happened for the Colts last season. It’s rather remarkable this team is above .500, and they’re actually in pretty good shape if they win at Tennessee on Sunday. That game could be the turning point of their season.

Bleacher Report has the Colts at 14:

The first five weeks of the Matt Ryan era didn’t go so well for the Indianapolis Colts. Ryan struggled throwing the ball, the Colts ranked near the bottom of the league in scoring and Indy struggled, winning just once over the season’s first month. However, Sunday against the Jaguars, it was a different story—Ryan threw for 389 yards and three scores without an interception in leading the Colts to a come-from-behind win over the rival Jaguars. And at 3-2-1, the Colts are now just half a game back of the Titans in the AFC South.

“In Week 6, Ryan turned back the clock and looked like the quarterback who once led the Atlanta Falcons’ high-powered passing attacks a few years ago instead of a 37-year-old signal-caller on his way to retirement,” Moton said. “We must note that he didn’t take a sack in last Sunday’s game, which is a great improvement from 21 sacks in the first five weeks. “Ryan had time to showcase his connection with lead wideout Michael Pittman Jr. (13 receptions for 134 yards), rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce (three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown) and running back Deon Jackson (10 receptions for 79 yards). Even Parris Campbell reached the end zone with one of his seven receptions (57 receiving yards). “Even more impressive, Indianapolis had its best passing performance without star running back Jonathan Taylor, who usually draws a lot of attention in the backfield but has missed consecutive games with an ankle injury,” Moton continued. “If Ryan continues to get maximum protection, watch out for the Colts.”

Pro Football has the Colts at 16:

It’s been very ugly at times, but the Indianapolis Colts are 3-2-1 and are battling the Titans for first place in the division, as the football gods intended when the season commenced. Matt Ryan looks about eight degrees of washed, the offensive line is in shambles, and Jonathan Taylor is injured. Nevertheless, Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce are proving to be quite the dynamic receiving duo. As long as Ryan’s hospital balls continue to fall harmlessly, the Colts could piece together a few more wins. They’ll face their division rivals a week from Sunday.