The Indianapolis Colts led the Minnesota Vikings 33-0 about halfway through the third quarter before a monumental mishap took place. In the latest embarrassing moment for the Colts, the team relinquished the lead and lost the game 39-36 in overtime. Despite this, the Colts accomplished their goal for the long-term future of the franchise. The team didn’t win the game; in turn, the squad didn’t increase its draft stock. In the long run, the Colts won today.
The Colts won by losing this game. Had Indianapolis won today, the team’s record would be 5-8-1. As a result, the team would jump each team with a 5-8 record.
That is a list of no fewer than seven teams, consisting of the: Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and division foe Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fortunately for Indianapolis, the Colts lost and maintained a low draft spot.
The Colts won by not getting closer to a playoff spot
The Jaguars are starting to get hot, and only time will tell if that is at the right time as they are just two games out from the division lead with another game with the Tennessee Titans to come in Week 18. That game could very well be for the division.
However, the Colts do not want to be part of the playoff discussion right now. What about these last few weeks have inspired any confidence about the playoffs? Nothing. So, it’s fair to say that the Colts won in the sense that the team will not humiliate itself in the playoffs.
The Colts won by maintaining the teams current draft position
With the game resulting in a loss for Indianapolis, there are only six teams with a lesser draft pick than the Colts. Three of these teams have a 4-9 record, meaning that if they win another game and the Colts lose out, Indianapolis could end up with a top four pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The biggest need for the team, despite head coach, is stability at the quarterback position. The Colts have an unflattering streak of starting a different quarterback in every year since 2017. Futhermore, the Colts have started eight different quarterbacks since then.
Sam Ehlinger will be the #Colts 8th starting QB since 2017. pic.twitter.com/2AwiBzVjf4
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 25, 2022
Getting a consistent starting quarterback will go a long way toward getting the Colts back in the yearly playoff discussion. Additionally, The Colts have a long history of making good selections on quarterbacks in the first round of the draft. Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck were pretty good at this football thing. The Colts won these drafts and many more.
If the Indianapolis Colts manage to get a quarterback they can develop with proper coaching next season, the squad could become a massive threat once more. They could become more than a threat in the division as well, if the Colts draft one of the top quarterback in the upcoming draft.
A breakdown of how the Colts won by losing
However, it all starts with how the Colts end this 2022 season. For all intents and purposes, the playoff dream is over, and has been for quite some time now. If the Colts continue to lose games, that will only bolster the team’s draft stock. Granted this most recent loss stings bad, as it was the biggest comeback in the history of the league, it was a necessary step toward securing a top draft pick.
However, if the Colts can come into next season healthy, with a good coaching staff and, perhaps most importantly, a quarterback who will be a part of the team’s future for the foreseeable future, it will not sting as badly. At this point in the season, Colts nation wants to see Indianapolis get more losses.
Although, it would be better if they weren’t in increasingly more embarrassing fashion. If the Colts nab a top quarterback as a result of this, it will be worth it. At the end of the season, it could be said that all of the humiliation would be worth it if that happens. By losing, the Colts won today.
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