Football is coming, with teams ready to see if their offseason moves were good enough to make a major jump in 2014. Today we preview the defending AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts. Read on for everything you need to know about Andrew Luck and Co and if you want to find out more about their divisional opponents, check our Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans previews.
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts have stayed pretty consistent for the past couple of seasons. Armed with some key offseason reinforcements, will this year be the year Luck and the young Colts return their club to the elite of the AFC?
[sc:”Football Articles” ]Indianapolis Colts Team Preview for the 2014/2015 NFL Season
Overview
2013 Regular Season Record: 11-5 SU/10-6 ATS
The Indianapolis Colts matched their 2012 record 11-5 SU, but thanks to the fall of the Houston Texans, easily claimed the AFC South. The Colts overcame an early scare from the Kansas City Chiefs to win 45-44 in the Wild Card Playoffs, but were then summarily dominated by the New England Patriots, 43-22, in the divisional round.
Star quarterback Andrew Luck led the way with 3,822 yards passing and 23 touchdowns. Luck continued showing improvement last year, upping his completion percentage to 60% while cutting his interceptions from 18 to nine.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Indianapolis is coming into the 2014 season with a lot of talent and returning veterans. The Colts are big -150 favorites to defend their AFC South title. And with the key additions, they may even pose a challenge for AFC leaders Denver Broncos and New England Patriots this time around. The Indianapolis Colts are +2,200 to win the Super Bowl.
Offseason Highlights
Even with the brilliance of Luck, the Colts’ offense sputtered at times during last season. They finished 17th and 21st overall in passing yards and rushing yards respectively. With their struggles in mind, they put an emphasis on surrounding Luck with a wide array of weapons this offseason.
Veteran Reggie Wayne, who is coming back after tearing his ACL in Week 7 last year, will be a key returnee. However, with Wayne’s advancing age, Indianapolis snapped up free agent signing Hakeem Nicks to add some needed youth. The Colts will be hoping Nicks reverts to his 2010-11 self, where he had back-to-back 1, 000 yard seasons with the New York Giants.
Speaking of youth, T.Y. Hilton. Hilton proved to be another valuable offensive tool last year when he caught 82 passes for 1,083 yards in just his second season in the NFL. Aside from his regular season, he was also instrumental in the Wild Card game against the Chiefs, recording 13 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns.
The Colts should also get tight end Dwayne Allen back from hip injury sustained in just their first game of the year last season. In his rookie season in 2012, Allen ranked seventh-best among the NFL’s rookie receiving leaders with 521 yards from 45 receptions.
Despite the Colts’ upgrade of offensive talent, they still have holes in their defense. They snapped up defensive end Arthur Jones and veteran linebacker D’Qwell Jackson from free agency. Jones is coming in with 120 combined tackles from the past season, while Jackson has 824 from his nine-year career. However, Indianapolis’ defensive needs are far from filled-in. They still lack quality corner backs and safeties coming into the 2014 season.
Key Betting Matchups of 2014 NFL Season
The Indianapolis Colts are looking to be a formidable team coming into the 2014 NFL season. They boast of a star-studded offense, but may still struggle defensively. Nevertheless, last year’s win over Super Bowl runners-up Denver Broncos prove that they could handle themselves whilst lacking quality offensive tools.
The Colts shouldn’t see much of a challenge from the AFC South. However, the Colts will need to pass the bigger tests to prove that they’re major Super Bowl contenders. This year, the two key matchups that can spell how Indianapolis can win it all come in the form of Denver and New England.
September 7 – at Denver Broncos
This match will see how well the Colts have improved in the offseason. It will be an early stern test of their offensive lineup as the Broncos are coming in after being last year’s Super Bowl runners-up.
November 16 – vs. New England Patriots
Indianapolis said goodbye to their postseason after being trounced by the Patriots in the Divisional Playoffs. However, their offensive lineup back then didn’t consist of a number of key players returning to the field this year. Wayne’s return may give the Colts the spark they need to steal this one from the Patriots.
Prediction
The Colts will use all of their offensive weapons this season to improve their regular season record to 13-3. Create a betting account now to capitalize on the improved Indianapolis Colts as early as now.
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