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The Indianapolis Colts aren't expected to make the playoffs next season, but that doesn't mean they won't.
Heading into last season, nobody predicted the New York Giants would reach the playoffs. However, they wound up becoming one of the NFL's biggest surprises, earning their first postseason berth since 2016. The Colts could very well emerge as the league's surprise team in 2023-24.
Indianapolis is coming off a forgettable 2022-23 season, finishing with a 4-12-1 record. That wasn't how things were supposed to go. By adding quarterback Matt Ryan to a club that already had pieces like Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr. and Shaq Leonard, the Colts were expected to win the AFC South and maybe even make a Super Bowl appearance.
But that obviously didn't happen. Ryan struggled mightily, which led to the former MVP quarterback getting released after only a year in Indianapolis.
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Frank Reich was fired last year and replaced by interim head coach Jeff Saturday. Saturday wasn't retained and the team hired Shane Steichen this offseason.
In 2022, Steichen served as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator, helping guide the franchise to Super Bowl LVII, where they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs. He'll now attempt to lead his new team to a playoff berth next season.
Will the Indianapolis Colts have enough firepower to reach the playoffs next season?
It's no secret that the Colts badly need a quarterback to build around. They own the fourth pick in the upcoming NFL draft, and they'll likely take a signal-caller at that spot.
With Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud sure to be gone by pick No. 4, the Colts will probably end up with Florida's Anthony Richardson when it's all said and done.
If Indianapolis can fix its offensive line, which was awful last season, the team has a chance to improve.
The Colts have an offensive mastermind leading the way in Steichen. Plus, they'll have Richardson (or whomever they draft), Taylor and a solid wide receiver corps of Pittman, Alec Pierce and possibly an exciting rookie like Boston College's Zay Flowers. Perhaps, Leonard, their best defensive player, can stay healthy.
The Colts should finish with more than the four wins that they had last season. But don't look for them to reach the playoffs in 2023, especially with a rookie quarterback under center.
