2021 NFL Power Rankings: Indianapolis Colts

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Indianapolis Colts rank in terms of average, best and worst:

Average ranking: 10.8 (11th)
Best ranking: 9 (Multiple)
Worst ranking: 13 (CBS Sports)

Below you will find a Week 14 roundup for the Colts in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 12

Player who must step up: QB Carson Wentz

No, Wentz isn't having a bad season. He has had a pretty solid one, in fact, with 22 touchdown passes and only five interceptions. But the first-year Colts quarterback has to take his game to an even higher level because they are far from a lock to market the playoffs this season. They're currently ninth in the AFC with four games remaining, which includes contests against New England, Arizona and Las Vegas. Now is the time for Wentz to show why the Colts acquired him from Philadelphia last offseason. "It's December; everything feels like a playoff game," Wentz recently said. -- Mike Wells

NFL.com -- Rank: 9

The Colts demolish bad teams. Cream them. Grind them into dust. Strike them from the Earth. Banish them to parts unknown. It happened again on Sunday, in a 31-0 win over the moribund Texans that moved Frank Reich's team back over .500 as they reach their bye. When the Colts return to action in Week 15, they'll hit a critical two-game stretch against the Patriots and Cardinals that will define their season. Indy still has just one win against a team with a winning record this season. Is this an actual AFC powerhouse ... or just a middle-of-the-road group that beats up on the have-nots? We'll find out soon enough.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 13

They dominated a bad Texans team, which was to be expected. They are still a game out of the playoffs right now as they head to their bye.

USA Today -- Rank: 9

Average margin of victory in their seven wins is 18.3 points. They lead the league in takeaways (29) and turnover differential (+13). They'll be a tough out if they reach postseason.

The Athletic -- Rank: 11

Best-case scenario: An AFC South title is certainly attainable, which is remarkable given the Colts' slow start and pair of losses to the Titans earlier this season. And a division title might actually be the Colts' best (and only?) path to the playoffs, considering they sit ninth in the AFC. For now, the Colts should spend their bye week watching the AFC standings and hoping the Titans somehow lose to the Jaguars, and then try to make a statement in Week 15 against New England.

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