INDIANAPOLIS -- With Monday night's win over the New York Jets, the Indianapolis Colts now control their own destiny. If the team wins the rest of its games, it will win the AFC South.
But the Colts, the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans are all 6-6. What else could happen in the division?
Week 14: Texans at Colts
The Colts need to beat the Texans next week to have the best shot at the division title. Like many of these scenarios, it's not impossible for Indy to make the playoffs with a loss, it just becomes a lot harder. A loss here means the team no longer controls its own destiny.
That's because a loss to the Texans means Houston controls the head-to head tiebreaker over the Colts, so the Colts would have to end the season with a better overall record.
Week 15: Colts at Vikings
On Dec. 18, the Colts have a NFC matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. Right now, the Vikings are 6-6 and are still in the playoff hunt, so a win is not guaranteed.
Even if Indianapolis beats Houston in Week 14, Houston would still control the second tiebreaker (division record) if both teams win the rest of their games.
Week 16: Colts at Raiders
This is the bad news. The Oakland Raiders are currently 10-2, and could be the No. 1 seed in the AFC in the playoffs.
The Raiders have won six straight, half of those by double digits. It's certainly possible to pull out a win, but given the game is in Oakland, that's a tough bet to make.
Week 17: Jaguars at Colts
Here's the good news. Jacksonville is one of the two or three worst teams in the NFL at 2-10. The Colts lost to the Jaguars 30-27 in London earlier in the season, if you care to remember.
Even if the Colts beat the Raiders in Week 16, a loss here could still kick the team out of the playoffs if the Texans also win all their games.
Here's a look at Houston's schedule for the last four games.
Week 14: Texans at Colts
Week 15: Jaguars at Texans
Week 16: Bengals at Texans
Week 17: Texans at Titans
All of those games are winnable for Houston. The best record there is the Colts and the Titans, with each team at 6-6.
The actual playoffs may not begin until Jan 7, but for the Colts, it looks like the playoffs begin next week.
