The Colts, along with 16 other teams, now stand at 0-1. Apparently their loss was bad enough to have ESPN keep them at 32nd overall, last in the weekly power rankings. Indianapolis' ranking remains unchanged from week one where they were also ranked 32nd overall. I think the team played well enough in their 41-21 loss to move up a little from the bottom of the barrel in the power rankings.
While many fans have already hit the panic button after a 20 point loss and three Andrew Luck interceptions, I still think the team is talented and will win several games this year. I think the decision to rank the team last in the NFL is a little too far down. Miami and Cleveland amongst others looked far worse than Indianapolis in the season opener. Both of those teams are also starting rookie quarterbacks who looked far worse in their premieres. The Vikings, Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks, Raiders, and Jaguars would all be difficult to clearly rank above Indianapolis as well.
Fans should make no mistake though. This Indianapolis team will not be ranked in the top half of the league at any point this year. This Colt team is being built to compete in the next one to two years. Myself and other fans are excited about the future and potential of Andrew Luck, but will certainly have to suffer through some rough times in his rookie season. Ranking Indianapolis 32nd is a bit of a reach though.
Fans should feel comfortable that as the season progresses, I feel strongly that the team will not spend long at the very bottom of the power rankings. If Luck, Reggie Wayne and the rest of the team want to move out from the bottom, it has to start this week. Week two against the Minnesota Vikings presents a very winnable game. After Adrian Peterson, there is very little in the way of Indianapolis and their first win of the season. Stopping Peterson won't be easy, but will be the first task on the way to the Colts moving their way up the rankings this season.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He runs a blog about the team at www.coltsfansonline.com.
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