2016 Indianapolis Colts Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

It felt somewhat strange having the AFC playoffs last season without the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts finished the 2015 campaign with an 8-8 record and missed the postseason for just the second time since the 2001 season.

They will look to rectify that in 2016, and they now know the schedule they will have to conquer along the way.

The biggest issue for the Colts in 2015 was the fact quarterback Andrew Luck dealt with injuries and only appeared in seven games. That left the season largely in the hands of 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck, and he couldn’t direct them into the playoffs.

The absence of Luck underscored just how important he is for the team’s overall Super Bowl chances, especially since the Colts won 11 games in 2012, 2013 and 2014 with him under center. He has to remain healthy if Indianapolis plans on regaining pole position in an AFC South that features an improving Jacksonville Jaguars roster, Marcus Mariota leading the Tennessee Titans and a Houston Texans team with a strong defense and signal-caller Brock Osweiler in tow. 

Here is a look at the schedule Luck and his teammates will face, per NFL.com.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 11	Detroit Lions	4:25 p.m.	Fox
2	Sept. 18	at Denver Broncos	4:25 p.m.	CBS
3	Sept. 25	San Diego Chargers	4:25 p.m.	CBS
4	Oct. 2	at Jacksonville Jaguars (in London)	9:30 a.m.	CBS
5	Oct. 9	Chicago Bears	1 p.m.	Fox
6	Oct. 16	at Houston Texans	8:30 p.m.	NBC
7	Oct. 23	at Tennessee Titans	1 p.m.	CBS
8	Oct. 30	Kansas City Chiefs	1 p.m.	CBS
9	Nov. 6	at Green Bay Packers	4:25 p.m.	CBS
10	BYE WEEK
11	Nov. 20	Tennessee Titans	1 p.m.	CBS
12	Nov. 24	Pittsburgh Steelers	8:30 p.m.	NBC
13	Dec. 5	at New York Jets	8:30 p.m.	ESPN
14	Dec. 11	Houston Texans	1 p.m.	CBS
15	Dec. 18	at Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m.	CBS
16	Dec. 24	at Oakland Raiders	4:05 p.m.	CBS
17	Jan. 1	Jacksonville Jaguars	1 p.m.	CBS

Analysis

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

The first thing that jumps out about Indianapolis' schedule is the trip to London to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in what could be an important divisional game. The Colts have never played a contest in London, and it promises to be a break from the ordinary and a chance for international fans to watch Luck as one of the league's best quarterbacks.

The London game is one of six AFC South contests the Colts will play in what is arguably the most favorable part of their slate. The other three teams in the division combined to go 17-31 in 2015, and only the 9-7 Texans finished above .500.

The AFC South is not particularly challenging on paper, which will give a healthy Luck the chance to lead his team right back to the playoffs.

Indianapolis and the rest of the division will play their NFC games against the North. That means the Colts will face a Chicago Bears squad that hasn't posted a winning record since 2012 and a Detroit Lions team that is coming off a disappointing 7-9 year and won't have superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Both of those winnable games are at home as well.

Things will be much tougher against the NFC North for the Colts with road matchups against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay and Minnesota were both playoff teams in 2015 and feature two of the most dynamic playmakers in the league in Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

The Colts also play the AFC West this year, which means daunting contests against the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos and a 2015 playoff team in the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos game promises to be even more difficult because it is on the road at Mile High, where Luck will have to face off with a terrifying defense that brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Denver.

The one positive for the Colts that came out of missing last season's playoffs is the realization they do not have to play a first-place schedule in 2016. Still, they finished in second place in the AFC South, which means dates with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. Both opponents finished 10-6 in 2015, and the Steelers are perennially one of the best teams in the league.

At least Indianapolis doesn't have to worry about a certain familiar AFC foe, as Kevin Bowen of the Colts' official website pointed out:

"

One team Colts fans will definitely notice missing from the 2016 schedule is the New England Patriots.

With New England winning the AFC East in 2015 and the Colts finishing second in the AFC South, the two teams won’t match up in the regular season for just the second time since 2003.

The Colts and Patriots have met an incredible 17 times since 2003. The 2013 and now 2016 regular seasons are the only years they haven’t met.

"

Patriots or no Patriots, the Colts will play eight games in 2016 against teams that were better than .500 last year, including a contest against the defending champs. That is not exactly a welcoming slate for Luck as he returns from injury, although he does get the benefit of playing in a relatively wide-open division.

Pivotal Matchups

Darron Cummings/Associated Press/Associated Press

If the Colts are going to establish themselves as the AFC South's top dog once again, they will have to overcome the Texans. The two head-to-head matchups with the defending division champs will go a long way toward determining whether Indy can do just that. 

Unfortunately for Luck, that means evading a defense that finished fifth in the league in sacks, third in the league in total defense and seventh in the league in scoring defense in 2015. With J.J. Watt leading the way, Houston should once again be one of the NFL's best units on that side of the ball. 

What's more, the Texans made drastic offensive changes this offseason when they signed Osweiler and running back Lamar Miller. Houston was a disappointing 21st in the NFL in 2015 in scoring offense and still won the division with its defense, so even a marginal improvement when it has the ball could lead to an impressive season.

The Colts' matchups with the Broncos and Steelers will also prove to be critical in the race for playoff positioning and potential home-field advantage in the AFC. Both squads figure to be in the postseason picture all year, and head-to-head victories would give Luck and the Colts the all-important tiebreakers at season's end.

While games against the Texans, Steelers and Broncos will help shape the outcome of Indianapolis' season, Luck's health remains the biggest factor. If he plays all 16 games, the Colts could very well find themselves atop the AFC South once again.