The Indianapolis Colts were the laughingstock of the league last week after running "the worst trick play in NFL history" in their loss to the Patriots. They'll try to redeem themselves on Sunday with a better -- and winning -- performance against a New Orleans Saints team that just knocked off the previously undefeated Falcons.
NFL picks and predictions, Saints vs. Colts 2015: Indy is heavy favorite to beat New Orleans
The Colts haven’t beaten a non-AFC South team in the regular season since Week 14 of last year, but the experts are picking them to prevail over the Saints this weekend.
That horrible fourth-down call by the Colts ruined their chance to upset the Patriots, yet it barely impacted their standing in the playoff race. At 3-3, they still lead the AFC South and hold tiebreakers over the other three teams, too, having beaten the Texans, Jaguars and Titans in their previous three games.
Indy might never lose another AFC South game again and appears primed for a third straight division crown. But until it shows the ability to compete with the elite teams, there is no reason to think that the Colts can be a real Super Bowl contender. They are 19-2 against divisional opponents in the Andrew Luck era (since 2012) and 17-16 versus the rest of the NFL in the regular season.
The Saints’ win over Atlanta last Thursday injected the team with a much-needed shot of confidence and momentum following its dismal 0-3 start. They’ve now won two of their last three games, and have seemingly regained some of the swagger that had been missing in the first month-plus of the season.
It was a vintage performance against the Falcons on both sides of the ball: Drew Brees went 30-of-39 for 312 yards with no interceptions, while the Saints' aggressive front-seven forced three turnovers and had five sacks in what could end up being a season-altering win. If New Orleans can continue to play with that same defensive intensity and offensive efficiency, it could find itself in the thick of the playoff hunt come December.
The experts, however, aren’t convinced that the Saints can hang with the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday. Over at CBS Sports, six of the eight guys have the Colts as winners. It’s a similar split here at SB Nation, with only Matt Ufford and PFT Commenter picking New Orleans, while the other six panelists are taking Indy.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark Computer | |
| NO @ IND | IND | IND | IND | IND | IND | NO | NO | IND |
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