The Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1) will play host to the Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday for a Week 11 matchup.
As the thrill of the first win with Jeff Saturday as interim head coach begins to fade, the Colts will have a tough test against an Eagles team that has been surging on both sides of the ball for the majority of the campaign. They just suffered their first loss against the Washington Commanders and should be hungry to prove that’s a fluke.
The Colts, meanwhile, are coming off an exciting win over the Las Vegas Raiders in which they went on the road for a victory—just their second of the season on the road.
Vegas has the Colts sitting as significant underdogs while the experts around the league are all siding with the Eagles in this game.
Here’s how the Colts Wire staff feels about this matchup:
Kevin Hickey: Eagles 28, Colts 17
The return of quarterback Matt Ryan and a solid game from the offensive line helped the Colts win a big road matchup in Week 10. Now, coming back home against the Eagles, it’s unlikely to be the same story.
The Colts have had a roller-coaster season thus far through personnel changes and distractions from the outside when it comes to replacing those let go midseason. They’ve done an admirable job sifting through the noise and distractions to play competitive football, but the Eagles are simply on a different level right now.
Containing Jalen Hurts and his duo of weapons in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will be a tough task for the defense while the offense is facing one of the best defenses in the NFL. Oh, and they just added Ndamukong Suh.
The Colts seem to be playing inspired football right now so this game could still be competitive, but they’ve yet to truly face a team like this (outside of a down week from the Chiefs).
They will come out hungry and maybe even provide a few splash plays, but the offense is likely to struggle to the point where the Eagles get out to a comfortable lead.
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)
Cody Manning: Eagles 28, Colts 24
How long does the honeymoon phase last for Jeff Saturday? Surprisingly, the Indianapolis Colts go to battle with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The offense does a good job at protecting the ball and keeping the chains moving behind the legs of Jonathan Taylor. The Indy defense keeps the Philly in offense in check but slip up and give up a few touchdown drives throughout the afternoon. Late in the fourth quarter the Colts will have a chance to win it with a touchdown but come up just short and lose to the Eagles 28-24.
Follow Cody on Twitter (@CodyTalksNFL)
John Alfieri: Eagles 27, Colts 17
Follow John on Twitter (@alfierijohn)
Nick Melillo: Eagles 24, Colts 17
The Colts are coming off a bit of a shocking win and are playing with new energy under interim head coach Jeff Saturday. While Matt Ryan has bounced back as the returning starting quarterback, the offense faces a tall task in dealing with a top ranked Eagles squad.
On defense, the challenge may be even tougher, with a powerful passing attack led by Jalen Hurts looking to rebound from its first defeat. Forcing and not creating turnovers, as well as controlling time of possession were keys to beating this team for the Commanders last week. The Colts will need similar success to have a fighting chance in this one. Think the Colts play well but come up short.
Follow Nick on Twitter (@CircleCity21)
Standings
1. Cody (4-6)
2. John (3-7)
3. Kevin (3-7)
4. Nick (3-4)
