Is it too early to watch the scoreboard when it comes to the Indianapolis Colts' playoff hopes? Well, we'll do it here in Week 12 anyway.
After a win last Sunday over the Jets, the Colts improved to 5-6 on the season and are still alive . However, Indianapolis is still under .500 and walking a fine line between staying in the mix and dropping out of contention – so we'll be keeping an eye on what else happens in the AFC.
If you're hoping the Colts can catch the Texans in the AFC South, they're already two games behind in the win-loss category, but Houston also has the edge after beating Indianapolis twice this season.
In reality, the Colts need to make up three games and win the division outright. This week Houston faces the Titans, so we'll just move on and shift our focus to the wild card.
At 5-6, the Colts are just one game behind the 6-5 Denver Broncos, who hold the final playoff spot in the AFC. The current sixth seed is 7-4 Baltimore, two games ahead of Indianapolis.
Can the Colts make up this ground on Baltimore? I guess we'll see, but from a fundamental standpoint, a Ravens loss keeps another potential playoff spot somewhat within reach.
Meanwhile, hot on the heels of the Colts are the Miami Dolphins, who are currently the nine seeded teams at 4:6, followed by the Cincinnati Bengals at 4:7.
With all that said, who else should you be rooting for this week other than the Colts?
The Chargers (vs. Ravens), Raiders (vs. Broncos) and Patriots (vs. Dolphins), while the Bengals have their bye week.
