The Indianapolis Colts are staring at an 0-2 start in 2026, and that’s hardly the kind of opening anyone wants. But Shane Steichen has a favorite reminder for moments like this: there’s a lot of football left.
That doesn’t guarantee a turnaround. It does, however, leave room for a familiar kind of hope - the kind that points back to 2014, when the Colts last won the AFC South and Daniel Jones might have a chance to give fans a version of that old Andrew Luck feeling.
That 2014 team opened with the same rough first two games the Colts are dealing with now, then ripped off 11 wins in its final 14 games to finish 11-5, take the division, reach the playoffs, and make a solid run once they got there. The postseason ended with an ugly loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, but the stretch from Week 3 through that point was mostly a whole lot of good.
There’s another little wrinkle worth noting: that 2014 surge started with a divisional win. Indianapolis beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 44-17 in Week 3, and this year’s Colts will get a different AFC South test when they face the Houston Texans in Week 3. If the pattern feels familiar, that’s because it is.
Even the early-season details line up in a few spots. The 2014 Colts lost in Week 2 by three points, just like this year’s team did.
Both teams also forced only one turnover through their first two games. Those coincidences don’t prove anything, but they do leave room for one thing: hope.
Of course, the 2026 Colts are not the 2014 Colts. This version of the team looks worse through two games.
And Daniel Jones is not Andrew Luck at his peak. But that comparison doesn’t have to be perfect to matter.
Jones fits Shane Steichen’s system, and that fit can carry real weight. He’s also not short on talent, and he did lead the 2025 team to a 7-1 start.
So if the Colts lose to the Texans in Week 3, the sky doesn’t need to fall. There would still be 14 games left, even if the clock on a playoff push would start ticking louder. But if Indianapolis gets that win, the idea of a 2014-style rebound stops feeling like a stretch and starts looking like a real possibility.
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Carlie Irsay-Gordons sideline presence has become a talking point around the Colts, but inside the locker room it does not sound like much of a story at all. The Indianapolis owner and CEO has spent years on the field level during games, a habit that has lately prompted outside debate about whether it creates an unnecessary distraction for the team.
Mo Alie-Cox pushed back on that narrative, saying the players do not view Irsay-Gordon being on the sideline as a problem and taking issue with the media for turning it into one. Irsay-Gordon has described her own approach as practical, saying being there helps her understand how the operation works and make more informed decisions, which only adds another layer to a discussion that seems louder outside the building than inside it. [Read more 🡒]
Colts May Have Finally Solved A Problem Houston Can Expose
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For a Colts team that has not reached the postseason since 2020, finding answers up front matters almost as much as finding them anywhere else. Travis has looked solid in both pass protection and run blocking through two games this season, which is exactly the kind of early stability Indianapolis has been chasing at a spot opponents can attack. Houston is the kind of matchup that can expose any lingering weakness, so the Colts will be watching closely to see whether this early comfort on the right side holds up when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Need Unexpected Help Against Houston And These Names Stand Out
The Colts head into Week 3 with Shane Steichen under real pressure to steady a team that has not looked like it expected to this early in the season. A trip to face the Texans brings a familiar kind of urgency, and Indianapolis may need some unexpected help to get the offense and defense pointed in the right direction.
Seth McGowan could see a bigger role if the Colts are looking for a fresh spark, while Justin Walley has a chance to show he belongs as a starter in a game that will demand sharp coverage. Keenan Allen, meanwhile, is one of the more proven pieces on the roster, but Indianapolis needs more from him than name value if it is going to keep pace in Houston. [Read more 🡒]