NFL Picks Week 15: 3 Game Results That Ensure Colts Sucked Enough for Luck

Peyton and Archie Manning better get used to it; the Indianapolis Colts are drafting Andrew Luck No. 1 on April 26, 2012. You can take it to the bank.

As much as many fans don't want to think about the end of the Peyton era, the Colts brass has to. They are lucky a prospect like Luck is available to them at the almost ideal time.

The Colts selection of Luck will become even more apparent after Week 15. They face the Tennessee Titans in a game the Titans must have to keep their playoff hopes alive. Matt Hasselbeck will play against the Colts and Chris Johnson has found himself, despite a slow game last week in the loss to New Orleans.

The Titans will hand the Colts their 14th loss of the season.

That loss will ensure the Colts will at least be tied for the worse record in the NFL at season's end. They would have to run the table, which would be more of a night-stand at this point, to escape that scenario. You would have to assume, they will not want to avoid it, no matter what the players say about playing spoiler.

The second game in this progression towards Luck's No. 12 Colts jersey, will come from the Cincinnati Bengals and St. Louis Rams game. The Bengals are reeling after losing two consecutive games. True, they have the two-win St. Louis Rams on the docket this week, but the Rams are at home.

When Robert Quinn and Chris Long get pressure on the QB, the Rams defense is a different unit. Big games by the Rams' two defensive ends is what led to their biggest win of the year over the Saints in Week 8.

I am expecting the Rams to come out strong as they enter a brutal part of their schedule. After the Bengals, they finish up the season with the Steelers and 49ers. If the Rams are to grab one more win to close this season out, this would be the week. St. Louis is the Colts' stiffest competition, even though, they would probably not draft Luck because of Sam Bradford.

The Rams will upset the Bengals and gain their third win, eliminating them from attaining the top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The third game actually takes place in Week 16, which is technically all that is needed to claim the top pick for the Colts. With the Texans still playing for a possible first-round bye, they will thrash the Colts. The loss will drop the Colts to 0-12, and the suspense should be over and done with.

Manning will be transformed from the man to the mentor, regardless of how his neck heels. Luck's arrival will place an end date for Manning's tenure in Indy for the first time in his career.