18. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
On their bye in Week 14, the Indianapolis Colts season is hanging by a thread. They play the Denver Broncos in Denver in Week 15, and if they were to lose that game, they’d drop to 6-8, and the Broncos would drop to 9-5. That would effectively end their season, as in this instance, Indy would have no chance at passing the Broncos in the AFC standings, and they would have to hope that a team like the Los Angeles Chargers or Baltimore Ravens collapse.
A win in Week 15 does save their season for the time being. The Miami Dolphins won in Week 14, so they’re also now 6-7 on the season. It’s very likely that the Broncos are going to end up in the postseason, as that’s where the percentages are, but you just never know.
The Colts defense does need to play better, and Anthony Richardson also needs to figure out how to show up in the first three quarters.
17. San Francisco 49ers (6-7)
Still clinging to life in the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers blew out the Chicago Bears in Week 14, and it was never close. The Niners are banged-up, and that’s been the story of their season, and when you look at the big picture the team’s “down” years in the Kyle Shanahan era all seem to be due to injuries.
However, the 49ers have seen some of their foundational pieces not only get old, but have been the ones who have been hurt this year. You have to wonder if their Super Bowl window slammed shut this year, as guys like Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and others have been hurt this year and are getting older.
And with Brock Purdy being due for a contract extension this coming offseason, this could be a huge period for the 49ers, and even if they find a way to scrape themselves into the postseason, they aren’t going to win a game and have some serious long-term needs to sort out.