LOOKING BACK BEFORE LOOKING AHEAD

The Colts put themselves in a bit of a hole starting 1-5, but now at 3-5, they remain in position to make a run at the division title. The Colts still have five of six division games ahead of them, starting with the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in Week 10 and then again at home against the Tennessee Titans the following week. The Colts are actually at home all of November, so some of their most meaningful games are still yet to be played.

In the three games that the Colts have won, they've been able to keep things controlled with the run game on offense, averaging a whopping 182 yards per game on the ground. They've also taken good care of the ball, turning it over just twice in the three games compared to seven takeaways.

Execution, execution, execution. Do your job, and good things will follow.

In the five games the Colts have lost, self-inflicted wounds (and a lack of execution) are arguably the biggest culprit, as you could make an argument for them winning in almost any of their losses. In fact, the Colts had second-half leads in three of the five losses and came within a score in the second half of the other two losses.

With how young the Colts are as a team (eighth-youngest team on opening day), it's understandable to have some mental mistakes. However, they are now correcting many of those mistakes and becoming more consistent — also to be expected.

At the season's halfway marker, Luck is on his way to one of his most statistically productive years. He currently has what would be a career-high in completion percentage (65.8%), and is on pace for a career high in pass completions (450), attempts (684) and passing touchdowns (46).

As we've covered, the Colts' run game has been outstanding in recent weeks. And, they've had to lean on different players in different scenarios. Four different players have been the Colts' leading rusher in a game this season, and their top three backs — Mack (5.8), Hines (4.6) and Jordan Wilkins (4.5) — are averaging over four yards per carry.

Not only has the offensive line propelled the run game, but Luck has also not been sacked since the first series in Week 5. He has now gone approximately 150 dropbacks without being sacked, leading many to believe he finally has a solid offensive line in front of him.

The defensive line got off to a hot start to the season but have lost a bit of their pass rush ferocity lately. In the first four games, they sacked opposing quarterbacks 17 times, but have done so just four times in the last four games. That includes two games with no sacks.

The linebackers have been a pleasant surprise, with Leonard a weekly Rookie of the Week candidate. The rookie leads the NFL in tackles (88) and has chipped in 4.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as well. Second-year linebacker Anthony Walker has been a mainstay at the MIKE after missing much of his rookie season to a hamstring injury. Walker is second on the team in tackles (33) in seven starts.

The secondary has also had its moments, as the top four corners — Kenny Moore II, Pierre Desir, Nate Hairston and Quincy Wilson — have largely adjusted to new roles and adapted accordingly. The safeties — Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers — have been relatively untested downfield while on the field together, but they've made plays.