The Indianapolis Colts started last season well but then faded under quarterback Jacoby Brissett. He will not be the starter entering 2020, however, as Indianapolis has added a future Hall of Famer in free agency. Here’s an overview of the Indianapolis Colts and their NFL Odds as it stands.
Indianapolis Colts NFL Odds After Free Agency Week 1
2019 recap
The Colts started last season at 5-2 but then Jacoby Brissett came crashing back to earth and the team went into a swoon. The season concluded with a 38-20 rout in Jacksonville to finish 7-9. The Colts had a chance to finish .500 or better for the seventh time in the past eight years. But they did little on offense in the second half and finished below .500 for the second time in three seasons.
After the season, GM Chris Ballard said the jury was still out on Brissett – remember, he was forced into starting last year when Andrew Luck shockingly retired in the preseason. Brissett signed a two-year, $30 million deal with the Colts after Luck’s retirement, a deal Ballard said was structured and set up in a way to evaluate him as the starter.
“The jury’s still out,” Ballard said. “That’s why we did the short-term deal with Jacoby, to have the security of a player we liked and to find out if he can be the guy.”
That clearly meant that Indy was going to go quarterback hunting this offseason.
Indianapolis Colts offseason moves
Indy’s big move was signing long-time Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to a one-year, $25 million deal. Rivers picked the Colts for the chance to reunite with his former offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, and quarterbacks coach, Nick Sirianni, both of whom who were formerly with the Chargers.
In Rivers’ three seasons under Reich and Sirianni with the Chargers, he ranked, on average, second in the NFL in completion percentage, fifth in passing yards, fifth in touchdown passes, sixth in passer rating, seventh in fewest interceptions and ninth in yards per pass attempt.
Rivers is an eight-time Pro Bowl selection who currently sits sixth in NFL history in both career passing yards (59,271) and touchdowns (397). In NFL history, Rivers ranks in the top 10 in several categories, including attempts (seventh), completions (sixth), completion percentage (ninth), passing yards (sixth), passing touchdowns (sixth), passer rating (10th), first down completions (fifth – 2,913), completions of 25 yards or more (fifth – 455) and 300-yard passing games (fourth – 70). Rivers is arguably the best QB in NFL history to never reach a Super Bowl.
The Colts plan to keep Brissett as Rivers’ backup but they released third-string QB Brian Hoyer.
The Colts also made a big trade, sending the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 draft to San Francisco for Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. A 6-foot-7, 295-pounder, Buckner, just 26, has started all 63 games in which he’s competed since being selected by the 49ers with the seventh-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Over that span, Buckner, a team captain for the 49ers, has collected 262 career tackles (38 for a loss) with 28.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed, seven fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. He also has one fumble recovery for a touchdown and six career multiple-sack games. Buckner was a huge piece to the 49ers NFC Championship team in 2019; named an Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro selection, he finished the season with 61 tackles (nine for a loss) with 7.5 sacks, two passes defensed, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Buckner should hugely reinforce what was both a middling run defense and pass rush for the Colts in 2019.
Other than Rivers and Buckner, the Colts didn’t add anyone of note. They did re-sign offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo to a big extension. Castonzo is coming off perhaps the best season of his career. The former first-round pick out of Boston College was one of just two Colts players to play all 1,077 offensive snaps on the year, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ ninth-best offensive linemen in the NFL. Castonzo allowed just three sacks and five quarterback pressures all season. The Colts’ left tackle since 2011, Castonzo began the offseason considering retirement.
2020 opponents
- Home: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets.
- Away: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers.
Indianapolis Colts odds to win Super Bowl 55
The Colts are +2800 Odds to win the Super Bowl next February in Tampa.
