NFL Week 16 2023: 3 teams on upset alert this Sunday

It’s been a pretty wild season to date and some of the league’s better teams have already been bitten by the upset bug this year. Which three clubs should be wary in Week 16?

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew II (10) hands the ball off to Indianapolis Colts / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

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Atlanta Falcons (vs. Colts)

In a few weeks, it will be awards time for the National Football League (via the Associated Press). One of those accolades goes to the NFL Coach of the Year. Arguably the name you hear the most is DeMeco Ryans, who has led the Houston Texans to an 8-6 record. Keep in mind that the franchise owned a combined 11-38-1 mark in its previous three seasons.

However, don’t count out another team in the AFC South and the job that first-time NFL head coach Shane Steichen has done with the Indianapolis Colts. Like the Texans, this is a team that owns an 8-6 mark. A year ago, the team went through two head coaches during a tumultuous 4-12-1 campaign.

Meanwhile, it’s been a rough year for a team that had a good offseason. Thanks to two straight losses, the Atlanta Falcons have now fallen behind both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. The team is making the quarterback change this week as Desmond Ritter is benched once again and Taylor Heinicke will get the nod against Indianapolis.

As of this writing, the Falcons were a mystifying one-point favorite. Apparently, there are those who aren’t convinced that Steichen’s team isn’t for real. That’s pretty surprising considering the improved Colts, winners of five of their last six games, own a 5-2 road record this season.

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