Three Biggest Games: Indianapolis Colts

The big bullies of the AFC South earned themselves a lot of outer-division admirers last season. Led by their resilient head coach Chuck Pagano and monstrously talented Andrew Luck, the Colts trounced the Bengals and upset the Broncos in a strong playoff showing. Their appearance in the conference championship for the first time since the end of the Peyton Manning era signalled the resurgence of one of the NFL’s most consistent franchises. But to get there again, Indy must conquer three formidable AFC foes.

Week 5 at Houston Texans

Barring a miracle, the Texans are the only team that could realistically threaten to loosen the Colts’ iron-hoof grip on the division in 2015. The Titans feature a box office draw at quarterback, but most fans are not expecting a mountain of wins in Marcus Mariota’s rookie campaign. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are yet to form a cohesive unit on offense, and are still reeling from news that third overall draft pick, Dante Fowler, Jr., will miss the season with an ACL tear. That leaves the scrappy Houston J.J. Watts, who will undoubtedly give the Colts a tough time in this primetime clash in Texas.

Week 6 vs. New England Patriots

So apparently, there’s been some talk this week about deflated footballs and some quarterback being suspended or something. The mass media appears to have moved on from this farce, so specific details are scarce. Or not. The sporting world has been whipped into a frenzy this week over a possibly lengthy suspension for Tom Brady over the conference championship’s ‘Deflate Gate’ debacle. And while Pagano and the Colts have publicly denied any ill feelings towards their rivals, you can expect the Colts fans to give the Pats hell in this Sunday night blockbuster. Luck may have exorcised his Manning demons last season, but until he can get one over on Brady and Belichick, the pair will continue to halt his push for a Super Bowl.

Week 13 at Pittsburgh Steelers

The fact that this contest didn’t feature in a primetime slot last year was an absolute travesty for the neutral viewer. The two title contenders combined for 85 points in this offensive extravaganza. Provided a tighter scoreline in the forth quarter, there was little doubt that Ben Roethlisberger would annihilate the single-game passing yardage record. He didn’t quite get there, but TV executives had seen enough to throw this clash on Sunday Night Football. And with both teams having fortified their offenses in the draft, another shootout could well be on the cards in an entertaining affair that could prove crucial in deciding the #1 seed in the AFC.