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INDIANAPOLIS—The first two months of the NFL season is in the books for the Indianapolis Colts.
Sitting at 5-2, the Colts have a two-game lead in the AFC South in trying to "re-take" the South for the first time since 2010.
While the two-game lead after seven weeks might seem like a comfortable lead, the Colts players aren't naive as to what lies ahead when they return from the bye week.
Beginning with the Texans on Nov. 3 and concluding with the Jaguars on Dec. 29, the Colts will play an AFC South opponent every other week to close out the final nine games.
"It's divisional games, they are all crucial," cornerback Cassius Vaughn said earlier this week. "We can't go to sleep on Tennessee or Houston because we know that it's a dog fight every time we play in the division."
AFC South Schedule
Colts (5-2)
Titans (3-4)
Texans (2-5)
Jaguars (0-7)
Week 8
Bye
Bye
Bye
49ers
Week 9
@Texans
@Rams
Colts
Bye
Week 10
Rams
Jaguars
@Cardinals
@Titans
Week 11
@Titans
Colts
Raiders
Cardinals
Week 12
@Cardinals
@Raiders
Jaguars
@Texans
Week 13
Titans
@Colts
Patriots
@Browns
Week 14
@Bengals
@Broncos
@Jaguars
Texans
Week 15
Texans
Cardinals
@Colts
Bills
Week 16
@Chiefs
@Jaguars
Broncos
Titans
Week 17
Jaguars
Texans
@Titans
@Colts
Another interesting note in the Colts 2013 schedule is they will play each divisional team on the road first before playing three AFC South home games in December.
With trips to Houston (Nov. 3) and Tennessee (Nov. 14) in the first three weeks out of the bye week, the Colts have a chance to create some separation in the division.
"It's pretty critical," leading tackler Jerrell Freeman said of the stretch.
"Our first goal is to win the AFC South so the first step is when we first come back. It's definitely important to us to enjoy the bye week but we've got to prepare."
