The Colts were a great story, but the dream looks to be dead in Indy

The Indianapolis Colts had a imminently winnable game on Sunday, but they fell short and dreams of a division title and a playoff spot faded with it.

With three losses in their previous four games, including a loss to the Houston Texans in Week 13, the Indianapolis Colts sat two games back of the Texans in the AFC South at 6-6 entering Sunday’s action. Facing the 5-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday felt like a way to get back on a winning track.

But it was not to be. The Colts intercepted Jameis Winston three times on Sunday, but they also allowed 456 passing yards and four touchdowns to him as Tampa Bay scored the final 17 points of the game to get a 38-35 victory.

The Colts have tended to play up or down to their competition this year, with wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and the Texans and either losses or narrow wins against the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins. The loss to Tampa Bay, even as an indoor team on the road, fits the template and leaves them with a fitting 6-7 record.

The Colts will remain two games back in the AFC South, as the Texans inexplicably lost badly to the Broncos on Sunday and the Tennessee Titans can match Houston at 8-5 with a win over the Raiders.

But the loss to the Buccaneers pushes the Colts down the pecking order in the broader playoff race, with the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5 entering Sunday), the Titans, the Raiders (6-6 entering that game against Tennessee) and the Cleveland Browns (6-7) in the mix alongside them. Indianapolis split the season series with the Titans, and lost to the Steelers and Raiders.

It’s not as if anyone is going to run away in the AFC South, so the Colts aren’t finished in the division race just yet. But it’s not looking particularly good either, and Sunday’s blown lead in Tampa Bay looks like the moment the dream died in Indy for the 2019 season.