Though the official schedules have not been released by the NFL yet, teams know what opponents they will be facing, just not when. For the Indianapolis Colts, their schedule should aid in ending with a better record than the 8-9 they finished with last year.

The Colts know who they will be playing this year and where the games will take place. That piece of the schedule was finalized in January. The home opponents will be the Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Ravens, Bengals, Dolphins, Cowboys and the Giants. The away opponents will be AFC South rivals along with the Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Vikings and Eagles.

According to Warren Sharp from Sharp Football Analysis, the Colts have the ninth-easiest schedule, with a projected 8.5 win total. This is similar to last year’s ranking, where the Colts were said to have the eighth-easiest schedule, according to ESPN. Based on this information, the Colts are set up to have a comparable season. However, the goal is to be better.

With another easier schedule, the Colts need to take advantage and win more games than last year. Though the Colts finished middle of the pack, they started off the season 8-2 before losing the remaining games in the season. This was largely due to injuries to key players like quarterback Daniel Jones and cornerback Sauce Gardner, whom the Colts traded two first-round draft picks for.

Going into the season, the Colts made key moves in the offseason, including resigning Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce. They also lost a lot of players, including over five defensive starters and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. There were a lot of holes that needed to be filled.

In the draft, the Colts did well, drafting mainly defensive players along with a receiver and running back. There are still some positions that are lacking depth, particularly in the receivers and edges. Jonathan Taylor is a great option, but there is still a lack of depth in that as well. However, the starting core of the Colts is a strong, experienced group, adding talented players in necessary spots. Recently, the team lost cornerback and nine-year veteran Kenny Moore II, who requested a trade in April.

With another easy schedule and the team recovering fully from injury, the Colts are set up to have a better season than last year. Jones is more comfortable with the team and his receivers, and if he can get back to how he was playing last season, it is possible for the Colts to make a postseason run.

Though the AFC South has improved as a division, the Colts can beat any team in the group. All AFC opponents on the schedule are winnable games. The Eagles will always be a tough opponent, but the team has the talent to win all of the games on the schedule. With Ballard being so late in his career, he needs the Colts to have a better season. The Colts have not been to the playoffs since 2021 and need to make a move, whether that be in postseason play or with a change in the front office.