Jan. 26, 2026, 10:30 a.m. ET
What can the Indianapolis Colts learn from the New England Patriots 2025 season?
Well, the first thing is that the defense for the Colts has to improve.
But beyond that and New England going to the Super Bowl, zooming out on things, the Patriots have put together a strong season from nearly the start to the finish. They finished the regular season with 14 wins and earned the two seed in the AFC.
This sudden turnaround comes after going 4-13 back-to-back seasons.
To get to this point, change was required. Mike Vrabel was brought in as the head coach, along with there being other changes to his coaching staff. New England was also a big spender in free agency.
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The quarterback position was also figured out in 2024 when the team drafted Drake Maye.
For the Colts, the 2025 season was a disappointment. Despite a red-hot start, the team finished the season on a seven-game losing streak and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
Unlike with New England last offseason, there won’t be sweeping changes in Indianapolis. Specifically, GM Chris Ballard will be back for his 10th season, despite a lack of success.
But a primary reason that the Colts are running things back is that the organization believes that the early-season success the team had can be repeatable.
The combination of Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones helped produce one of the most productive offenses in football. Throughout the year, we saw a much more aggressive roster-building approach from Ballard — something that could continue into 2026.
To go along with that, the recently stable franchises in the AFC — Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Baltimore — are all going through varying degrees of change.
So does all of that mean that the Colts will make the playoffs in 2026? At this point, seeing is believing. But if healthy, one can also see a path towards this team finally returning to the postseason.