NFL Lockout Thawing: Predicting Every Game on the Indianapolis Colts Schedule

With a resolution to end NFL lockout expected in the next few days, here is a look at the Indianapolis Colts schedule for the upcoming season with predictions for each game.

Last season the Colts finished 10-6 after a four-game winning streak to end the season, before bowing out in the First Round of the playoffs against the New York Jets. Although the playoff loss was a disappointment, it still represented the ninth straight playoff appearance for the franchise and 11th in the last 12 years.

Based on 2010 records, the Colts schedule for 2011 is tied for the third-toughest in the NFL. Road contests against the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens will all be tall tasks for Peyton Manning and crew.

The Colts season does end with three consecutive division games. So, barring an unexpected barrage of injuries, the Colts should control their own playoff destiny heading into those games.

Here is a quick glance at the four month journey the Colts will endure this season. The number in parenthesis on each slide is the Colts record heading into that game.

Week 1 at Houston (0-0)

Just like last season, the Indianapolis Colts 2011 campaign starts with a trip Houston to face the division-rival Texans. In the 2010 contest, the Texans got a monster performance from running back Arian Foster en route to a 34-24 win.

Peyton Manning rarely talks about injuries, so his recent comments about his neck are definitely troublesome for Colts fans. Hopefully the end of the lockout will allow him to get much needed rehab time with the Colts' training staff.

That said, he will likely receive a very limited amount of preseason snaps, meaning rust will likely be a factor for this game. Dallas Clark and Austin Collie returning should help in the long run, but it will take a few games for Manning to find his timing with them.

The Colts run defense is still an issue. They did draft Drake Nevis in a continued attempt to bulk up the defensive line, but he isn't going to solve the problems. Foster could have another big game and the Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson combination will pick up the rest of the slack.

Who will win: Houston Texans, 31-28

Player of the game: Arian Foster, 28 carries for 188 yards and two touchdowns

Week 2 vs Cleveland (0-1)

Week two will see Madden 12 cover boy Peyton Hillis lead the Cleveland Browns into Lucas Oil Stadium. The Indianapolis Colts will be eager to get into the win column after a week one loss to the Houston Texans.

Colt McCoy will likely be under center for the Browns, which is good news for the Colts. When a team is one dimensional, the Colts defense can key on that facet of defense and produce stops. Hillis will be able to control the clock, but the Colts should make enough third down plays.

The Browns defensive backfield has a lot of holes for Peyton Manning to exploit. This will be a great game for him to find his rhythm and start to build momentum for the rest of the season. Joe Thomas and Dwight Freeney will be another fun matchup to watch.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 24-10

Player of the game: Peyton Manning, 25/35 for 290 yards and three touchdowns

Week 3 vs Pittsburgh (1-1)

James Harrison's preferred quarterback, Peyton Manning, will take on his actual quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in week three. After struggling against elite teams last season, the Indianapolis Colts get a chance to make an early statement in 2011.

Rashard Mendenhall will likely be used early and often in this game in an attempt to burn clock. Roethlisberger should be able to find Hines Ward and Heath Miller underneath coverage with ease.  But Mile Wallace will struggle to get open against the Colts cover-two defense.

This game will all come down to which team makes the last mistake. Unfortunately for the Colts, the Steelers have more playmakers on defense and I foresee a late Troy Polamalu interception setting up a game-winning field goal for Pittsburgh.

Who will win: Pittsburgh Steelers, 16-13

Player of the game: Troy Polamalu, seven tackles and an interception.

Week 4 at Tampa Bay (1-2)

Behind the offensive trio of Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the more surprising teams in the NFL last season. That said, their schedule was fairly weak, so they'll have to back it up in 2011 before the bandwagon starts growing.

Kellen Winslow will be a matchup problem for the Colts, especially on third down. The Buccaneers know controlling the ball will be the only way they win the game, so if they have any chance to win, Blount will have to come up big.

The Bucs struggled to get to the quarterback last season, recording just 26 sacks, which tied for the second-worst total in the league. That is awesome news for Peyton Manning, who should be able to sit back and carve up the Tampa Bay defense.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 27-13

Player of the game: Reggie Wayne, 10 catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Week 5 vs Kansas City (2-2)

The Indianapolis Colts will attempt to string together their first winning streak of the season when the Kansas City Chiefs come to town in week five. The Colts won last season's meeting 19-9 despite a sub-par performance from Peyton Manning.

This is a very scary game for Colts fans because the probability that Jamaal Charles has a monster outing is pretty large. The Chiefs defense proved last season they can contain Manning, so there are enough red flags to be concerned.

That said, this game will come down to the Colts running game being able produce some yardage. Manning's struggles last season were due to a high volume of passes to short routes.

Kansas City stopped the big plays and by the second half were prepared for the underneath routes. Joseph Addai, Donald Brown and the rest of the backfield need to make some plays.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 23-13

Player of the game: Dwight Freeney, two sacks and a forced fumble

Week 6 at Cincinnati (3-2)

The Colts begin a span of three straight road games by taking on bull-riding, soccer-playing Chad Ochocinco and the Cincinnati Bengals. Then again, Ochocinco might finally get his wish of being released or traded by this point.

The Colts beat the Bengals 23-17 last season and should be heavy favorites for this contest. As much respect as I have for Cedric Benson, he has to be reaching the end of his productivity and Andy Dalton will still be going through some growing pains.

Peyton Manning and company should be up 14-0 before the end of the first quarter and it will be all gravy from that point forward. Curtis Painter might get some snaps, which means Colts fans will have to feel a little pain despite the big win.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 38-17

Player of the game: Pierre Garcon, 6 catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns

Week 7 at New Orleans (4-2)

Week seven will send the Indianapolis Colts to the Superdome to take on Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. This will undoubtedly lead to countless “which quarterback would you rather have” debates.

Many believe this would be a high-scoring shootout, but both teams play a 'bend but don't break' style of defense, so the scores should remain in the 20s or low 30s. It will likely come down to the last possession with one quarterback needing a touchdown to win.

Since the Colts will likely generate more pressure on Brees than the Saints will on Manning, Indianapolis has an advantage. However, the Saints will be home and playing in front of a sellout crowd, so this game is a complete toss-up.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 31-27

Player of the game: Peyton Manning, 26/41 for 309 yards and three touchdowns

Week 8 at Tennessee (5-2)

The Indianapolis Colts end their road trip by visiting Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans. It's anybody's guess who will be under center for the Titans by week eight, but one thing is certain–Peyton Manning is a lot better.

Johnson will be, as usual, the main focus of the Colts defense. Johnson busting a big run is almost a certainty, but if they can otherwise limit him to minimal gains and prevent multiple game-breaking bursts, the Colts should be fine.

Manning has seen the Titans defense enough and it's almost a guarantee that his offense is going to put up around 30 points. It just comes down to whether or not the Titans offense can put up more than that. For this season, I doubt it can.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 28-17

Player of the game: Robert Mathis, two sacks and a forced fumble

Week 9 vs Atlanta (6-2)

Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and the Atlanta Falcons will be prepared to test the Colts defense in week eight. The Falcons have a bye week right before this meeting and their schedule prior to the bye week is pretty light. They could easily be 6-1 or 5-2 heading into this game.

Unlike the Saints game, I think this game has real shootout potential. Both teams have explosive offenses and the Colts defense won't be able to contain both Roddy White and Julio Jones, even with the cover two.

The Colts offense has a tendency to get predictable in situations where they know they have to score. Just like a person playing Madden, the Colts have their handful of plays which they are really comfortable with, which can lead to opposing cornerbacks jumping routes. Manning will have to avoid that late in this game.

Who will win: Atlanta Falcons, 41-35

Player of the game: Roddy White, 15 catches for 188 yards and three touchdowns

Week 10 vs Jacksonville (6-3)

When division foe Jacksonville comes to Indianapolis in week 10, it will be a classic trap game scenario.

The Colts will be heading into a bye while the Jaguars will be coming off a bye. The Colts might rest a few guys to give them two weeks to heal some injuries, the Jags should be close to full strength.

Any time you have a fresh Maurice Jones-Drew against a worn down Colts defense, it is a recipe for disaster. I think this game comes down to who the quarterback is for the Jaguars. If David Garrard is under center, an upset is likely.

If they have moved on to rookie Blaine Gabbert, however, the Colts should still eke out a victory. The Colts know they'll have limited possessions either way, so their efficiency will be the key.

I wouldn't be surprised if rookie running back Delone Carter has worked his way into the rotation and makes an impact in this game.

Who will win: Jacksonville Jaguars, 17-7

Player of the game: Maurice Jones-Drew, 25 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns

Week 12 vs Carolina (6-4)

Coming out of the bye week the Indianapolis Colts will be greeted by the entertainer himself, Cam Newton. Although Jimmy Clausen thinks he has a chance to win the job, in reality the front office will push to have Newton on the field quickly.

Once one of the more feared running back tandems in the league, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were very disappointing last season.

With two inexperienced quarterbacks leading the way, they will be leaned on heavily this season, assuming they both return. As mentioned earlier though, a completely one-dimensional team isn't a major problem for the Colts.

Although it won't be a must-win situation from the Colts, they will definitely be extremely disappointed if they can't pick up the win here.

They probably won't blow out the Panthers as many would expect, but they'll find a way to pick up the win.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 17-3

Player of the game: Pat Angerer, 12 tackles and a fumble recovery

Week 13 at New England (7-4)

For the ninth straight year the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts will meet in the regular season. These teams always seem to finish in the same spot in their respective divisions.

The Tom Brady or Peyton Manning debate is one that will never end.  And when I say never, I mean never.

The fact of the matter is they are two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game and when asked which of you want to start a team with the correct answer is “either one.”

It will be another highly-contest duel that comes down to the fourth quarter. I think the Colts will lead for the majority of the final 15 minutes, but Tom Brady will have the ball last and will find a way to beat Manning and the Colts.

Who will win: New England Patriots, 28-24

Player of the game: Tom Brady, 23/30 for 220 yards and three touchdowns

Week 14 at Baltimore (7-5)

When Peyton Manning steps out from behind center and starts waving his arms to audible to a different play with Ray Lewis staring a hole right through him, followed by an audible of his own, that is the essence of sports.

Two of the best at their position in the history of the game playing a game of chess before the play even starts.

Ray Rice was underperformed last season and will need to become one of the best all-around backs in the NFL once again if the Baltimore Ravens are going to be true contenders. Anquan Boldin will be a major problem for the Colts secondary.

The Colts will understand if they lose this game they are basically right back where they were last season, in must-win situations for the rest of the schedule.

Obviously they poured all that effort into making the playoffs last season and then ran out of gas once they got there.  They want to avoid that this season, so this game becomes very important.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 27-21

Player of the game: Robert Mathis, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble

Week 15 vs Tennessee (8-5)

After beating them in week eight, the Colts get another chance to beat up on the Titans in week 15.

The Titans should be in full rebuilding mode by this point, giving a lot of playing time to younger players, especially on defense. Peyton Manning is licking his lips already.

As always, Chris Johnson gives the Titans a chance in this game by himself, especially if he is chasing some type of rushing record because he'll get the ball every play. That said, his supporting cast won't be good enough to keep the team afloat.

Manning will tear up the Titans defense for three quarters or so and then give way to Curtis Painter. For the sake of Colts fans, hopefully Painter's continued poor play leads to the Colts picking up a legitimate backup quarterback in next season's draft to groom behind Manning.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 31-14

Player of the game: Reggie Wayne, 8 catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns

Week 16 vs Houston (9-5)

The week 16 game against the Houston Texans will likely be a win-and-in scenario for the Indianapolis Colts. I suspect the Texans will be the second place team in the AFC South with an 8-6 record at this point.

After beating the Colts in week one last season, the Texans couldn't win another one in Indianapolis. One of these seasons, maybe not until Peyton Manning is busy changing diapers every day, the Texans will sweep the season series against the Colts and take the division.

But it's just not going to happen this year.

I haven't talked much about the running game yet, and mostly because I don't expect it to be more than a complementary piece again this season.

However, by this point in the season the mixed up puzzle that is the Colts backfield should have worked itself out as the playoffs near. I suspect Joseph Addai will still be the lead dog with Delone Carter as the backup and Donald Brown just waiting for his pink slip.

Who will win: Indianapolis Colts, 24-20

Player of the game: Joseph Addai, 18 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns

Week 17 at Jacksonville (10-5)

Having clinched their 10th consecutive playoff berth the prior week, the Indianapolis Colts will be resting a lot of players for this game. Although many fans disagree with the decision to rest players, the Colts have done it consistently over the years and have showed no signs of a change in philosophy.

That means Peyton Manning and the rest of the offensive skill position players will probably play only the first half before giving way to their replacements.

The offensive line, which I suspect will be much improved this season and thus haven't talked much about, will probably get at least a quarter off as well.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, like the Tennessee Titans, will be playing a lot of inexperienced players by this point. The bottom line is that this game is nearly impossible to call. The Colts backups against the young Jaguars for the critical portion of the game.

Since I have no confidence in Curtis Painter, I will say the Jaguars find a way to win at home.

The only way this could change is if the Colts are playing for a bye, but I suspect the AFC bye teams will be at least 12-4, meaning the Colts won't have a chance to reach that level.

The Colts finish as the third seed in the AFC with a record of 10-6.

Who will win: Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-13

Player of the game: Maurice Jones-Drew, 22 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns