Just a few weeks back, the Colts were looking like a legitimate challenger in the AFC playoff picture-especially when it came to putting pressure on the Patriots for the conference’s top seed. But after back-to-back losses and a key injury on defense, that momentum has taken a serious hit.
Indianapolis dropped its second straight game in Week 13, a skid that’s not only dented its playoff hopes but also pushed them behind the Jaguars in the AFC South standings. And now, they’re staring down a critical stretch of the season without one of their most impactful players.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner, who was brought in before the trade deadline to bolster Indy’s secondary, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a calf injury. While there were early fears it could be something far more serious-potentially an Achilles tear-Gardner appears to have avoided the worst-case scenario. Still, he’s going to be out for “a few weeks,” according to reports, and that’s a tough blow for a defense that’s leaned heavily on his presence since his arrival.
Gardner’s absence is more than just a missing name on the depth chart. He’s been a tone-setter in the secondary, bringing elite coverage skills and swagger to a unit that needed both. Without him, the Colts lose a top-tier perimeter defender, and that’s going to test their depth and scheme flexibility against some high-powered offenses down the stretch.
And the schedule isn’t doing them any favors. It starts in Week 14 with a divisional showdown against the Jaguars-a game that could go a long way in deciding who takes the AFC South crown. From there, it’s a gauntlet: the Seahawks in Week 15, the 49ers in Week 16, another clash with Jacksonville in Week 17, and a potentially playoff-deciding tilt with the Texans in Week 18.
In a conference where every game matters and tiebreakers loom large, the Colts are going to need to find answers-and fast. Gardner’s injury doesn’t end their season, but it does raise the degree of difficulty. Whether their defense can hold up without its shutdown corner could be the difference between playing in January or watching from home.