Colts Power Rankings – Week 14

Each week, we’ll be scouring the net for team rankings from football experts, covering the previous week, and discussing them here. Let’s see what they have to say this week.

Average Ranking: 13.77 (previously 15.42) – Their win over a bad Tennessee team earned them a respectable rise in most rankings.

CBS Sports – Pete Prisco – 15th (+1): That was a season-saving victory at Tennessee. The good news was Peyton Manning ended his slump. Did you expect different?

Cold Hard Football Facts -16th (+2): Peyton Manning’s bounce-back game in Tennessee was right in keeping with his odd season; he’s got a 100.0 rating on the road, 79.7 at home. It’s also worth noting that in a season in which he has no running game or offensive line, the Colts are No. 4 in scoring (26.7 PPG).

ESPN – Kuharsky – 15th (no change): Titans were good medicine for Peyton Manning. Now can the Colts stop Maurice Jones-Drew in huge game?

Fox Sports – 15th (+1): Last week’s performance from the Colts was the kind of showing that many of us expected them to produce most weeks. For the first time in many years they have something to play for at this point in the season. And this week’s game against the visiting Jaguars could go a long way in deciding who will win the AFC South.

National Football Post – 10th (+6): There isn’t any concern about Peyton Manning this week after he tore up the Titans in Nashville.

NFL.com’s Collective Brain Trust – 12th (+2):

Michael Silver – 18th (+3): Is the Colts’ radio announcer aptly named?

Sporting News – 12th (+2): They always finish first in the AFC South, but a loss to Jacksonville this week ends that run.

Sports Illustrated – Don Banks – 13th (+2): The Colts finish the season against three teams that love to run the ball: in Jacksonville, Oakland and Tennessee. Somehow Indy’s 29th-ranked rush defense has to find a way to limit the damage on the ground, then rack up some takeaways and short fields for Peyton Manning and Co. to work with.

Sports Illustrated – Peter King – 15th (Colts reclaim a Top 15 spot): I guess I’m on a sideboard of the Colts’ bandwagon. I’m teetering on getting back on. But they still are 2-4 in the past six weeks. I need to see more, and I don’t know if more is in the offing.

USA Today – 12th (+1): It’s win-or-else on Sunday vs. Jaguars for AFC South hopes.

Walter Football – 13th (no change):

WEEI in Boston – 13th (+1): The Colts biggest game of their season will come this Sunday at home against Jacksonville. They have a tough matchup ahead of them. Indy’s D has struggled against the run all year (currently ranked 29th in the NFL). The Jags have the second-best rushing attack in the league.