INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 18: Dan Orlovsky #6 of the Indianapolis Colts walks off the field after the Colts first victory of the season during the game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 18, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts defeated the Titans 27-13. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
Week 16 of the 2011 NFL season is underway and the Indianapolis Colts got it started with their second straight win. Will they blow their chance at Stanford QB Andrew Luck?
The Indianapolis Colts managed to grab their first win last week as they handled the Tennessee Titans 27-13. Although the Colts got rid of their zero, they still had a full game lead on the two-win St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. With a game against the AFC South champion Houston Texans on tap for Week 16, they were going to get back to their losing ways and officially lock up the No. 1 pick.
Not so fast. The Indianapolis Colts stunned the Houston Texans on a last second drive as they proved they have not quit on a season that has been nothing short of a disaster. The Colts have now won two straight and head into Jacksonville for their season finale with a realistic shot of finishing the season on a three-game winning streak.
If you missed the NFL Network broadcast of the game, during Dan Orlovsky's game-winning drive, Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock referenced the conflict for the fans. Win another game to avoid further embarrassment or make sure to secure the number one pick and Andrew Luck? While nobody wants to lose on purpose, the importance of securing a franchise quarterback is an obvious issue.
Now that the Colts have improved to 2-13, they will await the results of Saturday's action. The St. Louis Rams travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers and might face a Ben Roethlisberger-less team. The Rams are a struggling team, but facing off against Charlie Batch would raise some interesting question marks. The Minnesota Vikings travel to face the Washington Redskins and while the Vikings are seven point underdogs, any team quarterbacked by Rex Grossman is not a lock to win.
Some Colts fans are concerned about the team's chances of getting the number one pick, but they appear to retain the needed tiebreaker. If teams finish tied for the top pick, the tiebreaker is strength of schedule. The team with the easiest schedule gets the high pick. As it currently stands, the Colts hold that tiebreaker. With 31 NFL games remaining, that strength of schedule will change, but the Colts currently retain the lead.
Pending the Rams and Vikings results on Saturday, we could be looking at an entertaining finish to the season. The Colts, Rams and Vikings all play 1:00pm ET games on New Years Day, which provides a whole new meaning to scoreboard watching.
Projected 2012 NFL Draft Top Five Picks
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. St. Louis Rams
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Cleveland Browns
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 16 Andrew Luck Sweepstakes Schedule
St. Louis Rams @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Minnesota Vikings @ Washington Redskins
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